Are you new to the intermittent fasting lifestyle? We’ve all been there. Not eating 3 meals a day plus snacks can seem… well, just weird. I remember when I began fasting, and it was hard. The days seemed long, and I didn’t know if I could survive without eating for so long!
Now that I have been fasting pretty regularly for a few years, I don’t struggle much at all. I have learned how to distinguish true hunger, and I have found some techniques on how to get through long days.
There is going to be an adjustment period for anyone who is new to fasting, so please give yourself a little bit of grace. Eventually it will become so, so easy for you.
Here are my best tips on how to survive fasting days on an intermittent fasting diet:
1. Distract Yourself
Have you ever been so swamped at work or school that you forgot to eat? I think we’ve all been there a time or two. The more you focus on what you can accomplish during your free time, the less you’ll be thinking about food.
A very tempting time for me to eat is from 1:00 – 3:00 PM. My kids are usually napping, the house is (finally) quiet, and no one else is around to judge me for my food choices.
So what do I do? Anything and everything that keeps my mind off food. Blog posts, cleaning tasks, murder-drama TV shows. You name it.
Distract yourself enough and soon you’ll learn that your “hunger” is often a result of boredom, the meal times you are used to, or just because food is near and tempting you. Since it’s not true hunger, if you ignore it, it will go away.
This is my #1 tip because, quite honestly, it’s the best thing you can do while fasting…. so get busy!
2. Do Research On Intermittent Fasting
If the health benefits of fasting are fresh in your mind, you are more likely to stick with it. There is tons of great info online from doctors like Michael Mosley, Krista Varady, Jason Fung, and more.
3. Drink Lots Of Fluids
This is pretty standard advice for any diet, but if you drink a lot of water, you won’t feel hungry as often. I fill up on black coffee, La Croix sparkling water, and hot tea. You could also add a little lemon or lime to your water if the regular stuff seems boring.
I also know many IFers heat up chicken broth to eat as a super low calorie “soup” when they feel hungry. It’s about 10 calories per cup.
4. Watch YouTube Videos
Maybe it’s just me, but I find watching other people’s success stories motivating. I love to find out other fasting strategies and techniques. You can find tons of food documentaries on YouTube, too.
5. Plan Fun Meals For Tomorrow
Dreaming about all of the food you’ll get to enjoy tomorrow will help you stay disciplined today. Plan something fun to eat tomorrow, and you’ll look forward to it all day long!
6. Get A Hobby
When you begin fasting, you’ll suddenly find yourself with more free time. When you aren’t eating, you also aren’t prepping food, cooking it, cleaning it up, shopping for it, counting calories, etc.
And you’re saving money!
My family’s grocery bill went down significantly when I wasn’t making these elaborate, yet portioned, low calorie meals every day. I still cook for my children, but they often enjoy leftovers on fasting days, or simple kid-friendly meals.
With all of this newfound time and money, you can pick up a new hobby. Do you like crafting, painting, music, or..? Whatever it is, splurge on a class or new supplies. You’ve earned it.
7. Remind Yourself That You Are Just Saying “Not Right Now”
Whenever food is tempting you on a fasting day, continue to remind yourself that you are not restricting any foods from your diet. You are simply choosing to say “not right now”.
You can still eat the things that you like AND lose weight, and that makes fasting SO WORTH IT.
8. If All Else Fails…
If all else fails, find a way to physically stop yourself from eating. Take a bath, go for a drive, paint your nails, get your hands dirty in the garden, or put on a tooth whitening strip. Usually, by the time you are done with this activity, you won’t feel hungry anymore.
Happy fasting, everyone. Don’t forget… the LOSS is worth the WAIT!
