A long time ago I decided to throw the word “diet” out of the window. The word diet just brings in negativity and automatically makes me have a bad relationship with food.
Do you feel the same way?
I hate having to restrict what I eat which is why I decided to do intermittent fasting.
I typically start my day off by eating breakfast around 10:00 am and stop around 6:00 pm.
Using this Intermittent Fasting Calculator will also help you cycle between eating and fasting. I highly recommend it!
It’s been just under one month of doing the 16/8 method and there are a few intermittent fasting tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way.
*Please keep in mind I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. Below are things that have worked well for me and may or may not work well for you.
INTERMITTENT FASTING TIPS + TRICKS
1. Start your day off with lots of water.
Drink lots of water because so much of the daily water intake comes from food and if you’re fasting 16 hours a day, you need to supplement that water from somewhere else.
Also, water helps keep you feeling full.
Water even helps boost the benefits of fasting by detoxing.
RELATED POST: 6 TIPS ON DRINKING MORE WATER AND STAYING HYDRATED
After I drink a large glass or two of water, I dive right into a cup of black coffee.
I need the energy, especially since I started working out early in the morning before the kiddos get up.
2. Try different fasting methods to see what works best for you.
The 16/8 method won’t work for everyone and that’s ok!
I have a guest blog post called, 5 Types of Intermittent Fasting and it discusses all different types of intermittent fasting.
- Time-Restricted Fast
- 24-Hour Fast
- Minimalist Fast
- Every Other Day Fast
- Single Meal Fast
I decided to do the time-restricted fast and do a 16/8 approach but gradually fall into it. This has worked best for me.
3. Be in tune with your body. Know when it’s time to eat.
Learn when your body is telling you it NEEDS to eat or when it WANTS to eat.
This was a struggle for me at first. I would think I was hungry when I actually wasn’t hungry or I was just thirsty.
Now when I crave things I try to drink water to curb the craving. If that doesn’t work I’ll try to grab some veggies to see if it helps.
With practice, I am now able to go about 16 hours for intermittent fasting without feeling the need to eat. However, I never deprive myself of food.
If I am hungry and know I need to eat, I will.
4. Keep up with your fruits and veggies.
Although I attempt to eat tons of fruits and veggies throughout the day, I’ve been implementing fruit and veggie capsules from Balance of Nature into my meal plans.
I take 3 fruit and 3 veggie capsules with water every day either as part of my first meal or right before my first meal around 10 am. These 6 capsules contain 10 servings of fruit and vegetables!
Sometimes I add them to my smoothie instead of taking them as capsules. All you have to do is open them up and sprinkle them in!
Green Smoothie
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
- Large handful of spinach
- 1 tsp. all-natural peanut butter
- 1 frozen banana
- 2-3 Balance of Nature Vegetable capsules
- Water
- Handful of ice
The smoothie is so good even Luna loves it (and she’s a picky one).
Below are the ingredients in the Veggie and Fruit Capsules
Balance of Nature Veggie Capsules:
Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Cayenne Pepper, Celery Stalk, Garlic, Kale, Onion, Shiitake Mushroom, Soy Bean, Spinach, Wheat Grass, Yam, Zucchini
Balance of Nature Fruit Capsules:
Aloe Vera, Apple, Banana, Blueberry, Cherry, Cranberry, Grape, Grapefruit, Lemon, Mango, Orange, Papaya, Pineapple, Raspberry, Strawberry, Tomato
They also have a fiber drink which to be blunt, helps regulate bowel movements. Sometimes when you change your diet or have a lifestyle change like this your body needs an extra boost to help get your body back on track.
I am a big fan of their fiber drink right now because it tastes like Fall (a mixture of cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, and more)
Balance of Nature Fiber Drink:
Whole Psyllium Husk, Flax Seed, Whole Apple, Allspice, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Clove, Coriander, Cumin, Fennel Seed, Fenugreek, Ginger, Mustard, Nutmeg, Turmeric
Check out their Instagram for some great facts and yummy recipes.
5. Don’t stress and just enjoy the process.
There are days (ok, some weekends) where I eat past my “allotted time” and you know what, I don’t stress about it!
I don’t stress for two reasons.
- It’s a lifestyle change. I am learning about what works best for me and my body. Would I rather enjoy my weekend morning breakfast with my family or sit there and watch them eat. I think you know the answer 🙂
- If I stress about it, then my cortisol levels rise and cortisol loves to hold onto fat. So stressing about it does me zero good.
So there you have it. With the last 3-4 weeks of intermittent fasting, I have come to realize that it works for me about 5 days of the week, I enjoy spending my weekend mornings at the breakfast table with my family but I am able to cut off my meals around 6 pm no problem.
I would love to hear more about your intermittent fasting tips!
Send me a comment below!
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