Intermittent fasting can be a challenging experience, especially in the first few weeks. But the benefits of IF go beyond simply shedding excess body fat; it also has numerous positive effects on our bodies and minds. With that said, intermittent fasting is not easy for everyone.
Depending on your personal constitution, observing a fast from time to time may not be in your best interests. Some people have a more difficult time than others with IF because of genetics, physiology, and psychological factors like stress and anxiety.
If you’re reading this article, it means you are among those who might have a harder time with IF. Once you get past the initial hump of adjusting to an alternate eating schedule, fasting becomes much simpler and much easier to maintain long-term. Here are some things you can do if you accidentally break your fast or want to avoid breaking it again in future fasts.
What to do if you break your fast
If you accidentally break your fast, the best thing you can do is to not beat yourself up about it. The vast majority of people who fast do so intermittently, which means they break their fast at least a few times per month, if not more frequently. That’s normal. You might feel some shame or disappointment in yourself if you break your fast, but those feelings are not helpful.
The best thing you can do is to keep going. You don’t have to start over from Day 1. Instead, just pick up where you left off. Fasting is a journey, and it’s a journey that requires patience, kindness towards yourself, and an attitude of open-mindedness.
If you break your fast, don’t knock yourself out over it. Just pick up where you left off and keep going.
Change up your fasting window
If you get into the rhythm of a 14/10 fast, you will eventually feel the challenge. Some people may find that the 14/10 fast is too rigorous, and feel as if they’re battling themselves every day.
When this happens, it’s helpful to switch up the fasting window to something less rigorous. You can try switching to a 12/12 fast, which means 12 hours of fasting and 12 hours of eating per day.
You can also try an extended fast, which means you extend the fasting window to 20/4 or 24/0. The extended fast is not for everyone and should be done under the supervision of a doctor or dietitian.
It’s a good idea to try a few different fasting windows so that you can see what works best with your body and your lifestyle.
Diversify your diet
If you tend to eat the same foods on a daily basis, you may be experiencing some negative consequences from this diet. If you are experiencing any negative side effects from the way you’re eating during your feeding window, then you may want to consider diversifying your diet.
If you are struggling to adapt to intermittent fasting and break your fast often, then you may want to consider switching to a more balanced diet. A balanced diet includes a variety of whole foods, including vegetables, fruits, and proteins. You may want to consider switching to a diet that includes smaller frequent meals instead of eating three large meals a day.
Sometimes, people who have a hard time adapting to IF gravitate towards the mentality of “one big meal a day.” This is often a mistake.
Set smaller fasting windows
If you are struggling with the 14/10 fast, you may want to set a smaller fasting window. You can try a 12/10 fast or an extended fast of 20/4 or 22/2. You may also want to try alternate day fasting, which means you fast one day and eat the next day.
Be careful if you decide to set a smaller fasting window. Don’t try to force yourself to adopt an IF schedule if it isn’t working for you. If you try to force yourself to adopt a certain IF schedule and you’re not seeing results, you could potentially be doing yourself more harm than good.
Take a 15-minute walk
One of the most common things people do when they feel hunger pangs but want to avoid breaking a fast is to take a 15-minute walk. A walk will help you ease the tension out of your system and help to distract you from the hunger pangs.
It doesn’t take long before the pangs of hunger completely disappear. Walking will also help to stimulate the production of serotonin, which will improve your mood and make it easier to resist temptation. It might also be a good idea to take a walk outside where there are fewer distractions, such as billboards and traffic than you have in your home if it has very little natural light.
You can also try doing a mindfulness meditation when fasting. The mindfulness meditation will help you to focus on your breath and keep you distracted from the hunger pangs. This will help you to extend the length of your fast.
Stay off the scale and don’t weigh yourself for a few days
If you’re breaking your fast too often, then you may want to avoid the scale for a few days. Oftentimes, weighing yourself too frequently can be an additional stressor that disrupts fasting.
It’s also important to consider that your weight may fluctuate throughout the day. Body weight may increase in the morning due to water retention and decrease throughout the day due to metabolic activities. Therefore, it may be more beneficial to track your body composition instead of your weight.
Body composition can be measured using scales with software that tracks body fat percentage, body fat mass, muscle mass, and bone density. You may also want to keep an eye on how you feel throughout the day. If you feel overly hungry and experience sharp cravings, then you may need to break your fast sooner.
If you are worried about gaining too much weight from fasting, you can monitor your body fat percentage using an affordable body composition analyzer.
Stay busy and practice self-care
If you are struggling with breaking your fast, you may want to try to stay busy and avoid environments that trigger you to eat. Avoid places like your favorite bakery or restaurants that make you want to eat.
If you are eating at home, make sure to stock up on healthy snacks like fruit, nuts, and vegetables to help you break your fast. It’s also important to go into your fast with a plan. If you know you’re going to be around certain foods that might make it hard for you to resist them, make sure to have other options available.
You can also try to practice self-care when you’re struggling with the fasting. Self-care is important at all times, but it’s especially important when you’re fasting.
Conclusion
Intermittent fasting can be a fantastic way to improve your health and fitness. But it’s important to make sure you are using IF properly so that you get the most benefits from it. In order to do that, you need to avoid eating too much, eating too close to your fasting window, and eating the wrong types of food. If you follow these tips, you should be able to successfully implement IF into your life and experience all the benefits it has to offer.
