There comes a moment in life when you look in the mirror and realize that something has to change. I, too, reached that point.
I wasn’t looking for yet another miracle diet or a quick way to lose weight. I simply wanted to become a healthier person. I wanted to have more energy, feel better every day, and prove to myself that real change is possible.
This journey isn’t just about losing weight.
It’s a path to a healthier lifestyle, greater well-being, and habits I want to maintain for many years to come.
With two children—and maybe more in the future—I need to take care of myself. We have to remember that we, as parents, are role models for our own children. They learn their eating habits and life habits from us. It’s up to us whether they choose healthy meals or exercise instead of sitting on the couch in front of the TV.
One of the most important elements of my transformation will be intermittent fasting. In my case, this means eating all my meals within an eating window from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and refraining from eating during the remaining hours. During that time, I’ll drink water, unsweetened tea, and black coffee.
Why this particular eating pattern?
Because I’ve done it before, and I remember how good I felt back then. I had stable energy levels throughout the day, experienced fewer hunger pangs, and my body functioned much better. I didn’t have to think about food from morning to night, which made it easier for me to control my calorie intake.
Research also suggests that intermittent fasting can offer many health benefits. For some people, it improves blood glucose control, increases insulin sensitivity, facilitates weight loss, and may support cardiovascular health. For me, however, the most important thing is that it’s a way of eating that I can stick with for a long time without feeling like I’m constantly making sacrifices.
It is precisely during longer breaks between meals that the body can activate repair processes and cellular recycling mechanisms. One of these is autophagy—a fascinating process that has sparked enormous interest among scientists in recent years. What exactly is autophagy, and why was its discovery honored with the Nobel Prize? I’ll discuss this in the next chapter.
Autophagy is a natural process that occurs in our cells and can be compared to an internal recycling system. It involves removing damaged, worn-out, or unnecessary cellular components and converting them into building blocks that the body can reuse to produce energy and build new structures.
This process was thoroughly elucidated thanks to the research of Japanese scientist Yoshinori Ohsumi, who was awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of the mechanisms of autophagy.
Although autophagy occurs in the body throughout one’s entire life, research suggests that periods of restricted food intake, such as intermittent fasting, may promote the processes responsible for cellular renewal. Scientists are continuing their research to better understand the impact of this phenomenon on human health.
For me, autophagy is an extra motivation to maintain healthy habits. The realization that the body has its own regenerative mechanisms shows just how extraordinary the human body’s capabilities are.
Publish the results of my work once a week. (Which community should I choose?)
I don’t intend to make drastic changes overnight. I believe that lasting results come from small but consistent changes. That’s why my plan to start with is simple and realistic.
First and foremost, I want to completely cut out sweets and sugary drinks, such as Coca-Cola. Over the years, these have provided me with huge amounts of unnecessary sugar and calories, while offering my body virtually no nutritional value.
The next step will be to limit the number of meals I eat by practicing intermittent fasting and replacing highly processed foods with more natural, nutrient-rich options. My goal isn’t to starve myself, but to maintain a moderate calorie deficit that will allow me to lose weight gradually and healthily.
I’m also not forgetting about physical activity. I don’t plan on doing grueling workouts every day right away. I simply want to move more. The foundation will be cycling, daily walks, and occasional running, which I’ll gradually build up over time as my fitness improves.
I’m not looking for shortcuts. My goal is to build healthy habits that will stay with me for years to come. I believe that even small decisions made every day can yield tremendous results over time.
"I don't want to be perfect. I want to be better than I was yesterday."
