Okay, let’s cut past the clutter—-we all have a desire to eat healthier, in order to feel better, look leaner, be more productive, and actually enjoy what we are eating, right!? Well, the internet is so saturated on the subject of eating better; many, if not most, are on their umpteenth diet, fitness fad, or binge. And let’s be honest, for some, the diet train is not going well. So, it’s time to get real on the subject of eating well–not just to add another article to the heap, but to ask the questions and share some honest feedback from the FITLIFE community!

So let’s start with the toughest question; why are so many of us still on the diet merry-go-round? Are you trending with the latest and greatest dietary fixes, or have you thrown in the towel? And let me clarify, I am not downing the current trends, because some actually work. I want to know, what is working for you? Have you successfully mastered the Keto diet? Are you practicing Intermittent Fasting, and what fasting windows work for you? Do you find portion control programs, like Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, or Jenny Craig viable practices?

Before it became popular, I used fasting for spiritual focus and physical cleansing. In order to affect your weight by using a fasting method you have to develop an eating pattern which cycles between times of fasting.  According to Dr. John Torres, a medical correspondent for NBC, to gain long term success with intermittent fasting it is important to schedule eating into peak burning periods of the day. For those who exercise regularly, scheduling a meal one hour prior to working out can gain an even larger burn off of calories. Another beneficial practice of intermittent fasting is the 16/8 window. This involves limiting your food intake to a set window of 8 hours and fasting 16 hours a day. It is usually advised to include the fasting hours into your regular sleep time to ease possible hunger. Dr. Torres also emphasizes that resetting the body in the IF lifestyle is not a diet, but works to support weight loss and may take up to 2 weeks to show any results. Overall, patterned eating has many pros like curbing your appetite, supporting weight loss by increasing the rate of fat burn, and improving metabolic health. But there are also some cons to IF, according to Healthline.com. 

Intermittent fasting is not recommended for individuals who have previously struggled with eating disorders. Other cons to IF is it may cause irritability and heightened anxiety when hunger levels are challenged. Some physical side effects include constipation, lethargy, and headaches.

Finding the right nutrition plan for you, for your body, and for your lifestyle can be a never-ending battle.  So it is important to take the time and do your homework.  It will take more than asking a friend or two, or googling “how to make my body look like…insert photo here.” In the end it is essential to get honest about where you are now, and what plan works best for your health long term. 

Your turn! We want to hear from you. Please take a moment to share your comments and questions below.