Intermittent Fasting

Back to the grind: January guilt and the cheese baby

~ eaton24 ~ Leave a comment

 (When work events feature a cheeseboard like this one, it’s hard not to conceive a cheese baby)

I’ve been a very bad faster. The ‘oh I’ll treat myself to a bit of a break from fasting over Christmas’ mentality hasn’t done me any favours. As they say- ignorance is bliss. Or at least, it is until in one of the family Christmas photos it looks like you’re about eight months pregnant ( and no. That one is NOT going on Instagram). While at this current stage in life I find it far more preferable to be ‘with cheese’ than ‘with child’, it was still a pretty major shock. So this and the fact that last week I was in Bulgaria on an all-inclusive skiing holiday playing the game of- let’s see how quickly one can shove goulash, feta bread and spag bol in ones face before hitting the slopes again- has not stood me in good stead to kick start 2016 in any remotely slender state.

I’d managed to avoid the scales throughout the Christmas period until yesterday when I had to lie down in order to relinquish the subsequent shooting pains up and down my arm. I’ve put on about 10lbs. Shit.

But hey. It probably would have been more had it not been for the skiing and I did have a bloody good Christmas. If anything, living the 5:2 lifestyle for the past 13 months has taught me that weight is actually quite easily controllable. So it’s time to once again grab the reigns of weight management I think, starting with my first returning fast day today of coffee, banana, Bovril and salad. It’s actually pretty good to get that virtuous hunger feeling back again.

So to all my fasting friends, followers and dieters in general, my cheese baby and I wish you all a slightly belated Happy New Year. Let’s get back to the grind.

p.s fasters, dieters and friends. If you do enjoy reading my blog, please, please use the following link to vote for me in the UK Blog Awards. Go on. I’ll love you forever…
http://www.blogawardsuk.co.uk/ukba2016/my-entry/eaton-eating



 


Vote for me now in the UK Blog Awards #UKBA16

			

	


				
					


	

			
The 5:2 and religious fasting: lessons to be learned from religious fasting
		

			

					

				

						 ~ eaton24			 ~ 1 Comment					

				

		
Whether you’re religious, spiritual, atheist or agnostic, I believe a lot can be said for the religious fasting and I believe we 5:2ers ought to pay more heed to the connections here.


Last week marked the start of Ramadan, a period of extended religious fasting for the duration of a 29-30 day lunar cycle, practiced by Muslims across the globe as one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The Ramadan fasting means that those practicing will fast from dawn till dusk a total of roughly 17 hours for those in the UK.


As a member of two Facebook groups on intermittent fasting and the 5:2, (and I am by no means bad-mouthing these pages, the fellow fasters on the web have helped, advised and supported me throughout my 5:2 quest and for that I am eternally grateful) I have noticed a general focus on weight loss as the key factor of the 5:2. I hold my hands up. I am absolutely guilty of this myself. In fact, for a long while my daily routine involved stepping on the day-ruining-machine before I’d even brushed my teeth.


I’m considering taking a leaf out of the respective books of those religious fasters, who fast not for the purpose of weight loss, but for something else entirely.  Is it possible to be an agnostic, but also spiritual? If so, then that is what I am, so I don’t think I’ll be converted any time soon, but I am opening myself to the idea of a more ‘mentally focused’ approach to fasting.


Throw away the scales 


You may have gone out and,being the keeno that you are, bought one of those expensive, fancy new-fangled set of scales that tells you your BMI etc etc, but throw them away. Or if that’s too far, then get a friend or partner to put them somewhere you won’t find them for a while. The scales are not your friend. Meet your new friend, Mr Tape Measure.


Freeing up food time


I actually think that since I’ve started the 5:2 way of life, thinking about food takes up quite a lot of my brain space. My new fasting resolution is to liberate my food-obsessed brain and think about things other than food. While religious fasters focus less on material things and concentrate on prayer and growing their relationship with God, I might take time to re-evaluate nurture my relationships with friends and family or do something else I love, like baking or reading.. on reflection let’s go with the latter.


Practice self-discipline


This is what inspires me the most about religious fasters. Many Christians fast during the 6 weeks of Lent, practicing self-denial and self-restraint the resistance of temptation. On many an occasion I have broken my fast simply because somebody offered me a Krispy Kreme doughnut or invited me out for a drink. I think observing more of the behaviours of religious fasters might help give me that shift in focus I’m in need of.  Or I could take- up road meditation- as pictured.


Road meditation



		
	
			

	


				
					


	

			
Why 2015 is the year of the steadfast faster
		

			

					

				

						 ~ eaton24			 ~ Leave a comment					

				

		
It’s the start of a new year. It’s a time for reflection and the setting of the annual New Year’s Resolution. I’ve asked many of my friends what their 2014 new year’s resolution was. I don’t think any of them were able to remember. I think this speaks volumes. Mostly we’re guilty of setting ourselves vague and unobtainable weight loss goals, making our resolutions intangible and thus forgettable.


Having seen the original Horizon TV programme on the subject of fasting a while ago, I have only just read the 5:2 book, which outlines information on the research and medical benefits of fasting in greater detail. I bought the book really to revise the health benefits and re-affirm why I am doing this not as a ‘diet’ (I have qualms with this word), but as a sustainable lifestyle choice.


It’s the prime time of year for the marketing and media frenzy around new fad diets, weight loss pills and gym memberships, with advertisers tapping into the standard January ‘health drive’ messaging. My issues around the word ‘diet’ lie with its connotations. A ‘diet’ has become something temporary. I will always avoid using this word when referring to the 5:2 because I believe that unlike fad diet plans and slimming programmes, the 5:2 has staying power.


