You think you have to completely change your diet when getting started with intermittent fasting? That’s no surprise, after all, with all the diets telling us that we have to sacrifice a lot in order to achieve our goals. Following the motto: Losing weight while enjoying food? No way!
In this article, you will learn why giving up your favourite foods isn’t a good strategy and how intermittent fasting can help you to develop a more relaxed relationship with food.
We often receive questions like…
“Can I have a piece of cake in my eating periods?”
“What about having a beer in the evening?”
“Should I just order a salad at the restaurant instead of pizza?”
One thing is for sure: of course it is beneficial for your success if you focus on a healthy diet during meal periods. Nevertheless, enjoy what you like. But do it consciously!
The problem with giving up on your favourite meals
You may think that banning certain foods is part of a healthy diet. This is true to a certain extent. But avoiding the things you like can also have a negative effect on your body and mind!
Here are 3 reasons why you should not work with strict eliminations on your way to your goals:
1. Giving up your favourite meals requires an extreme amount of willpower.
You may see short-term success when you cut out certain foods. But the chances of you sticking to your strict diet plan in the long run are extremely low. Your failure is pre-programmed if you forbid yourself everything.
How about striking a balance and finding a way that fits into your life (maybe forever)? That’s exactly why it’s worth rethinking.
2. Giving up on your favourite meals causes stress.
Completely cutting out your favourite meals releases stress in your brain. And stress is THE number one weight loss killer! When we are stressed out, our brain produces the stress hormone cortisol in the adrenal cortex. Originally, this was a clever move by our body: cortisol gives us an enormous energy boost so that we can mobilize resources in an emergency situation.
The problem is that cortisol also prevents fat loss! In general, it is therefore important to keep stress under control and to avoid unnecessary stress.
3. Giving up your favourite meals makes you miss out moments of pleasure.
Pleasure is simply part of life. If you treat yourself to something that tastes really good every now and then, you will not only be more satisfied: it will also be easier for you to return to healthy food afterwards! Try a different perspective: Compared to “I’ll never have cake again“, “I enjoyed eating a piece of cake and feel happy and satisfied now” sounds much better!
Consciously allowing yourself a treat every now and then makes all the difference.
Learning to consciously enjoy food with intermittent fasting
The great thing about intermittent fasting is that it doesn’t tell you what you can and can’t eat. Of course, intermittent fasting is not a free ticket: a balanced diet is and remains an important component of a healthy lifestyle and is also important for your progress.
But before you never treat yourself again with your favourite meals, change one thing first – namely WHEN you eat. This alone often makes a big difference and triggers great processes.
Intermittent fasting is about much more than just quick results. It’s about permanently improving your relationship with food.
This is how you improve your relationship with food with intermittent fasting
Instead of classifying foods as “good”, “bad” or “forbidden”, first focus on keeping your fasting times. In the second step, make sure your diet is nutrient-dense. If you want to treat yourself, do so, but do so consciously.
With this awareness, intermittent fasting is much more than a temporary method: it can become your lifestyle!
You can find the optimal fasting plan for your goals in the BodyFast app.
I agree with these 3 principles about fasting. I have tried many times to gut certain foods but always goes back again and again I failed. The way i approach fasting I think is way ia fail. So I will try looking for another angle, by using your suggestions.
I’ve tried to follow 5:2 and fast800 for several years but although the food has been tasty I’ve always felt cake, pie, chips were forbidden. What a welcome ray of sunshine this article is, it makes eating out and visiting family for meals achievable without breaking ‘rules’
If I have a piece of cake to treat myself it’s a slow and steady start to disaster the sugar cravings come back and I crave it so bad 😐
Don’t blame yourself for your cravings, they don’t define you as a person 😊 It’s super important to start slowly by trying to stick to your fasting times. Don’t alter everything at once (like no more sugar, plenty of sports, etc.). Take one step at a time and also read through our other blogposts to get some more tips and motivation on how to face challenges and master the process 🙏🏼
This is my 1st day! I’ll let you know how I’m doing!🎺
We are looking forward to your updates! Have a great start, happy fasting!