Reclaim your health with a popular and ancient practice.

Hello Fabulous Traveler,

If you’re looking to learn more about the benefits of intermittent fasting (IF), or want to see if IF can work for you, you’ve come to the right place. This challenge will give you a one-week crash course in intermittent fasting that will prepare you to develop the habit on your own.

So, why IF? Some might write it off as a fad, but truthfully, it’s been around for about as long as people have! Our bodies evolved to adapt to our unreliable food sources tens of thousands of years ago, and it’s in this logic that intermittent fasting is rooted. There is also a growing body of scientific research backing up IF’s benefits, such as the multiple studies by the National Institute of Aging that suggest IF can reduce inflammation and stress while boosting metabolism and muscle mass. 

We’ll be using the 16:8 method of Intermittent Fasting during this challenge. That means you’ll be eating your meals within an eight-hour window you designate for yourself each day, and fasting for 16 hours. If that sounds like a lot, don’t panic! An easy way people do this is to skip breakfast, focus on a substantial lunch, and have an early dinner. Basically, you can eat between 12pm and 8pm! If you sleep for 8 hours a night, that’s half your fasting time right there!

We're going to be supporting you with tips and tricks to keep you motivated each day of the challenge, but here are some easy rules of thumb you can refer to throughout the challenge: 

Don’t:

1. Eat too much (or too little). Making sure you have healthy, balanced meals will be more important than ever during this challenge, since you’re only eating during a short stretch of time. Overindulging or not eating enough can make you sick.

2. Jump into or out of Intermittent Fasting too quickly. It’ll be tempting to binge before or after a fast, but you’ll only be hurting yourself. Stick to light, balanced meals to make the transition less strenuous on your body.

3. Engage in high intensity workouts. Exercising during your fast is actually beneficial, but it should be light to moderate exercise, and only if you are feeling up to it. If you find yourself feeling ill while exercising, stop immediately and rest.

Do: 

1. Drink enough water: During both your fasting and eating periods. Dehydration is never good, but staying hydrated will also help with food cravings during fasts.

2. Plan ahead: Your fasting time should be when you’re least active during the day to minimize the risk of getting sick. Also, plan your meals and snacks for the week ahead; the more preparation you do now, the less willpower you’ll need later.

3. Listen to your body: Know when to stop. Watch out for heart palpitations, dizziness, and extreme weakness. Intermittent fasting is not for everyone. If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, have chronic health problems that affect your diet or are recovering from an eating disorder, this may not be the right challenge for you. Please consult with a medical professional you trust before making any major changes to your diet. 

Your one-time action 

Let’s prepare you for the days ahead. 

Your task for today is to get a notebook or other place you can document your thoughts and start listing the reasons why you want to try intermittent fasting. Fasting isn’t easy, especially for the first few days, so it’s best to know your “why” before you start. Any reason big or small is appropriate here; what matters is that it’s important to you specifically and that it will motivate you when you’re feeling less enthusiastic about fasting.

Tomorrow, we’ll get into the nitty-gritty of intermittent fasting, so until then, take care of yourself, Fabulous Traveler!