- Day - which day will you fast, is it easier for you if its a work day or weekend day?
- Start Time / Stop Time - it's very important to know where the goal posts are (don't be tempted to move them)
- What kind of fast - see my previous entry on the different kinds of fast that you might choose from
- Preparation - As with most things having a supportive environment around you can make a big difference. Are the people around you onboard? Will they support you when things get hard? Are you likely to encounter criticism?
What to expect?
I'd venture to say that everyone has a different experience of fasting, I might go a little further and say that you may find that every fast that you perform will be different. Not hugely, just enough that you notice the small things. It's a bit like walking or running the same route every day, it will always be different especially if you pay attention.
The previous paragraph not withstanding, there are some common experiences that its as well to be aware of before starting:
Feeling Hungry
Yes you may well feel hungry, it may manifest in many different ways. Stomach rumbling, missing eating (especially around your normal mealtimes or when others are eating), moodiness, preoccupation with food (constantly thinking about eating, the fact you are not eating etc)
Moodiness / tiredness / anxiety
You may feel all of these or none of these, as your body gets used to the fact that you are not eating food and thereby generating energy for its use, you may feel these symptoms. The more you fast, and the longer you fast for, the more your body adapts and becomes better able to switch between its normal mode, and burning your fat reserves for energy (ketosis).
Strange sensations
At various times, I have felt hotter than usual and other times colder. There are some studies that describe reasons that may be attributed to these sensations. As a pragmatic faster, although I am interested in the science, I am guided more by my own experience and what works for me (or what I experience vs what I may possible experience)
Benefits of fasting
These are many and varied, for this particular article I'm only going to mention briefly the individual benefits, but I'll cover them in later articles.
Health benefits
Firstly, you are resting your digestive organs. Consider that these organs and systems are working for you everyday (and depending on how much and how often you eat - all day) of your life. Assimilation takes a great deal of energy, as well as producing energy for the body from your food.
Mental benefits
Setting a fasting goal and meeting it, strengthens your will power / determination. It shows you that the body can survive without food (within reason of course).
Financial benefits
You save money. If you fast for one day a week for a year and assuming you eat 3 meals a day, that equates to just over 7 weeks of food that you dont need to buy in a year! Those savings can be spent on anything that you want, but can also be used to purchase better quality food for the meals that you do eat (this is what I do - I buy as much organic produce as I can get my hands on).
Time benefits
You will have more time in your day. Just the time spent thinking about what to eat, prepping it, cooking it, cleaning up after eating etc can build up to be a large amount of time even after only a few fasts.
Spiritual benefits
If you are so inclined there are numerous spiritual benefits to be had from fasting - if you want more information, please feel free to contact me.
Weight loss
Fasting can provide weight loss, depending on the nature of the fast and how you react afterwards (see below section on What to do after a fast) realistic and long lasting weight loss can be achieved. There are many more benefits to be found in fasting, and these will be covered in later articles. In the next article we will see how the preparation and recovery phases are a very important part of fasting, and should be managed carefully to avoid undoing your good work in the actual fast.
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