5 O' Clock Fasting Challenge

I'm currently on a 40-day fast along with several members of my church as an homage to Jesus' 40 day fast in the Bible. He refused food and water for his fast and while I'm not going as far as he did (I couldn't last a day without water!), I choose not to eat between 5 am-5 pm daily. This is known as an intermittent fast.

Well what the heck is that?




An intermittent fast (IF for short) is when you alternate between the times you eat and don't eat during the day. You basically set aside a window of time when you allow no food to enter your body. After that time period passes, you can eat again. The window of time when you fast can be a few hours to a few days, it really depends on your own personal preference. According to Nerd Fitness, we should consider IF more as a "diet pattern" rather than just a regular old diet.

Before I moved from D.C. to Ohio two years ago, I was known as the crazy health nut in my family, always looking at the nutritional labels on packages and eating small portions at a time. Since my move, unfortunately, I've fallen back to poor eating habits such as surviving off of Wendy's and gas station snacks to get me through my hectic days of attending school and working full time. My body and even my mind has suffered as I've noticed myself becoming more sluggish, lethargic, irritable, and scatterbrained. My body was craving wholesome foods again!

I rebuke this burger in the name of good health.

It just seemed like the right time to do a detox so I jumped on this fast when the opportunity appeared. I started on January 6th and it's honestly been a wonderfully cleansing 17 days. My hunger cravings have gone down completely, no more feeling the urge to eat every hour or when I'm bored. I feel my energy levels have doubled as I find it much easier to wake up in the mornings after a good night's rest. Also, my mind and thought processes have become a lot clearer and I find it so much easier focusing on tasks and remembering things. As a side bonus, my family has said I've even lost a few pounds! (I'm gonna confirm that with a scale to be sure ;)

Other benefits I've noticed with the fasting is that I spend less time trying to decide what to eat and where. I'm spending a lot less money on eating out (which is super awesome since I'm a broke college student always penny-pinching), I appreciate the food I do eat a lot more such as the flavors, and I'm beginning to crave healthier foods again, which has been my goal for months. When I do break my fast after 5 pm, I'm picky with what I consume and yet don't go overboard if something isn't the healthiest option. I'm always trying to find that middle ground or balance that keeps me centered.

What is making my IF so successful is my spiritual faith and love of the Lord. Am I a religous gal? Uhhh... yeah, a bit. But I consider myself to be waaaay more spiritual and the fact that I'm truly relying on a Higher Power to keep me on track is what is making this surprisingly enjoyable. I'm doing this not only for me, but for God and I feel as though I should hold up my end of the deal by sticking to the plan.

More of this please!

Valentine's Day is when my fast will come to an end (awww!) and I want to use the last 10 days or so as a transition into eating a more permanent plant-based diet that incorporates more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and moderate amounts of meat. I hope to completely do away with processed junk food or at least push it down to a minimum. I've eaten like this before and I know I can do it again!

So for those of you who have always wanted to try out fasting but have felt hesitant or that you couldn't do it, I'm here to say that YOU CAN DO IT. Don't let articles or naysayers tell you that you have to fast a certain way or be a certain type of person to be successful. Dieting and healthy eating is about listening to your body and doing what works for you. It's a totally personalized, unique calling that should be comfortable for you. There are many types of fasting out there and if you wish to try out intermittent fasting, make sure to:

• Establish a clear window of time when to eat and when not to eat.
• Monitor your physical, emotional and spiritual progress daily for encouragement.
• Be patient as your body adjusts to your new eating pattern.
• Don't beat yourself up for making mistakes or not sticking it out. 
• And most importantly, have fun!

How is your current fast or diet going? Does an intermittent fast appeal to you at all?