I have accepted a dieting challenge and will give intermittent fasting a try.

The challenge is a twitter-challenge and it’s initiated by @NerdyScienceMom. The challenge is to loose 10 lbs (4,5 kg) by 31. May.

Since I have concluded that the amount of exercise that I have time for is not sufficient as a dieting tool, my exercise regime will stay as it is (medium to high intensity 1 hour exercises two to three times a week). The only tool left in the toolbox is controlling my diet. I have been reading up on calorie restriction, but that seems way too complicated, and besides – calorie count based dieting has recently been put into serious question. I have long been skeptical to any claim that says that you can diet by eating the “right” sugars and fats, – I honestly doubt that you change things more than marginally by changing sugar and fat types. Just eating less of a balanced diet containing the proteins, carbohydrates, fats, salts and vitamins that you need on the other hand…..

Thus, I’ll be trying out intermittent fasting. The principle seems easy enough – do not eat every other day. I am going for two to three fasting days pr. week. The science on this method says promising, but mostly the data is somewhat preliminary. What seems clear though is that this method does not seem to pose any risk of malnutrition.

My starting weight is 79 kg, which is up one kg since the challenge actually started just before Easter. I blame too much spare time combined with moderately elevated physical activity (snowboarding), which as I have blogged before – makes me gain weight.

The target weight I have pledged to reach is still be 73,5 kg, which means I now need to loose 5,5 kg instead of the 4,5 I started out with. I’ll be posting updates (if I come across any testosterone on the way I’ll be updating vigorously). Please also follow the other participants in the challenge through the Nerdy Science Mommy blog.