“Rotational Fasting While Traveling Across Country”
The last few days have been a blur to say the least. I flew out of PA to visit family on Wednesday afternoon (21st) for Wyoming. It took most of the day, between driving the 3 hours to Pittsburgh International Airport and the 5-hour layover in Minnesota. We finally arrived in Rapid City, South Dakota at 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday night. (1:30 a.m. PA time). From there, my husband and I took a motel so we could drive the remaining two hours into Wyoming the next day. Let’s just say, there’s nothing like sleep schedule upset, not to mention the lingering effects of the flu that my kids had in the days leading up to my trip to throw a curveball.
So, how did all of that affect my eating/fasting? Well, in one way, it was difficult to adjust, because even with just a 2-hour time difference, the body clock still has a schedule it likes to keep. I found myself hungry at odd times. Even (like last night) I couldn’t sleep and was hungry in the middle of the night. Something that hasn’t happened since my middle of the night nursing days. In other ways, upsetting the normal schedule has kept me from thinking about when the next meal is going to be, which generally led to less cravings.
Other than occasional days scattered throughout the week, my fasting has been a 12–14-hour window. If I do find myself eating late, either due to a social obligation or sleep issue, I will fast the same number of hours (12 -14). For example, if I eat a snack at 11:00 pm I won’t begin eating again the next day until 1:00 pm. There are occasions when I fast longer. These are mostly on non-exercise days or low exercise days (yoga). I might fast a 16–20-hour window. This is just what I’ve found works best for my running/lifting/swimming schedule.
Another odd issue with my personal situation is that whenever I have a long running day (which happens about once a week right now) I find that not only do I need to eat more, but my weight also fluctuates up about 3 pounds post run for the next couple of days before dropping back down again. This is, I’ve discovered, due to the inflammation and water retention from running long. It makes it difficult, however, to gauge weight loss in the short term. It does appear, however, that over the last 20 days that I’ve perhaps lost 2, maybe 3 pounds. The weight loss is just a side benefit, however, to the real goal, which has been that my gut feels so much better. Way less bloating and gas and other uncomfortable digestive discomforts.
Only 5 days left of this challenge. It’s been an interesting learning experience for me as I hope it’s been for you. Beth
Deep Roots Wellness 