I tried intermittent fasting for a month — and I saw 7 life-changing results

The author at the gym. Jennifer Still Intermittent fasting, the practice of eating only within a specific window of time each day, can be an effective form of dieting.

Here, Jennifer Still details how a routine of intermittent fasting changed her life in seven ways. With all the conflicting dietary advice out there, it's hard to know what to write off as a cheap gimmick and what might actually be worth a shot. When I discovered intermittent fasting - the practice of eating only within a specific window every day and drinking only calorie-free liquids the rest of the time - I was intrigued and decided to give it a try. I worked up to a 20:4 schedule, meaning I spend 20 hours a day in a fasting state and make sure I do all of my eating in the remaining four-hour window. While it's not for everyone, it's a practice that I loved so much and saw so many results from that I still do it today.

1. I learned the difference between hunger and boredom. Flickr/Martin Cooper Like many people, I used to do a lot of grazing between meals, snacking on everything from chips and candy to nuts and fruits for a good portion of the day even though I wasn't actually hungry. With intermittent fasting, since I was eating within a specific window, I realized I'd been eating at least a few hundred calories a day - if not more - out of boredom.

2. I upped my energy levels. frenky362/Shutterstock While it may sound counterintuitive that eating less would give you more energy, that's how intermittent fasting has worked for me. Previously, I would eat a big meal and then feel like taking a nap within half an hour. Not having a full stomach all the time gave my digestive system a break and helped me feel way more awake and alert to power through my workouts and my workday.

3. I broke a weight-loss plateau. Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock After losing about 50 pounds before intermittent fasting, I hit a plateau, and the scale stopped moving. I'd heard that intermittent fasting can help with weight loss, which was just another reason for me to give it a try. It worked for me! Within about a week of eating only within a four-hour window, the scale started moving again and hasn't stopped since.

4. I had more mental space to think about other things. Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock Eating three meals a day is mentally exhausting. Unless you have a personal chef or eat out for every meal, neither of which was an appealing or even possible option for me, you have to think ahead to plan what you're going to eat and make sure you have the ingredients on hand to prepare it. Intermittent fasting meant that I was only really thinking about a single meal rather than three separate ones, and the amount of mental space that freed up was welcome.

5. I powered through my workouts. Spencer Platt / Getty Images Because I wasn't feeling full and sluggish anymore, my workouts got way more intense, and I had more energy to get through them. Research has found that fasted cardio sessions can burn more calories than exercise after eating - an added bonus.

6. I saved a ton of money on groceries. Justin Sullivan/Getty In addition to saving vital mental space, I also saved a lot of money. Eating during a smaller window meant I was eating less in general, which translated into big savings - roughly $30 a week - when it came to my grocery bill. The food I do buy goes further, lasting me for several days rather than only one or two (which means less time in the kitchen too). I definitely can't complain about that.