Week 3 has passed and some things have changed. Still taking probiotics, but the stomach is still not reacting the way I would like it to pushing through regardless. This might be a little T.M.I—- I’m just trying to stay real and raw on my blog, but using the restroom in the mornings has been more consistent. The probiotics do still hurt my stomach for an hour or two in the morning but it eventually goes away and I’m able to use the restroom at least once a day which is a positive sign for me. I’m going to keep taking it and hopefully by the end of this week, my stomach will familiarize itself to this not-so foreign substance that I’m digesting.
As for water, it’s super hard for me to stay on top of it on the weekends. I’m not sure if it’s because of the busyness but the urge to drink water is nonexistent. My guess is that during school I’m on a schedule and I’m just trying to constantly stay hydrated since I carry fill my hydro flask before and after school. But on the weekends, I’m not filling it in the morning and I’m just up and running those two days. I’m doing well on the weekdays but weekends not so much. Starting next week I need I need to start monitoring more on Saturday and Sunday.
When I was writing out my contract to undergo this lifestyle change, I wrote something about the implementation of intermittent fasting. I read and watched numerous sources recommending this eating schedule for any individual wanting to strictly limit their time for food intake. I was never really into diets or restricting my calories, but I’m not going to lie, I definitely got Freshman 15. In the beginning of my freshman year, I weighed approximately 100 lbs but by the end, I was 115 lbs. This was definitely a shock both mentally a physically. Throughout my life, I danced almost 24 hours a week and by that, I was constantly maintaining my physique, however, once college hit and my dancing came to a halt, I was continued to consume the same amount of calories without the proper way to burn it. I was gaining weight FAST and for a petite 5’1 female, it really took a toll on my body. Anyway, intermittent fasting is basically “an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting. It does not say anything about which foods to eat, but rather when you should eat them.” For example, I will eat within an 8 hr eating window and fast for 16 hrs in between, so I will start eating from 11 am to 6 pm and stop for the 16 hrs. I’ve heard many positive things about this popular and effective trend, so why not give it a try?
Initially, I wanted to just focus on water and probiotic intake to improve my overall gut health. After researching though, I have learned more about intermittent fasting and its benefits, so this lifestyle change will consist of increasing water consumption, daily probiotic intake, and intermittent fasting.
