So I’m about 6 weeks into doing IF. I fast for at least 18 hrs Fri - Mon and and do two 40+hr fasts the rest of the week. I’ve found that works well bc on my full fasting day if I feel strong cravings I can just say ‘Well, I can eat tomorrow’ and have often spent a decent amount of time browsing/thinking about what I can choose to eat the next day. That mindset has made doing longer fasts pretty difficult since I can’t really tell myself that, and the 2nd day is the hardest because I feel like I should be eating.
However, last week I noticed I went my full fasting day without browsing uber eats for the next days meal or even really thinking about it. I have a lot of free time on weekdays and I usually play games or do stuff to distract myself from thinking about food, but it always seems to sit in the back of my mind. The fact I didn’t think about it one bit all day was really surprising to me. Then, yesterday, my boyfriend asked me what I wanted to eat after I got off work. Usually I have something on my mind that I’ve been thinking about all day, but I had nothing. He rattled off some of the things we normally get, I felt completely indifferent. I’m so used to having ravenous cravings for something it felt so wild and nice to be free of that. I have a massive sweet tooth and I watched myself pick up a cookie, think ‘nah, I’ll keep fasting and eat this later’.
I’m hoping this is a permanent change because it honestly feels great to not be thinking about food all the time! When I started, I was snacking all day throughout the day, to the point where the first full day I fasted I almost didn’t know what to do with myself since I couldn’t snack while doing other things. I overcame that within a week or two, but there was always still something there. Today I still don’t feel particularly excited about eating. It’s like how food doesn’t sound very appealing when you’re already full, but all the time.
I just wanted to share bc I honestly didn’t expect this. I figured I’d just have to power through the cravings and thoughts indefinitely, but being free of them feels so amazing. I’d like to try a longer fast this week, and I have high hopes that I’ll be able to do it successfully! IF is so cool.
This! It’s an amazing benefit I read about before starting but never believed until I felt it.
My sweet tooth is gone and I’m so hoping it stays. I have sense of control over my cravings I’ve never experienced before. Today my boyfriend suggested crumbl and 2 months ago I would have been in the car on the way within 4 seconds but it didn’t even sound appealing today, especially not worth breaking my 20 hour fast for!
Isn’t it amazing?! Is it weird that I now look forward to longer fasts? I started doing 42hr more regularly. Did 2 last week and felt amazing. This past weekend I planned to eat with family so did 16/8 and it annoyed me I felt a more gnawing hunger after eating breakfast today. Not having to think about what I’m going to eat is so liberating. No worry about packing a lunch for work is awesome.
I do one 36 to 40hr fast per week and it has virtually wiped out my cravings and desire to binge eat! I was exactly like you before. It’s such a great feeling to finish a 40hr fast, open the pantry/fridge and think ‘eh, I don’t really care what I eat’. And my mindset shift to breaking fasts with solid protein instead of carbs has been awesome too! It’s not even a struggle. So happy you’re having similar results. Keep it up!