More thoughts on IF (Intermittent Fasting)
I'm intrigued by the number of people who have contacted me asking about Intermittent Fasting. This is not new stuff. I admit, it is not as commercial friendly as other eating plans because there is absolutely NOTHING to buy... unless you want to read a book on it and don't have Kindle Unlimited and have already used your Audible credit this month. Also, I totally get that some think that voluntarily not eating is kinda weird. That's fine. I don't mind weird.
Before I go any further, let me make one thing clear....
I really don't care how you eat. Honest, I don't. I get really tired of people telling me that I HAVE follow this or that diet in order to lose weight. (obviously I don't listen because I am still fat... but that's about to change) You can do Keto or Paleo or South Beach or Atkins or Weight Watchers or MediFast or Vegan or Vegetarian, or whatever you want. Really. I don't think that there is anything WRONG with any of these eating plans. People have lost weight on all of them. If you want to get a Lap Band... No judgement here. IF is a good fit for me. Fasting makes sense to me. I'm not trying to persuade you do do anything at all. You do what works for you. I'm gonna fast, cause that works for me....or at least I think it does.... I guess we will see in a year or so, huh?
Now, that being said, if you are interested in knowing more about IF, keep reading, here are a few thoughts....
Fasting isn't for everyone. If you are under 18, underweight (BMI less than 19), pregnant or nursing you absolutely should not fast... at all... not ever. If you are on medication that must be taken with food several times a day, then fasting is not for you. If fasting makes you cranky and tired and basically hard to be around... then fasting is not for you.
Fasting is NOT starving. I had an eating disorder when I was a young woman. I know what starving myself feels like physically, mentally, and emotionally. I have no aversion to food. Well, I mean except for things like oysters and liver boiled okra...but ...yuck. With Fasting, there are no food restrictions, unless you choose to follow a specific eating plan during your eating window. Bottom line... I have not once been tempted to eat celery to keep from consuming calories since I started fasting. Fasting is set up so that I can ENJOY eating during my eating window. It allows me to cook what I want or go out with friends and eat what I want guilt free.
If you have to force fasting, then maybe fasting isn't for you. I've said several times that fasting is easy for me. I like it. I like the way I feel when I'm fasting. (after my body adjusts to not getting a constant influx of sugars and processed foods, of course) That being said, I follow several fasting groups on social media and and am fully aware that there are a number of people who make this a rigid "must do" kinda thing. My advice... be gentle with yourself. Go slow. You don't
have to fast a certain number of hours a day... or even every day. If you need to eat...then eat. If you WANT to eat... then eat.
I've decided life is too short to be miserable. I want to be thin, sure. I want to be fit. I want my numbers (BP, heart rate, sugar, cholesterol, etc) to be good. BUT I don't want to be more miserable getting healthy than I am now, at 100 pounds overweight. I'm just sayin, if fasting makes you miserable, do something else. Fasting makes me feel clean and not bloated and light and not stressed and not sluggish and more focused and more productive and I absolutely enjoy the food I do eat sooo much more than I did when I ate all the time... so I'm sticking with this.
Just my thoughts,
K
