By The best way to get used to anything is with constant effort and practice
I must admit that when I started fasting, it was pretty challenging but not unpleasant. It takes a little while for the body to adapt to this sudden lack of food whenever that belly starts to roar in hunger. For me, the long-term gain was to attempt at healing my immune and digestive system — anything else didn’t seem that important. What is your intention for Intermittent fasting? Is it for weight control or something else in particular? Usually, most people want to try IF because they lose weight so quickly, and it’s a lot more of an easily adaptable lifestyle plan than calorie restriction. I didn’t lose weight until the 3-month mark because my body was inflamed due to my gut health. This was the perfect solution for me, although it’s a work in progress. I’ve come across many things to make it even more pleasant and easy when fasting. I want to share those strategies with you below.
Five ways to make fasting more effortless and enjoyable
One: Always have a reason why you are doing something.
The best thing you can do is set goals for yourself. It can be for health or to lose weight. There is no right or wrong here, but having an intention is fundamental for sticking with the plan.
The clearer my purpose and goals are, the easier it is to stick with the everyday grind.
Two: Always eat enough to sustain yourself through fasting.
This is where a lot of people go wrong. You do have to eat regularly, and as you usually would, you need to keep this factor in mind if you are highly active. Underfeeding yourself on any fat loss plan is detrimental and very unpleasant. When I mention eating enough, I refer to your protein, vegetable, fat and complex carbohydrate intake. Google will always give you a standpoint figure for each one, but I would highly recommend you experiment with yourself and see how much you can consume.
Make protein your primary and most crucial macro for tissue repair and satiety during your fast.
Three: Drink lots of water
Because our stomach is empty, we can rehydrate ourselves a lot more than when we are eating. This makes the elimination of toxins a lot easier. Fasting is very much like an internal cleanse, and fluid helps the process along.
Don’t forget, and you can drink black coffee, tea and herbal teas to switch it up. I like to drink mineral water with a wedge of lemon or lime when the temperatures are high.
Four: Keep your mind occupied and keep active
It may be hard to distract yourself from the hunger sometimes. When you exercise, your focus is on something else rather than a grumbling stomach. Try getting outdoors or immerse yourself in a substantial project you have. You will have a lot more clarity, focus and mind power when you fast. It’s hard to explain to those who haven’t experienced it, therefore. I find that my focus and attention is very sharp when I’m fasting, and I use it to my advantage by getting through tasks.
Five: Download an app for your phone that makes it more accessible.
I love this part of fasting, as I can monitor my hours and see just how many people are fasting simultaneously. You would be pleasantly surprised at how many people fast daily. This keeps me motivated, as I can see how many fasts and pick alternate hours when appropriate. It’s a lot easier than keeping numbers in your head, and yes, as a big kid, it’s nice to get those reward badges when you’ve completed a certain number of fasts — it’s human nature to enjoy the rewards system, even as an adult. Hopefully, this has been useful for you and provided a few steps to help fasting become a way of life for you. Of course, it takes a bit of time and patience, but the fasting rewards are worth it. Let me know what challenges you face during your fasting journey.
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