How do I force this fasting routine without eating and falling victim to snacks and junk? If I start a fast how do I keep going, I feel like as soon as I start I feel depressed.
Any tips, please help me šš½
When Iām stuck in a rut of quitting, I try to start my fast a good 4/5 hours before bed. Take a long shower, read a book or watch a show if youāre used to late night snacking. By the time you wake up youāll be halfway or closer to your first 24 hours. Beyond that Iāll listen to YouTube videos about the benefits happening to my body and Iāll remind myself that Iām not doing this to punish myself, Iām doing this to help my body heal. It needs a break just like I do. Stay strong. Do it for you.
Begin with the end in mind. Donāt think about how much you are suffering. Focus on the benefits. The pride in doing something difficult, something most people canāt. Drink filling drinks like Topo Chico. You got this!!!
If I want something, I make a mental note of that item and tell myself that Iāll eat it after my healthy meal that breaks my fast. Iām not saying no, Iām saying later. I eat my indulgences after Iām full from my healthy meal. It satisfies the need but keeps me in my window. Iām doing OMAD with slow but steady results.
Eat breakfast and early lunch, at 12:01 pm stop eating. Skip dinner and next day eat at 12:02pm. You just completed a 24 hour fast without skipping a day of food. Do this once a week for 1 month. korver ho ho
One time I was watching one of the fittest people I know just sit there. He was extremely calm. I started watching other fit people and they were also extremely calm. I started noticing that the healthy ālifestyleā I was searching for couldnāt be forced. That forcing was the yo-yo I was trying hard to avoid. It was actually taking a kind very slow calm approach all-the-way-through that was important. It was absolutely giving up to the goal in a sense that was different from forcing it. This shift/move is hard to explain but it made everything easier. Hope that makes sense
Set a timer for 30 minutes when you decide you want to break fast. Then when itās up, make sure you drink water and set another 20 mins. If you still want to eat create a list of reasons youāre fasting.
I have one of those apps that tracks the duration of my fast āLIFE Fastingā and Iāll check it repeatedly throughout the day, especially when Iām struggling, and look at how far Iāve come. Iāll think to myself āIām already 40 hours into it, I can hold out a longerā Iāll also remind myself āall I need to do is make it till bed time and thatās like 9 free hours, I can do that muchā and by morning its not so much a struggle.
Idk what your home life is like but not keeping food in the house you like to eat helps too. Chug some water when you really want to quit.
Start with a 16/8 fast. Basically skipping a meal, for me itās usually breakfast (worked out best for me). I get the depressed part, I love breakfast, and when i first started doing fasting it made me sad to not get to eat it. My solution i ate breakfast food for lunch. It kind of put my mind at ease that I could still eat my favorite foods. Once you do 16/8 for a while try to move to 18/6, and then 20/4 if you want. But definally work your way up to longer fasts, especially if not eating makes you sad. Make sure your hitting your macros when you are eating. Are you getting enough protein, are you getting enough fats, what are your calories like? Not getting enough good fats can cause you to be sad or depressed. Are you eating alot of carbs and sweets in your eating window? Try to cut back on those. Drinking lots of water will help. If you can, get rid of the junk food. It helps me to put it in the pantry. Out of sight out of mind. And yeah you just gotta start somewhere. Baby steps.Set a goal and focus on that when you want a snack. āIs this snack really going to help me get to my goals?ā Or ā I wait one more hour to eatā.
Fasting actually helps me with my depression. I will admit that this first day or two is hard and can be emotional, but after that I feel much better. This is actually the reason I started fasting in the first place.
Never have snacks in the house period. Make it hard to eat. All the food you have should be stuff that you have to cook, or stuff that isnāt overstimulating to your brain but is edible if not cooked, like carrots and other raw vegetables.