I am finally back in Boston. It’s week 2 and the extra cookies and glasses of champagne from last week are in the past! I’m moving forward from my not-so smooth introductory week of intermittent fasting. If you missed that post, you can find it HERE.
Here’s the overview of week 2 and week 3 of my transition into the intermittent fasting lifestyle. I’m also including what worked well and things that didn’t work so well. This way I can focus on and improve those areas in the future and provide insight for any of you who are interested in intermittent fasting.
Intermittent Fasting: Week 2
It’s week 2, and morning wake-ups are getting a tiny bit easier. By tiny bit, I mean slightly. Maybe I hit snooze one less time. Maybe… I don’t think I’ll ever be a morning person, but I am definitely crushing my morning water intake goal (about 16 ounces) with a pinch of sea salt as soon as I get up.
I’m only on week 2, but my eating window has been fairly consistent. I start eating anywhere between 11:30 am and 12:30 pm depending on when I get a lunch break. My breaks at work can be unpredictable.
I’ve been focusing on drinking my apple cider vinegar and water concoction before officially starting my eating window. So far, my stomach has handled it quite well. For reference: I use 1 tablespoon ACV in 6 ounces of water, and I tolerate it well.
I had a really busy day mid-week and accidentally left my lunchbox and meal-prepped food on the counter when I rushed out the door. Not good! But it’s only week 2 and it’s not a habit yet. That excuse works right?
In a decision I would later regret, I ended up grabbing a fast food sushi bowl for dinner. I wasn’t going to make it home for dinner before my eating window closed, so this was my backup option.
Being ‘picky’ about my ingredients, choosing healthy toppings, and limiting my sauces, I thought I made a good choice. I even managed to stay within my 8 hour eating window, but my stomach was wrecked.
On Thursday morning, I woke up with horrible a stomachache. I’m talking cramps, bloating etc. I’ll spare you the details, but if you need a quick meal, maybe don’t opt for fast food sushi!
In addition to GI upset, that morning, I was also surprisingly super hungry by like 10 am. My keto-coffee was not holding me over. Luckily we had a busy schedule at work and I powered through until lunch at 12:45 pm.
The rest of the week was well balanced with regard to hydration and keeping my meals lean and as “close to nature” as possible.
My basic meal overview for week 2:
Meal one is usually larger in size. Typically kale and leafy greens with beans or another side of protein like salmon. I really miss breakfast for my first meal. I keep meaning to plan some hearty breakfast ideas…
Meal two is typically a nut-based porridge. It’s smaller than meal one, so more of a snack size. Add raspberries, peanut butter, and almond milk and heat it in the microwave for a few seconds.
I have found that I am ravenous by the time I get home most days (around 6 pm) so I’ve been adjusting the amount of protein and fats in my meals. Nuts and avocado are my healthier options for fat. I am still testing things out so it’s a work in progress.
Meal three is usually my ‘dinner’ meal. I opt for lean protein and steamed veggies or a baked veggie tray with seasonings. I almost always have kombucha with my dinner.
So, week 2 wasn’t that bad overall. I made some positive changes since week one. I was able to find new recipes that worked well and modified a few others to fit my needs.
Onto Week 3. This week my intermittent fasting protocol improved even further.
Intermittent Fasting: Week 3.
I had a hair appointment after work on Tuesday and decided to shift my eating window later in the day. I was meeting girlfriends at the salon and we were having dinner and bubbles while we got our hair done. If you haven’t done this before, I highly recommend it! It was such a fun time.
I successfully shifted my eating window until 1:30 pm without issue.
The one tip that made a huge difference: The previous evening, I added a tablespoon of EVOO and a 1/4 of an avocado to my evening meal. I think the increased ‘serving size’ and increased fat intake was the perfect combo to hold me over until my eating window started.
On Thursday I woke up with a massive headache. I’m talking ‘head pounding’ and ‘intense pressure with every movement I made’ kind of headache. I honestly doubt it was from the single glass of bubbles I consumed the previous night, but who knows?
I wasn’t sure of the rules or protocol for over-the-counter medications like Advil or Tylenol and if either would break my fast. In the absence of direction, I did my best to just push though.
I drank a lot of water with an extra pinch of sea salt (in case it was a hydration issue). I also made myself a large keto coffee (in case I needed the caffeine for the headache). Neither worked.
Finally, at 10 am, with a rumbling stomach and facing a schedule full of cases and patients, I caved. I took some Advil and opened the eating window super early. Just in case my body needed food.
In retrospect, maybe that wasn’t the best choice.
My headache did subside with the medication, but I was so hungry. I ate the healthy meal I packed, but then I found myself grazing at the break room table which is something I can easily avoid.
I ended up eating a donut and a mini cupcake. So much for my no sugar plans that day. I chalked it up as a loss and moved on.
Planning to do better tomorrow, I did ensure I stopped eating at least 3 hours before bed and I got in my required hydration for the day. A small win in my book!
The rest of the week was unremarkable. I found myself able to stick to my eating window (most days) and had a chance to look up some guidance regarding supplements and timing during intermittent fasting.
From what I found, it seems if there is no gelatin or anything in the capsule or medication that would simulate a starch or kick-start the digestion process, then it’ is OK to consume during your fasting period. Depending on your goals with intermittent fasting, this may or may not hold true for you. Do your research and see what aligns with your goals.
The overview from two more weeks of intermittent fasting:
Things I’ve learned:
- Quantity is just as important as quality! More food for the first meal is the way to go. It helps me stay full longer once the eating window opens.
- Ensure your first meal is higher in protein and also contains some fat to keep you satiated.
- Eating fruits or a banana as part of your first meal may not be ideal. The natural sugars upset my stomach too much. I have been able to work these in to my meals later in the day without issue.
- Kombucha (during your eating window) helps me curb cravings for sweets as the evening hours approach.
Things to improve for the coming weeks:
- More efficient meal prepping is a must! I spent almost the entire day on Monday meal prepping. I get easily distracted, but surely I can streamline more efficiently. Stay tuned.
- Also not leaving your food on the counter helps. Maybe a post it by the door would help ensure I don’t rush out the door without my meals.
- A headache is not an excuse to break a whole day of IF *and* over-indulge in sweets. That’s basically sabotaging your efforts. No more sugar free-for-alls for this girl!
- Move my body! I need to focus on workouts outside of my knee focused physical therapy, especially if I want to take advantage of intermittent fasting for toning and sculpting.
That’s the most recent update on how my IF journey has been going. Each day I find something I am doing well and making a new habit (like getting up early and hitting my hydration goals). There’s absolutely still room to grow and work to be done in order to be more consistent. And I still just don’t know about that keto-coffee.
I do have a plan and a mini roadmap to keep me on track for next week! I hope these diary entries are both relatable and helpful for your intermittent fasting journey!
Stay tuned for more intermittent fasting updates.
I'd love to hear your thoughts!