Editor-At-Large: This time, she’s going in half-hog on the latest diet trend

I am a laggard when it comes to trends.

I resisted getting a cell phone until my mid-20s, then balked for another five years at upgrading to one that was "smart" – and then only because my employer required it.

You will not find me in line days ahead of the latest Apple i-release, nor at the bakery for a "cronut" or a novelty Dunkin' Donut. I will skip the animal-style fries at In N' Out if it means breathing car exhaust for 45 minutes, and will wait to see the new Star Wars release until I do not have to fear being wedged between grown men dressed as Wookiees.

I am a behind-the-bell-curve kind of girl, one who patiently waits on the sidelines until the new fad, gadget and trend has been thoroughly tested by the masses before tip-toeing into the times.

And by then something new, inevitably, has already come along.

The same is true with diets. In the 1990s, when Atkins was all the rage, I was still clinging to a steady intake of Diet Coke, pretzels and SlimFast shakes from the no-fat era.

While my husband experiments with gluten-free and Paleo cuisine, I am rolling my eyes at the five varieties of chalky powdered goop in our pantry for glucose, stress, cardiovascular health and muscle growth.

Well, no more.

In 2016, I am declaring myself to be at the vanguard of the new health movement (I hope that's not as lame as giving yourself a nickname).

The next trend: daily fasting.

I have been doing this now for two weeks: Eat for 12 hours, fast for 12 hours, with the goal of narrowing my "feeding" window.

I know, it sounds easy; you're sleeping during most of the fast period. But on the first day, when I quit eating at 5 p.m. (I am an early riser and have to eat breakfast immediately), my stomach felt like it was eating itself. There is nothing worse than trying to fall asleep with a growling stomach.

And it's a bit inconvenient, and awkward, for the dinnertime hours, when most adult functions tend to take place.

And for the family, which expects a hot meal at least a few nights a week (apparently I am very selfish; if I can't eat it, I'm not going to make it).

And this early window I've chosen means I do a lot of eating at work, shoveling pizza, salad, cookies – anything! You can eat anything! – into my mouth between conference calls.

I was explaining this regimen to woman at a recent dinner gathering – smugly holding a cup of plain herbal tea – when she asked what seemed to be a logical question.

Advertisement

Why?

I didn't have good answer, except that I'm sure it's going to be the next trend. Which sounded stupid.

So I leaned on my friend Google for a little backup – you can justify anything with a quick and selective Internet search – and found information that sounded good, but none that I could cite as a credible journalist.

Nonetheless, the benefits include balanced hormones, cellular repair, lower stress, reduced risk of diabetes, Alzheimer's prevention, and of course, weight loss. Two weeks in, I can't vouch for any of that.

But I can say for certain, that I am trend-setter – a lonely, and half the time starving, trend setter.

City editor Melissa Evans can be reached at melissa.evans@langnews.com

Source: Editor-At-Large: This time, she's going in half-hog on the latest diet trend