.1. If you follow the “don’t eat three hours before bedtime” and you also sleep 8 hours a day, that’s pretty much your entire fasting period; even if you do 16:8 you’ll only have a couple hours to wait after waking up before you can eat.
.2. My body had forgotten the difference between “we are hungry” and “we are not so totally engorged that we couldn’t fit another bite.” That sounds simple but when you work from home and your pantry is only ten paces from your workstation, it becomes easy to forget while absent-mindedly eating.
.3. There is no reason to drink calories. I still don’t drink enough fluids according to my Fastic app but two weeks ago I was averaging over 1000 calories of fluids a day.
.4. Turns out the reason I’ve not had any energy to be active is because I was constantly cycling between being engorged and insulin-induced lethargy.
.5. Weirdly, almost every human interaction is predicated by food. We, as a species, really don’t interact with each other without at least trying to work food into the equation somehow. Dating, meeting up with friends, office meetings, birthdays, deaths, everything revolves around food…and there is an inherent mistrust of someone who refuses to partake in food.
.6. Now that I’m eating reasonable amounts at reasonable times, I can afford groceries again. Hell, if I keep this up, I’ll be able to buy eggs soon. I kid, but seriously, shitty eating begets shitty shopping. Now that I don’t have time for sodas and snacks, my food budget works again.
…as always, ymmv, but what have you learned?
Once you cut food and alcohol out of social interactions its really freeing.
I invite friends out to play tennis or a small hike etc.
Everyone wants to do something fun like that but forgets you can just meet up and do it for free. And when you are done everyone feels better about themselves which is opposite of being overfed.
Eventually they start to equate spending time with you and positive healthy fun. It builds better friendships.
i learnt not to panic when i feel hunger. it’s really not the end of the world to feel hungry.
i used to panic when i felt the first pegs of hunger and as a consequence i always had some kind of food in my bag. this was quite an inconvenience, as it was impacting my everyday life. nowadays i am very relaxed about it as i comprehend that it’s not the end of the world and i don’t get “hangry” either anymore.
I have been doing IF for 10mo now, so much truth in this post. One thing I have learned is that just because others are eating/drinking cals doesn’t mean I have to for socializing. Also be flexible with eating window to allow for social consumption like a late sit down meal, just requires skipping a meal. Once I trained myself to not eat at the first sign of hunger, it was no big deal. Plus the flexibility in what you eat makes it totally sustainable for me. Now it is so easy and I believe it has contributed greatly to my transformation. No brainer permanent change for me.
Water really is your best friend.
I started 20:4 five days ago. I may be eating a bit too much for my OMAD, but it’s a work-in-progress to find MY sweet spot, so I’m cutting down as I go. Nobody else’s sweet spot is mine. And this change in lifestyle has enough variations, and ability to change mid-course (I could skip a day or do 16:8, 18:6, etc for a day or for good), that it’s like having a built safety net.
Good luck on your journey.
I’m learning how to tell the difference between “hunger” and “cravings”.
Cravings are psychological, true hunger is physical.
Granted, cravings can be compounded by going through the withdrawal symptoms as you give up carbs or sugar or chips or soda or anything else used to self-soothe.
I also remind myself that the longest fast ever was for 382 days. I think I can handle 20 hours!
I feel #4 so hard today. Broke my fast to eat a big bowl of sugary cereal last night and I’m paying for it today. Now all I want to do is get back on the fasting track tonight and tomorrow so I feel golden again.
I want to talk to you about number 5.
I am a flight attendant and I have been all over the world. For me personally (just my opinion here), the secret to life is laughing with those you love and who love you back. That can be friends, family, a lover, whomever. If you strike up a bond with someone during your brief time on this blue marble, and they make you laugh, enjoy every second you can. Laughter is the best medicine for a reason.
So why is it always centered on food? I think it’s because when we typically meet others, it’s generally for a celebration. Weddings, parties, anniversaries, and more. People travel to destinations for (except funerals) good times. Celebrations always have food as it’s something that has existed forever. You eat, drink, laugh, play, dance, and celebrate life. Le Chaim! As my Jewish friends would say. Food and Celebration with family is as old as time itself and often men would work, and women in the 50’s would cook for the husband and kids and that was the ONLY time they would be together: at the dinner table. I think that this has stuck. It’s not a party without food. It’s not a way to celebrate without food.