Petra @newmiboFasting is a skill which you can only master with continuous practice. Let’s be honest, you’ve read these lists many times but do you actually take notice and try what’s on the list? I challenge you to consciously follow these recommendations for a week, it will keep you focused on something other than not eating.
1. MAKE YOURSELF BUSY
This is my number 1 advice.
Being busy or bored can make or break your intermittent fasting.
Staying at home and not doing anything will make your fast almost impossible to complete. You must stay active and I don’t mean you must work out, any activity will do, cleaning the house, decluttering your wardrobe, going for a walk around the neighbourhood, anything that will keep you occupied.
Staying out of the house might be necessary at the beginning of your fasting journey. The temptation of food in the kitchen might just be too much to resist.
Don’t worry, in time, fasting will become a habit and you will not need to lock your kitchen door anymore.
2. ARM YOURSELF WITH KNOWLEDGE
Prepare yourself for people questioning your new lifestyle. I promise you they absolutely will, even people who don’t really know you will suddenly have an opinion. Not only an opinion, everyone will have some kind of an expert piece of advice on nutrition. I wouldn’t mind if they tried to encourage you but unfortunately people will most likely try to discourage your efforts.
We have been conditioned since early age to eat constantly, to eat as soon as we feel hungry, we see hunger as a dangerous sensation which of course it isn’t, certainly not for vast majority of people living in the western world. Our problem is excess not lack.
Read articles and understand why you fast, why it won’t hurt you, why it is in fact going to benefit you. This way you can feel confident when people confront you.
I will include posts where I’m going to help you debunk common myths and assumptions about fasting. So stay tuned.
3. FIND YOUR TRIBE
Surround yourself with people who understand what you’re doing, who are on the same page and who will encourage you in reaching your goals. This point is perhaps the most effective in order to stay on track and not getting discouraged. Luckily in the world of the internet and social media it has never been easier to find your tribe.
Go online, join Instagram or any other social platform, participate in forums, communicate with like-minded people, start a group.
4. DRINK CARBONATED WATER
You will experience hunger when you fast, that’s just how it is. At the begining you will find this sensation unpleasant but the longer you practice IF the less uncomfortable you become around hunger. There will be times when you won’t feel it at all.
Small adjustments, such as drinking carbonated water (with a squeeze of a lemon) can make all the difference at the beginning. This will help with hunger pangs and give you a sense of fullness. Mineral water will also provide you with some minerals.
Remember, hunger comes in waves and the only danger intermittent hunger carries is that of burning fat.
5. PERSONALISE YOUR IF METHOD
Please don’t disregard this tip. Create a plan which works for your schedule and for your personality type. Don’t be afraid to experiment and adjust things.
If you are a morning person then go ahead and plan your main meal for the morning. If you like eating at night don’t worry about the common myth of avoiding late night eating. That only applies if you’re already eating all day long and also carry on into the night. If you however fast all day and eat your calories late, you have nothing to worry about.
You can absolutely mix and match various protocols throughout the week. I recommend trying most of them because you might be surprised as to what you can achieve.
I personally lost the most weight when I ate OMAD late at night but of course strictly fasted throughout the day. I did this despite all the unfounded warnings against eating late at night. I also ate a high carb diet at the time and I promise you I had lost a very noticeable amount of weight in a very short period of time (couple of weeks).
Figure out what works for you.
Hope you found this helpful xox
