It's never a good idea to hop on the fad diet train. They never last, they're usually not good for you, and often times you end up gaining weight at the end of it. I already eat well + find myself on a Pilates reformer a few times a week (ish), and if we're looking at things from a vanity standpoint... I'm pretty happy with how things are looking... But for some reason, the second you know you have to be in a bikini, all of that just flies out the window... cue me googling, "How to get bikini ready in 3 days" Anybody else? Since the idea of working out anymore than I do already is a laugh, I turned to my diet to see what I could "crank up" per se... Enter the Eight Sixteen Diet (I think, officially, it's "Sixteen Eight" but I think "Eight Sixteen" sounds better). It's been exactly one week today since I started and I'm here to report back...

SCIENCE BEHIND IT

People are very into fasting right now. Recent research has shown that intermittent fasting helps with weight loss, but like, in a healthy way. During the fasting period, your bod will start to burn stored ...aka stubborn... fat, resulting in weight loss! Your bod will also get reacquainted with true hunger, so that you stop confusing it with just being bored.

HOW DO YOU DO IT?

You choose an eight hour window during the day to eat, and you fast for the other sixteen. Sixteen hours of not eating sounds INSANE I know, but remember you're actually sleeping for most of it! When you have your first meal of the day, the countdown begins. My eight hours were around 11am-7pm.

WHAT CAN YOU EAT?

So the point is obviously not to cram as much food as you can into your allotted 8 hours, I mean it is technically a diet. You're encouraged to eat clean + healthy. My days usually looked like this...

• 11ish Brekky: Arbonne protein shake
• 3ish Lunch: Green salad with salmon or chicken ::OR:: Turkey + avo on brown rice cake + a mug of bone broth ::OR:: Hard boiled eggs with avo and tomato + a mug of bone broth
• 7ish Dinner: Lean protein (grilled chicken or fish) + HEAPS OF VEG + small scoop of quinoa or brown rice ::OR:: Veggie Soup

And guess what? Coffee or tea doesn't count! So I'd have a green tea or coffee + my detox drink when I first woke up. This will get you to 11am without starving. I also drink lemon water ALL DAY LONG and finish the day with a peppermint or ginger tea.

DID IT WORK?

Most def. I lost a few pounds + and a jean size ( ! ), I feel super light and lean, and whatever small amount of muscle I've gained in Pilates seems to be more pronounced... or is that just in my head...? The best part is that it really isn't even that hard! The only change I feel like I even had to make was planning out my meals and being prepared. For someone who was fasting, I rarely felt hungry! I leave for Miami in a week where I will don the dreaded square inch of clothing that is a bikini, so you can bet your a$$ I'll be Eight-Sixteen-ing it for the next seven days!

All photos were taken at a super yummy din at Zinque in Newport Beach! HIGHLY recommend.

xo