I Wasn't Losing Weight Doing CrossFit Until I Started Doing These 4 Things

Intense hour-long CrossFit workouts made me incredibly hungry, but I figured since I was working out, I could eat a little extra. I found myself reaching for big handfuls of almonds throughout the day, bananas with peanut butter, and extra servings of dinner. Even though I was eating healthy foods, ACE-certfied trainer and weight-loss health coach Rachel MacPherson agreed — I was just eating too much.

Registered dietitian Jennifer Hanes, MS, RDN added, "Intense exercise increases the appetite, sometimes to the point that you eat more calories than you burned." She said that some people experience appetite suppression when they exercise, but that generally happens after intense cardio sessions, not strength training, like I was doing.

"I cannot stress enough how easy it is to out-eat a workout. This is one reason that people gain weight when starting a new workout regimen," Jennifer said. Rachel explained, "Calories matter, and if you are taking in more than you burn, then you will gain or stay the same weight despite your exercise. Luckily, you will still gain muscle mass, which does help you lose fat over time."

As a vegan, I was also eating a carb-heavy diet. So I focussed on decreasing my carbs a little and focussed on getting at least 70 to 90 grams of protein a day. I also included more healthy fats (yeah, an avocado every day!) and that helped me feel more satiated, so I didn't need to eat as much.

After eight months of CrossFit, I loved my newfound confidence and strength, but I was frustrated. I was working out at 5:45 a.m. five times a week and still not reaching my body goals. It became clear that I needed to change my diet. I was finding that after those intense morning workouts, I wanted to eat all day long — and I did!

That's when I started intermittent fasting. I gradually worked my eating schedule to follow the 16:8 method, where I ate from noon until 8 p.m. I noticed a difference in my face and belly (where I tend to carry extra weight) within the first month of intermittent fasting.

After one year of intermittent fasting, I not only looked leaner, but I felt more energized, had more mental clarity, slept better, and had overcome my issues with chronic bloating.

Aaron Hinde, MD, who focuses on sports medicine added that, "while all bodies respond differently to any diet or exercise program, many CrossFit athletes have experienced increased success with building lean muscle mass and decreasing body fat percentage by practicing intermittent fasting by sticking to a consistent, smaller window for consuming calories daily." He reiterated that focusing on a diet that's high in protein and healthy fats will aid in weight loss.

Intermittent fasting not only made reaching a calorie deficit easier, but being in a fasted state longer also kept my insulin levels low, which Jason Fung, MD, a nephrologist (kidney specialist) and author of The Complete Guide to Fasting, explained in a previous interview, is the key to tapping into stored body fat for energy.