Intermittent Fasting

As if giving up clothes for the year wasn't bad enough - now I'm giving up food!

Well, not really...

I've been reading about intermittent fasting for a while and as I have a few more pounds to shift and they are being very stubborn, I've decided to give it a go. The principle is that you incorporate a fast period into your diet - different people advocate different periods but the way I am doing it is to fast from 6pm one day to 6pm the next, twice a week. Essentially, all I am missing is breakfast and lunch (and the post 6pm supper on the first night -  this is what I miss most!)

On the other days, you can pretty much eat as you like but bear in mind, if you want to lose weight, you gotta be a bit sensible. I have also timed it so the days I fast are not the days I run, I think that may be a little much for my body to cope with.

Today is my first day and I feel pretty good, the hardest thing is cooking for other people while I can't eat but as I'm not missing out on the big meal of the day, it's been ok. Poor Rebekah got a few pieces of toast thrown at her for lunch while i tried to not eat the crumbs!

It's not just about losing the weight  - the articles I have read point out the health benefits to your body of taking a break from eating and allowing your body to repair rather that always digest. I don't know how scientifically it has been tested but I reckon it can do no harm.

It also got me thinking about the principle of Biblical fasting - while I was a student, I used to do a biblical fast on a Wednesday. I can't actually recall if I prayed and read the Bible any more during that time than any other day! I think I gave it up because I didn't really understand the whole concept of Biblical fasting and I'm not sure if I do now either but maybe this time of 'secular' fasting will give me time to have another think about it. I do know having this very rare feeling of a completely empty stomach, has made me very grateful for the blessing of food.

On the clothes front, I have been staying well away from temptation and haven't found it a big problem yet. I did rip my running trousers but they aren't too bad and I reckon i can sew them rather than chuck them out and buy new ones, which is what I would have done last year!