life & style // no. 12

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» My experience with this alternative to typical diets

Lauren Kelly
Graphics Manager

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spent a long time wanting to lose weight.

After high school ended, I gained over
40 pounds and stayed there. I tried cutting
calories a few times—down from eating
whatever to eating 1,200 calories—but
when I didn't see results, I lost motivation
quickly. It was the same with going to the
gym. I went twice a week for a while with a
friend but I didn't really notice a difference
in my body, and when my friend stopped
going, so did I.

Of course, being mindful of what you
eat and exercising are very important even
when you're not trying to lose weight, but
I saw them as tools instead of a healthy
lifestyle change.

So, I stayed the same weight. I always
told myself I would lose it eventually, but
I didn't make any more attempts. This
finally changed last May, when I came
across a post on Reddit of a weight loss
before and after. The poster had started
doing intermittent fasting (IF) and had lost

something like 50 pounds in six months. I
fell down a research rabbit hole that night
and woke up the next day actually feeling
empowered and ready to do something
about my weight.

For those of you have never heard of it,
just like I hadn't, intermittent fasting is the
practice of creating a schedule with periods
of fasting. Fasting means eating nothing
and drinking only water or calorie-free
drinks like black tea and coffee. There are
various options for how you schedule your
fasting, but the most popular is called 16:8,
meaning you fast for 16 hours and then eat
during an 8-hour window. It's up to you
when your eating window is. I chose to
start eating at noon and stop at 8 because I
often have later dinners, so an earlier time
would mean I would be eating outside my
window too often.

Fasting like this helps with weight
loss for a few reasons. The simplest is that
when you're eating over a shorter time,
you're going to be eating less. Skipping
breakfast or dinner cuts out a meal's worth
of calories, and unless you play catch-up

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once your eating window starts and fit all
three meals in, this naturally lowers your
caloric intake. Additionally, after a certain
period of time without eating, your body
switches from using recently eaten food for
energy and instead uses fat stores. Insulin
levels also drop when you're fasting, which
makes your fat stores easier to access when
your body is looking for energy.

All of this makes IF a great tool for
weight loss for many people. However, if
you have had eating disorders, it's strongly
recommended that you avoid fasting as a
diet.

With my decision to try IF, | also made
some other changes. I cut my caloric intake
down to 1,200 to 1,500 per day, I lowered my
snacking, and I cut out caloric beverages
like soda and iced capps—a personal
favourite. I started tracking my steps and
bought an exercise bike that I used a few
times a week. | also increased my water
intake to two litres a day. I tracked all this
through apps; I would have struggled to
keep myself honest without them. It was a
big lifestyle change, and I worked hard to

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Photo by Billy Bui

follow my new rules.

It didn't take long to see progress. |
lost 10 pounds within the first month. This
pushed me to keep following my regimen,
even when it was difficult, and the results
continued. From April to September, I
lost just over 40 pounds. I'm finally at a
weight I'm happy with—one where I feel
confident and comfortable in my body. I've
let myself start eating a little less healthily
sometimes, while keeping some rules
strict—particularly the no sugary drinks
one—and J haven't regained any weight.
After all, everyone deserves a cheat day to
stay sane. The key is moderation.

There are other health benefits
beyond just weight loss, so even if that's
not a concern for you it's still worth doing
some research on. For those who are
looking to lose weight in a healthy way, it
is a fantastic option. I couldn't be happier
with my experience with IF and I would
fully recommend it. Just make sure to do
your research to guarantee youre being safe
and finding a schedule and method that
work best for your life.

Essential ingredients to look for in
a good winter facial moisturizer

» Keep your face feeling fresh for winter

Naomi Ambrose
Staff Writer

 

ooking for a good facial moisturizer
for winter is like trying to find a small
earring in a snowstorm.

The cold air in winter has a lower
humidity, so dry skin is a problem that
afflicts many of us. Finding the right
facial moisturizer to handle these chilly
months is no simple task when there are
so many options out there. If that type of
search excites you, then enjoy your facial
moisturizer scavenger hunt. However, if
you change your mind about the quest, the
guidelines outlined below may help you to
find a good winter facial moisturizer.

Moisturizer with a mix of oil
Using a facial moisturizer that contains oil
will surely be needed when you become
exposed to the cold and unpredictable
winter weather. When you peruse the store
shelves, you see that there’s jojoba oil, olive
oil, argan oil, coconut oil, and olive oil. You
then ask yourself, “What type of oil should
I choose?”

I'd say the answer depends on the type
of facial moisture you seek. For example,
if you're looking for prolonged moisture,
olive oil might be the best option.

According to website The Olive Oil Source,
this type of oil “will penetrate deep into the
skin and provide a long-lasting shield of
moisture to keep [your] skin smooth and
supple.” However, if you are looking fora
solution for more mature skin, something
containing the far more potent argan oil
might be preferable. Those seeking to
cater to sensitive or acne-prone skin will
find that moisturizers with jojoba oil or
aloe vera essential oil will be less likely to
irritate or cause break-outs.

Natural ingredients

I'll guess that you probably wouldn't
deliberately look for a face cream with
chemically enhanced ingredients. If that
guess is correct, then you might want to go
natural!

Wintery facial products that have at
least 50 to 60 percent natural ingredients
often include natural extracts of coconut
or palm kernels. With that percentage in
mind, you will be on your way to let your
face enjoy the benefits of natural, untainted
facial products. This, in turn, means purer
ingredients that are less likely to interfere
with or complicate your skin issues.

Now that your face is ready for winter,
it’s time to step into the cold, dry, snowy
weather—with glowing, supple skin!

 

Illustration by Cara Seccafien