By [Trickdigi]
If you have been on the internet in the last five years, you have heard of Intermittent Fasting (IF).
The promise is seductive: Don’t change what you eat, just change when you eat.
Supposedly, if I simply skipped breakfast and only ate between 12:00 PM and 8:00 PM (the famous 16:8 method), I would unlock boundless energy, laser-like focus, and effortless fat loss.
Like many people looking to optimize their health, I jumped on the bandwagon. I downloaded a fasting tracker app, I drank my black coffee, and I watched the clock.
For the first two weeks, it felt like magic. But by day 60, I was irritable, obsessed with food, and socially isolated.
Here is the honest story of why I quit the most popular diet trend in the world, and why “Eating Windows” destroyed my relationship with food.
The Honeymoon Phase: Why Everyone Loves It initially
I want to be fair: I understand why people love this protocol. In the first 14 days, I felt great.
-
Simplicity: My mornings were incredibly efficient. No cooking breakfast, no cleaning dishes. Just coffee and work.
-
The “High”: There is a definite adrenaline spike that hits around hour 14 of a fast. I felt a buzz of productivity in the mornings.
-
The Scale: I lost 3 pounds in the first week. (I later realized this was mostly water weight, but at the time, it felt like a victory).
I thought I had found the cheat code for life. But biology eventually catches up with willpower.
The Crack in the Foundation: The “Clock-Watching” Obsession
Around week three, the novelty wore off. My life stopped being about living and started being about waiting.
My productivity nosedived around 11:00 AM. Instead of focusing on my work, I found myself staring at the countdown timer on my phone.
-
“45 minutes until I can eat.”
-
“30 minutes until I can eat.”
-
“10 minutes until I can eat.”
I wasn’t listening to my body; I was obeying an arbitrary app. If I was starving at 11:00 AM, I forced myself to suffer. If I wasn’t hungry at 8:00 PM, I forced myself to eat because the “window was closing.”
I had outsourced my body’s natural hunger signals to a digital clock.
The “Binge” Effect
The biggest surprise was what happened during the eating window.
Because I had deprived myself for 16 hours, my lizard brain took over the moment the clock struck 12:00 PM. I didn’t just eat lunch; I inhaled it.
I found myself justifying unhealthy choices. “I fasted for 16 hours,” I told myself, “so I deserve this burger and fries.”
I ended up consuming the same amount of calories (or more) in 8 hours than I usually did in 14. The structure that was supposed to make me disciplined actually made me chaotic.
The Social Cost (The Real Reason I Quit)
This is the side effect nobody talks about: Intermittent Fasting is lonely.
Food is not just fuel; it is connection.
-
My family wanted to have a Sunday morning breakfast? Can’t, I’m fasting.
-
Friends wanted to grab late-night drinks and appetizers? Can’t, my window closed at 8 PM.
The breaking point came during a dinner with old friends. The reservation was for 7:30 PM. By the time the food arrived, it was 8:15 PM.
I sat there, sipping water, watching everyone else enjoy their pasta, because my “rule” said I couldn’t eat. I realized then how ridiculous I looked. I was prioritizing a diet trend over a memory with friends I hadn’t seen in years.
Life After The Fast: Intuitive Eating
On Day 61, I woke up and made scrambled eggs at 8:00 AM.
It felt rebellious. It also felt right.
Since quitting IF, I have adopted a much simpler philosophy: Intuitive Eating.
-
If I am hungry in the morning, I eat.
-
If I am not hungry, I wait.
-
If I am at a birthday party, I eat the cake.
Surprisingly, my energy levels are more stable now than they were during the fast. I don’t have the mid-morning adrenaline spike, but I also don’t have the 2:00 PM crash or the brain fog.
Conclusion: A Tool, Not a Religion
I am not writing this to say Intermittent Fasting is “bad.” It works wonders for some people. There is science to back up the benefits of gut rest and autophagy.
But we need to stop treating health trends like religions. A diet is a tool. A hammer is a great tool for driving nails, but it is terrible for cutting wood.
For me, Intermittent Fasting was the wrong tool. It traded my physical hunger for mental anxiety. It cost me my social freedom and my focus.
If you are struggling with a diet that makes you miserable, take this as your permission slip to quit. Your health is about more than just a number on a scale—it’s about how you feel every single day.
-
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. This article details my personal experience and is not intended to replace medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making changes to your diet.