No shallow promises- results are down to you


Part of the problem is that people want there to be a magic ‘make me skinny’ solution to dieting. There isn’t. You have to want it, you have to work at it and stay focused. The 5:2 doesn’t make unnecessary claims that it will make you look like Cheryl Cole or Taylor Swift. The USP is that it makes biological sense, so we trust that it works if we stick to the rules.


It’s a part-time diet with long term results 


We 5:2ers only have to worry about calories for 2 days out of our seven day week. Needless to say we have to be sensible during the other 5 but it doesn’t give us the permanent 24/7 low blood sugar headache that most diet programmes do.


It’s viable 


The 5:2 teaches us that hunger is not excruciating and shouldn’t be feared. It therefore helps people to overcome the mind over matter challenge which is a constant battle if we felt we were depriving ourselves and incessantly counting calories all the time. We can enjoy the food we want tomorrow. In fact, more than 2/3rds of our week is spent enjoying food, this makes it unbelievably tolerable, a very viable alternative to any other diet.


It’s proven


I’ve lost 2 stone in 6 months. Many others have achieved even greater success. The weight loss is a given. Although the medical research is still in the early stages, there is no denying that there are major health benefits aside from weight loss. Prevention of type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s and other age related diseases such as cancer have all been cited in relation to fasting. I have heard stories of GP’s recommending the 5:2 to their patients for reasons outlined above. Hopefully we will see more of this in the coming months.


Contrary to popular belief, I don’t own shares in the 5:2, in fact I haven’t had to fork out any money at all apart from a small and worthwhile investment in the book. I am simply an ambassador, a 5:2 evangelist. I like the science, I like the sense and I like the simplicity. While many of the diets and weight loss solutions and programmes we see at this time of year are fleeting, the 5:2 has staying power. It is the tortoise of the dieting world. I predict that 2015 will be the year of the steadfast faster.

			

	


				
					


	

			
Confessions of an angry eater: comfort food and why we crumble
		

			

					

				

						 ~ eaton24			 ~ Leave a comment					

				

		
A good friend recently reminded me of a time when we would sneak off to MacDonald’s after a bad day, order a big mac meal (usually large), have a good old moan and gorge on the terrible, terrible excuse for food that is Maccy d’s. We coined this as an ‘angry eating sesh’. It became a bit of a problem.


However, we weaned ourselves off, joined the gym, and you’ll be pleased to know that neither of us were hurt or became clinically obese in the process (my nameless friend is also now a fellow faster and doing extremely well).


This led me to think about the concept of ‘comfort food’ and why we turn to food when life gets a bit shit (sorry- no other language choice would fit the bill here).


Apparently the fatty acids in certain foods function as a mood enhancer, which would explain the cravings for comfort food when we feel low. More recent studies however, have claimed to disprove this, meaning that the whole concept of ‘comfort food’ is potentially a bit of a deception. It’s difficult to know how comfort food really affects our emotions but it’s likely that our attitudes towards it will stay the same as long as the very name ‘comfort food’ exists. It is one of the many justifications we use when we slip-up, and as long as we are human, we will slip up.


I am definitely guilty of turning to food after a bad day. This week I crumbled. I momentarily fell off the 5:2 wagon. My justification is that ‘it’s Christmas’.


Yes I’m disappointed in myself, but I’m still a firm believer that everything in moderation is key. This is essentially what intermittent fasting is all about. Comfort food shouldn’t be too harmful as long as portion control is adhered to. I’ll be back to the fasting days in a week, but in the meantime I intend to eat, drink and be very very merry.

			

	


				
					


	

			
The mince pies are everywhere and I can’t get out: A brief survival guide for festive fasting
		

			

					

				

						 ~ eaton24			 ~ 3 Comments					

				

		
Fasting days at the moment seem to be a little more torturous than normal. I’m putting this down to the season of ‘merriment’. With mince pies in the cupboard along with cheese, pate and all sorts of other goodies, events such as Christmas ‘lights on’ festivals and pubs with open fires beckon and tempt us with the promise of mulled wine and comfort food make fasting days tougher than ever. In fact everyone in the office today is a walking, talking mince pie..


As I’m not really a big breakfaster on a normal day I find the fasting days more of a challenge in the evenings. Hot soup at lunch generally keeps the hunger gremlins at bay until about 1700 hours at which point I HAVE TO EAT SOMETHING NOW! Or somebody gets hurt.


I’ve come up with a little routine which helps me curb the temptation during cold wintery evenings:


    

  1. Eat something– Protein is good if you have enough calories to play with. The other night I had roast trout fillet on a bed of spinach leaf and plum tomato salad, a little feta and olives and a lemon and dill dressing. I didn’t go to bed hungry- which is always the aim.
    2. 

  2. Avoid the TV– at this time of year the adverts alone are enough to make me want to break a fast. I have been known to uncontrollably shout ‘I WANT CHOCOLATE BAUBLES’ at the telly in response the one of this year’s supermarket advertising delights. You know the one.
    3. 

  3. Read a book– It’s always good to stay distracted. At the moment I like to indulge in a trashy Christmas novel (a guilty pleasure). Alternatives if you’re not the bookish type are: magazines, newspapers or doing a spot of online Christmas shopping for an extra sense of accomplishment!
    4. 

  4. Peppermint tea– Mint is apparently an appetite suppressant. It could be the placebo effect of course, and it isn’t quite the same as having a proper brew (white, one sugar) but it seems to work for me.
    5. 

  5. Have a bath– This is probably my favourite part of the fasting day evening (or close second after the bit that involves eating). I’ll play my favourite new itunes purchase and wallow in bubbles and self pity. It’s blissful.
    6.