Intermittent fasting was a little difficult at first because I was definitely hungry by 9 or 10 a.m. I slowly worked my way up to waiting until noon for my first meal of the day, and after a few weeks, my body was used to it. I also found that stopping my last meal by 7 p.m. prevented bloat and helped me sleep better, which improved my performance at CrossFit. I was hitting PRs in both my front and back squats, I was running faster, and I was able to move up in dumbbell weight.
What I Ate
Here's an example of a day's worth of food:
- Lunch (around noon or 1 p.m.): big kale salad with carrots, red and yellow bell peppers, celery, cucumber, steamed green beans, avocado, baked tofu, and sunflower seeds
- Snack (around 3 p.m.): banana with almond butter coupled with a protein shake, or a homemade vegan RX bar coupled with Kite Hill unsweetened almond milk yoghurt
- Dinner (around 5:30 or 6 p.m.) huge Buddha bowl with sauteed chickpeas, steamed broccoli, edamame, roasted sweet potato, greens, and a drizzle of peanut sauce
- Snack (around 6:45 p.m.): a few handfuls of nuts with fresh raspberries or Trader Joe's dried bananas. Or, for a treat, vegan ice cream with frozen bananas and cherries.
I eat a mostly plant-based, whole-foods diet, but do eat eggs a couple times a month (from my friend's backyard chickens). My stomach bloats easily, so I don't drink alcohol and I limit my sugar, refined carb, and whole grain intake, which helps immensely. I also drink about 80 to 100 ounces of water a day.