Fasting to Lose Weight
My Incredible Journey Towards Health
Before I continue to talk about my story of fasting to lose weight, let’s have a quick browse of my fasting profile.
Anna Astor’s Fasting Profile
My Fasting History
Since March 11, 2006
My Background - Executive Search, based in Hong Kong
My Food - No restriction
My Eating Schedule - Once a day, usually dinner, sometimes lunch, rarely breakfast
My Fasting Window - Usually 24 hours, three to four times a week
My Daily Workout - Calisthenics 20 minutes; Swimming 30 minutes
2012 is my 7th year of intermittent fasting. Ever since 2006 when I kicked off my ‘belated’ fasting program, I love my new lifestyle. I have found a long term lasting and easy way to eat and stay healthy. I plan on feeling this great for the rest of my life!
Historic Eating Problem
My story all began with my historic eating problem which date back to 1989. Perhaps due to slow metabolism, but no one could explain the reason. There has been a serious conflict between my natural desire for food and my body’s saying ‘no’. However I have been pleasing my mouth, and ignoring my body’s refusal of food.
I guess I had one of the worst compulsive eating habits of eating on time regardless I was hungry or not. So my stomach was always full to overload like an airborne balloon. In March 2006, I took an important step in my life as to change my eating habit.
Fasting to Lose Weight Naturally
Actually over the past 20 years, doctors, dietitians and friends suggested hundreds of ways to correct my problem. Somehow I found only one way work for me – fasting. At the beginning, I went on a 6-day juice fasting. I lost six pounds out of that, mostly from my belly fat. Over the course of the next eight months, I lost a total of 20 pounds. My body weight has been stable since then. Fasting had greatly improved my appearance and helped me gain back my self-confidence.
My Road From Fasting to Lose Weight
Photo 1: March 10, 2006 – the night before fasting
Photo 2: March 17, 2006 – one week of juice fasting – lose 6 pounds
Photo 3: November 2006 – eight months of intermittent fasting
Photo 4: January 2010 – stable body weight since photo 3
At first, I did not intend to do fasting to lose weight. My focus was HEALTH – to correct my bloating and digestive problem. Somehow, I noticed weight loss happened naturally and I didn’t really need to care what I ate while losing weight.
The Magic of Flexible Intermittent Fasting
At the beginning, I was thinking that I could resume my normal three-meal-day after the initial juice fasting. But I was wrong. The miracle feeling told me that ‘Anna, don’t look back; look forward, you’ve found the right way to eat!’ The feeling was just like I’ve been temporary disabled and got fully recovered. I would never want to be disabled again.
As a matter of fact, I don’t really need that much food to survive. However I cannot give up food forever, so I target for one meal a day, just to balance my psychological and physical need of food. There marked the beginning of my intermittent fasting program.
I set up a food diary to record my eating history and at a later stage a food blog to record what I eat, and a fasting blog to encourage more people to go fasting. On average, I skip 18 to 23 meals in a month as in some cases I cannot avoid eating due to business and personal social commitments. In some days, I replace a meal by snacks, a fruit or a glass of juice.
Overcoming Fasting Hurdle
To be successful, mental determination is important. I kept telling myself, if I can’t control myself for just a few days, how can I control myself for the rest of my life? This feeling is really wonderful. I wanted to do it and I did it. I must say this is truly a good exercise to go through.
Though fasting to lose weight is such an incredible experience, there is a little social hurdle to overcome. I have to alert people of my change in eating habit and that they need to reserve my diary in advance, in case they want to eat with me. Luckily I have my family members’ and friends’ support by respecting my new eating habit. Food wise, I don’t really have any restriction. I just eat as usual, except not as frequent as before.
PS: I have taken a painfully long period of 17 years to start my fasting journey. Why 17 years? Continue to read my article on Fasting For Health.
Who Should Consider Fasting?
Please understand…I am not saying that you should adapt to my way of eating at all. Although I fast most of the time, but if I feel I need food…I eat. Fasting isn't about starving myself and it is out of my natural need for food. Of course this won’t happen overnight. I took time to build up this eating habit. Please don't eat this way until you have a deep understanding of the diet.
Fact is, if you want to lose weight but are not prepared to change your eating habit, your chance of success is limited. I’ve procrastinated for 17 years, but once I made up my mind….I succeed!
About Intermittent Fasting
My website is about intermittent fasting (IF) and I talk a lot about IF without going detail about the science behind it. Because I’m not a scientific person and generally people tend to lost interest when articles get too technical. Therefore I would like to point to websites that go in depth into the subject of IF. Here is the IF focused website that I personally visit frequently - Eat Stop Eat
My suggestion is to visit the site and do some research to see if short term intermittent fasting makes sense to you. If it does, give it a try…if it looks impossible for you then continue to eat the way you have been eating. Intermittent Fasting works extremely well for a lot of people and has documented health benefits if done properly.
Brad Pilon, the Creator of Eat Stop Eat
If you are interested in the scientific research behind the use of intermittent fasting to lose weight then you should find Brad’s ebook to be both up to date and accurate.
Brad Pilon is a nutrition professional. His graduate studies were about nutritional sciences specializing in the use of short term fasting for weight loss. Click here to check out Eat Stop Eat.
Reading Brad’s site, you’ll be inspired by his real passion in helping others to stay healthy and fit. Personally I’m completely impressed by his efforts in providing simple and effective ways to improve our weight loss, fitness, health and lifestyle.
Note: Even if you don't decide to buy anything, you should opt-in to subscribe his blog.
THINK! and Lose Weight
I lose weight through intermittent fasting. But I’m not saying that intermittent fasting is the best weight loss method.
If you look at almost any diet program, you’ll find groups of people who have found success with the plan. They’ve been able to lose the weight they wanted to lose and have been able to keep it off for the long-term. The common denominator here is not the diet programs, but the people following the programs. The reason they’re successful - regardless of the diet plan—is that they have the proper mindset to follow the diet program to lose weight and then most importantly, they stick with the plan for the long-term.
I’ve recently come across a book called “THINK! and Lose Weight” to help anyone to develop and sustain the proper mindset to lose weight and keep it off, regardless of the diet program being followed. The book is based on the principles of two of the greatest self-help books ever written - Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey.
I’m someone who has the experience of changing habit to achieve weight loss. Hence I know it’s true that the habit of choice can change life. So if there is a book which can help people change and build healthy habits, I’m more than eager to recommend. THINK! and Lose Weight is one of such books.
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