In January 2024, I decided to give intermittent fasting a real shot. I wasn’t aiming for a quick fix or crash diet — I just wanted to build a healthier rhythm that I could stick with long-term. I didn’t follow a strict diet, count calories, or hit the gym daily — just shifted when I ate. What surprised me the most? I lost over 8 kg in just a month, dropping from 85 kg to around 73 kg at my lowest, all without cutting out the foods I love.
My Routine: No Extreme Rules, Just Conscious Timing
I didn’t count calories or eliminate carbs. Instead, I focused on when I eat, not what I eat. Here's how my daily schedule usually goes:
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Morning Routine:
I start my day with either lemon water, fennel water, or black coffee. These give me a refreshing boost and help ease into the fast.
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Breakfast (11:00 AM to 1:30 PM):
The timing depends on how late I had dinner the previous night. Breakfast is hearty but clean — I begin with about 700g of fruit, followed by 2–3 eggs (omelette or fried) and 2 slices of bread or buns. I also take a spoonful of extra virgin olive oil regularly with this meal. -
Dinner (usually between 6:00 – 7:30 PM):
I aim to wrap up dinner as early as possible. Post-dinner, I allow myself black tea, coffee, or green tea, which curbs hunger and helps digestion without breaking my fast.
No Food Restrictions — Just Better Awareness
I didn’t say no to bread, eggs, or even occasional indulgences. The focus has been on awareness and consistency. I listened to my body, ate till I was full, and stopped worrying about "good" vs. "bad" foods.
🏋️♂️ What About Exercise?
Here’s the interesting part — I’ve barely worked out this year.
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In the past, I used to go to the gym regularly and do a 5k run 1–2 times a month.
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But since starting intermittent fasting in January, I’ve only done two or three 5k runs and visited the gym twice.
Despite this, I lost weight — which proves how powerful a consistent eating window can be.
I’ve definitely lost some muscle mass too, but that’s understandable given the lack of strength training or gym sessions lately.
What Changed for Me
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Energy: I feel lighter and more energetic throughout the day.
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Focus: My mental clarity improved, especially in the mornings.
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Discipline: Fasting gave me a framework that made it easier to say no to unnecessary snacking.
📊 Weight Tracking Chart
Here's a rough chart of how my weight evolved month by month:
| Month | Min Weight (kg) | Max Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|
| January 2024 | 78 | 85 |
| February | 74 | 78 |
| March | 73 | 75 |
| April–Now | 73 | 75 |
My lowest was 73 kg, and I’ve been fluctuating between 74–75 kg for months now — a comfortable and sustainable range.
Current Status & Maintenance
Now I fluctuate between 74–75 kg, which feels like a good balance for me. My body seems to have found a new set point. I still follow the same eating window most days, and I plan to continue this lifestyle — not as a temporary diet, but as a permanent upgrade.
⚠️ Challenges: Social Life, Cravings & Cheat Days
Like anyone else, life didn’t pause while I was fasting. Here’s how I navigated the real-world curveballs:
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Parties & Social Events:
I attended multiple parties — both big and small. Sometimes I had to eat oily or junk food. I usually avoid alcohol, but during these events, I gave myself room to enjoy without guilt. -
Post-7:30 PM Eating:
If I ate cake or indulged in extra food after 7:30 PM, I balanced it the next day by starting breakfast later — around 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. -
Cravings:
I did experience cravings (especially for sweets and junk food), but I’m usually pretty good at controlling them. Still, I allowed myself to indulge 2–3 times — I called these my “cheat days” 😄.
The key was never to spiral. I’d enjoy the moment and get right back on track the next day.
💡 Health Improvements: Bye-Bye, Heartburn
Before I started intermittent fasting, I was regularly struggling with heartburn, especially during November and December 2023. It reached its peak in late December — I was experiencing heartburn almost every evening after dinner, and it was starting to affect my comfort and sleep.
One habit I had back then was drinking English tea (with milk and no sugar) after dinner — something I enjoyed, but in hindsight, it wasn’t doing me any favours.
When I began intermittent fasting in January, I also made a key lifestyle change:
👉 I cut down my post-dinner tea habit from every day to just once a week.
Along with earlier dinners and more mindful eating, this change made a huge difference. Within days, I noticed that the heartburn episodes reduced significantly, and eventually, they disappeared entirely.
I did have one episode about a month back, but that day I had a very spicy dinner at 5:00 PM followed by another full portion meal at 9:00 PM — and I ended up needing Gaviscon to manage it.
Not only did intermittent fasting help with weight loss — it resolved a recurring health issue that I had almost gotten used to living with.
✅ Final Thoughts
This journey hasn’t been about perfection — it’s been about consistency, awareness, and learning to enjoy food while respecting my body’s needs. Intermittent fasting gave me structure, flexibility, and surprising results without strict rules.
Whether you're starting your own journey or just curious about fasting, I hope this helps you realize that you don’t have to give up your favourite foods to see real change — you just need to eat them more mindfully.
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