Written By: Anika Chopra
Edited By: Vedika Mandapati
Designed By: Kyra Kumar and Lavanya Guha
Disclaimer: The Pathways Gazette in no way encourages its readers to take on any changes in diet without first consulting a nutritionist. This article merely documents our staff’s journey with Intermittent Fasting.
I have never let numbers define who I'm as a person--this can be seen in every aspect of my life, including my weight. While I have never been insecure about it, this quarantine allowed me to reflect on my health and eating habits. My relationship with food was toxic, and it often reflected my mood. I was eating fatty and unhealthy foods that were expressed in terms of tiredness and moodiness. Overall, I wasn't content with how I felt mentally and physically, so I decided to rebuild my food relationship.
This goal was set back in February. I tried several diets--veganism, dairy-free, gluten-free, fruit diets, but there was never a balance in what I consumed, which made me feel even worse than before.
This inconsistency made me put on more weight, and by April, I was hopeless about where to go with my food journey. That is when my aunt, who is a nutritionist, recommended I try intermittent fasting. This is a well-known restricted fasting technique that's said to support the body's internal clock. I had nothing to lose at that point and hence, decided to opt for the most popular window - 16:8 - here, I ate for eight hours and fasted for sixteen.
Gathering meals from all the diets I had tried out in my prior months, I built a balanced diet that was low in carbs, high in proteins, and a cheat meal here and there to keep my body satisfied. This way, I wasn't depriving myself of anything, which uplifted my attitude significantly.
Eating for eight hours a day prompted me to be aware of what I was eating, and from the first week itself, I found myself feeling lighter and, therefore, happier. What I was not expecting was to lose weight. It was never a short-term goal, but a bonus that I cherish as it motivated me to start working out in the mornings with our trusted - Chloe Ting.
Fasting and physical activities have been a stress buster for me these past few months. It helps me feel refreshed for my day, which increases my productivity. My moodiness translated into optimism, and internally, I felt clean. As a result, I started feeling confident, mentally, and psychically. The technique also regulated my eating times, which my body now thanks to me for. 3 am snacking and stress eating was replaced by consistent eating that pleases me way more.
While my intermittent fasting journey has been extremely positive, it was not as comfortable in the beginning. The eating window and the cutting of foods were challenging, but things were more manageable with a professional guiding me. Taking it step by step, I cut out all my bad foods and replaced them with healthier and equally fulfilling options like replacing butter chicken for kadhai chicken, which is less on dairy and oils.
This is a routine that I plan on following for a long time. It's helped me find joy in what I was eating. I never thought something trivial like food could transform into a life-changing habit for me, but I am incredibly grateful for this change, as it has helped me a lot during this lockdown.
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