In case you missed it, I’m smack in the middle of a 7 day fast. If you have no idea what that means, if it’s healthy or how fasting really works, you’ve got to check out the episodes I’ve done on it.
Take a listen to episodes 037, 300, 307 and 310. You can also read this blog from the other day.
If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, please click play. Otherwise, keep reading below.
Today I want to share with you 7 things I love about fasting.
- It frees up a ton of time – until you’ve done a fast, you don’t realize how much time you spend thinking about food, planning meals and snacks, shopping for food, prepping food, eating and cleaning up from eating!
- It’s free! I spend a lot of money on meat and veggies. This 7 day fast has cut my monthly food expenses by 25%! That’s pretty awesome 🙂 There’s no equipment required, no special meals…it’s 100% free to fast! But it’s actually free in a way other than money. I love fasting because it frees me from the internal debate about food. I’m free from wondering if I should eat that, if I should have seconds or if I should order a drink with my dinner. It provides a whole lot of mental freedom!
- It forces me to be less reactive – Yes, I definitely get hungry when I’m fasting. And when not fasting, I react those those urges. I start thinking about meals & snacks – reacting to an impulse. Fasting is built-in practice for being more calm and less reactive. It’s okay to sit with a feeling without reacting to it!
- It gives me a totally new relationship to hunger – I talked about this the other day on the blog. When you’ve got 4, 5, 6 or 7 days without food, you have a totally new relationship to that “I’m so hungry” sensation an hour or two after a meal!
- It sends my personal confidence through the roof – I remember when I paid off over $130K in personal debt. It gave me such a belief that I could do hard things. That belief changed my life. Fasting is pretty similar. The confidence that comes from fasting makes me feel so much more powerful in the face of any & all temptations, distractions and excuses. It really is a game changer.
- Once I get over the hump, I feel absolutely amazing – the first 2-3 days are hard for me. Yes, I feel hungry and sometimes it’s hard to focus with that feeling. However, once you get through those transitional days, the mental sharpness and energy are pretty impressive!
- It’s a powerful reminder to be happier and to complain less – I won’t lie; the instinct while fasting is to complain about fasting. This fast has shown me my tendency to subtly complain about LOTS of things and I know that this awareness is going to be make me happier long after the fast is over.
Next week I’ll be sharing a recap of my fast including how it went, what I learned and tips for anyone who wants to give extended fasting a try.
If you have questions about fasting, check out these resources!
Episode 037: Intermittent Fasting & Overfeeding
Episode 307: Is Fasting Right For You?
310: 5 Things I Learned During My 5 Day Fast
Jimmy Moore & Dr. Jason Fung’s book The Complete Guide to Fasting.