What I learnt from 6 Months of Chloe Ting Workouts and Intermittent Fasting.
Hint: A lot.
It has been a crazy year. 2021 was nothing less than a rollercoaster of emotions. From lockdowns to remote working for another year, I have learnt a lot about myself. I decided that 2021 was going to be a year of health for me.
Getting started
With Chloe Ting blowing up on YouTube, I decided to give her workouts a try along with intermittent fasting. This means I ate in an 8-hour window, usually between 12pm — 8pm every day and fasted for the remaining 16 hours.
Since I work a regular 9–5 job, I decided to workout at night after dinner. This way I would feel physically exhausted before going to sleep.
My healthy eating and exercise goal
From June 1st 2021, I set a goal to do multiple Chloe Ting challenges and intermittent fasting all the way to December 2021.
My experience of Chloe Ting workouts and intermittent fasting
The first few months were exhausting and difficult. I would feel extremely hungry inside my 16-hour fasting window and the workouts were brutal. I pushed through the pain.
However, within two months I started to feel different — lighter, and not as hungry. Her workouts became easier and my body finally caught up with my strict eating patterns. I would only feel hungry within my 8-hour window as I trained my body to do so.
What did I learn over the past 6 months?
I’ll tell you:
- Resilience. I realized I had a lot of resilience. When I felt hungry, I would drink more water rather than eat or when I felt lazy, I would do a workout. When our mindset is strong, we can achieve anything.
- Mindful eating. Intermittent fasting is not for everyone. I would be very mindful of what I was eating in my 8-hour window. I would eat plenty of salads and high fiber foods to fill me up, instead of mindlessly eating snacks.
- Our mindset is more important in reaching our goals. I realized that it’s not passion that makes us reach our goals, it’s consistency. Even on the days when I did not feel like doing anything, I would still show up and workout.
- Walking is just as effective as other types of exercise. I used to underappreciate walking as exercise. Six months later, it is now my favorite form of exercise. Walking during lunch breaks or first thing in the morning has aided my weight loss.
- Drinking calories is not worth it. I realized how much sugar is in store-bought juices, smoothies and “zero calorie drinks”. It’s all a marketing strategy to make you think you’re drinking something healthy. When in fact, it’s just adding more unnecessary calories to your daily calorie intake.
- Weights are your friend. I used to be scared of using weights, but now I use them every day and love it! They are so useful in burning more calories and they aid in toning muscle. You can start with lighter weights and progressively add more as you build your strength.
Physical and mental health benefits
Overall, this experience has been positive and not only was I able to lose some weight, I gained overall confidence within myself. I definitely will not be stopping here. I plan to keep up this routine for as long as I can. Cheers to more Chloe Ting workouts and intermittent fasting for me!
Remember, everyone's health journey is different. What works for me, may not work for you. You need to find out what routine works for you. The most important lesson I learnt from this experience is to have fun and enjoy the process.
