Jeremy Roloff is opening up about his decision to try intermittent fasting — and the reason he feels “more free and in control” of his life as a result of it.

Roloff, who announced his departure from Little People, Big World in July, revealed in an Instagram post Monday that he chose to begin his intermittent fasting journey “for general health reasons” on New Year’s Day 2018. But in the 10 months since he began the lifestyle change, he has “ended up getting much more than I set out for.”

He explained that “[intermittent fasting] is a lifestyle change and one that dominates the stomach. Instead of worrying so much about what you eat – although that’s still vitally important – it’s more about when you eat. There’s more to it than that with immense research behind this as it’s nothing new, but rather an ancient practice.”

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As a result of “controlling” his stomach, Roloff noticed a positive change in other areas of his life.

“I went from slave to master and this began manifesting elsewhere. The morning snooze button no longer had it’s spell on me. Having a consistent morning reading rhythm no longer seemed daunting, but rather exciting,” said Roloff. 

The father of one said that “daily practices that seemed difficult are easier along with saying ‘no’ to temptations. The discipline needed to choose not only what I eat, but when I eat has multiplied.” 

RELATED VIDEO: Audrey Roloff Faces Backlash After Saying She Thought Feeding Daughter Formula Was a ‘Sin’

Almost a year later, Roloff admitted he now feels “more free and in control, and it’s through this discipline that I’ve found freedom” as a result of the effects of intermittent fasting.

RELATED: Audrey Roloff Respects Husband Jeremy’s Decision to Quit Little People, Big World ‘Immensely’

Earlier this year, PEOPLE spoke with nutritional expert Naomi Whittel about intermittent fasting, including how it works and the potential benefits.

“An intermittent fast is basically a window of controlled eating,” Whittel said. “Scheduled eating is when you eat for eight hours within the intermittent fasting hours. So you don’t eat for 16 and you do eat for eight and those have to be consecutive hours.”

“It’s like a metabolic confusion, so your metabolism is almost forced to do a better job. [Your body] never knows exactly what’s happening and it’s really, really healthy for us. It improves our immune systems,” she continued.

Whittel said she based her new book, Glow15: A Science-Based Plan to Lose Weight, Revitalize Your Skin, and Invigorate Your Life, on the Nobel Prize-winning science of autophagy, which she describes as “cellular detox.”

“We all have a mechanism inside our bodies that, when switched on, can literally help us to live more youthfully,” she said, “with more energy, to lose weight.”