<aside> <img src="/icons/light-bulb_blue.svg" alt="/icons/light-bulb_blue.svg" width="40px" /> How to bridge the gap between an age-old practice and the modern way of living:

Satisfy the want for consumption

There are times when we go to open the fridge when we aren’t even hungry, times we’ll put the kettle on, even though we’re not really thirsty, what we do really want is just some kind of consumption.

Satisfying this want for consumption without breaking your fast is an extremely useful tool, whether you develop a love for green or mint tea, black coffee (moderately), sparkling water... it doesn’t matter!

Just having something that you can go to alleviates this need for consumption.

Stay busy and remove the cues

Keeping yourself occupied in the fasted period will keep food out of the forefront of your mind. This period is great for keeping your mind clear and focused on the task at hand, so use that to your advantage! Make the fasted period a time for focus and productivity.

By removing food from open sight, you also remove the cue to eat. If every time you walk into the kitchen, your favourite cereal is staring you in the face, you’re setting yourself up to fail.

Remove the cues of eating so that during the fasted period, food isn’t rubbed into your nose while you’re abstaining from it.

Cues lead to cravings. Out of sight, out of mind.

Give yourself time to adapt

I’ve talked a lot in the previous pages about this seeming need to ‘pass through a period of adaptation’.

This won’t always be easy, but it will be well worth it!

When you start out intermittent fasting, I would give yourself at least a month to really see significant changes. Give yourself time for hunger to subside, for your energy to stabilise, and for you to start enjoying the process.

Be cautious not to build an identity around fasting

When a choice of lifestyle makes such a positive impact on someone’s life, as is often the case with intermittent fasting, it can become very easy to pin yourself to this new lifestyle and build an identity around it.

Being open to all possibilities and never settling on one specific lifestyle allows us to be flexible, as life is ever moving and changing.

Intermittent fasting is a healthy lifestyle, but not the only healthy lifestyle.

Don’t tell everyone that you’re fasting, just do it!

Trust me when I say they’ll hardly even notice.

If someone offers you something to eat, and you’re fasting, say, “No thanks, I’m all good”, or “I’ve just eaten thanks”.

Responding with “Sorry, I don’t eat until 2:00pm” will yield a line of questioning that will quickly become tiresome.

If you live with a partner or a housemate, I would suggest also not forcing the idea upon them to follow suit.

Building a great relationship with food | A modern day challenge…

Many find that intermittent fasting helps to build their relationship with food; many also find the opposite. If you previously found yourself stressing over continual restriction, then having a period everyday where you can be more relaxed with what you eat can be beneficial.

If, however, you find yourself spending the entire portion of the day where you are not eating thinking about food, even having given yourself the time to adapt, planning what you’re going to eat later, looking at your watch, counting the minutes... then this may be a red flag.

Consider the protocol you currently follow. Is it sustainable for you? Are you eating enough when you are eating? Does the time that you’ve chosen to eat really coincide with your day?

Meals should also not be seen as a reward for fasting, and fasting should not be seen as a punishment for eating.

If you find yourself carrying this mentality, I would possibly consider if this is the lifestyle choice for you. In which case, there is still plenty that can be learnt and taken from the process!

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