A few weeks into the new year, I began a fast. Though I started it for strictly religious reasons, I started noticing changes in my body weight. I felt much lighter on my feet, my waistline reduced, and a set of jeans that I had made a mental note to set aside for charity suddenly sat comfortably on my waist, with minimal struggle. I was happy to have a few extra pairs of jeans that fit just right. This weight loss reinforced the benefits of fasting.
Intermittent fasting as a means of weight loss became very popular in Nigeria around the mid-2010s. Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that alternates between periods of eating and fasting. It typically does not prescribe specific foods but focuses on the timing of meals. There are several popular methods of intermittent fasting, including fasting for 16 hours and eating within an 8-hour window (for example, eating between 12 PM and 8 PM while fasting from 8 PM to 12 PM the following day); eating normally for five days a week and restricting calorie intake to around 500-600 calories on two non-consecutive days; fasting for a full 24 hours once or twice a week and finally, alternating between fasting days and eating days, along with other variations of fasting.
Intermittent fasting as a weight loss method became significant that apps were created to help users schedule meals and track their progress because it has real health benefits like weight loss, improved metabolism, and better blood sugar control.
However, like every other fitness routine, the benefits are short-lived once the routine is discontinued. This is why I advocate for a healthy incorporation of fasting into our daily lives until it becomes a lifestyle. There are methods we could adopt.
Stay Busy
Nothing feels worse than fasting while idle. With very little to do, you’ll find yourself keeping up with the seconds, wishing the hours would fly by, your stomach reminding you with every click of the clock that it’s empty, and fasting would seem like self-inflicted torture. Getting busy with work or some activity that occupies your mind allows the hours to go by freely. A complete immersion into an activity leads to a distortion in one’s perception of time, making it feel like time is moving faster or disappears altogether.
Shop Stuffed
Have you tried going to the market while hungry? A lot of things could go wrong, like overpaying for food items because you have no strength to haggle, not getting the best produce because you couldn’t be bothered to check that the tomatoes are fresh, or you’d rather accept whatever the market woman gives to you. You might be tempted to buy a quick roadside snack, that fried puff puff in the market, whose seller could care less about the state of the overused oil used in frying their snacks, which is certainly not the healthiest option. Need I say more at this point? Stuff your stomach with good food before going to the market to avoid the post-market regret of not purchasing fresh produce or spending carelessly.
Morning Market Runs
An alternative to shopping stuffed would be to shop for foodstuff in the morning before you are consumed with chores/work throughout the day. The early bird in this situation makes better food choices at the market and gets good bargains.
An extra tip that would make intermittent fasting easier is to shop in bulk. It is far better to save up by buying in bulk, say monthly, than micro-shopping here and there. Practicing bulk shopping will not only save you money, but it’ll also help you plan your meals well in advance, prevent stressful eating, and break your fast with a healthy, stress-free meal.
This time of the year is particularly prominent for fasting because Muslims have just concluded Ramadan and are preparing for Shawwal fasting, and the Roman Catholics are also experiencing the Lent season. It is particularly satisfying when one can kill two birds with one stone, and in this case, there is spiritual cleansing (amongst other reasons) and body fat trimming.
The fasting season might be over, but amends can still be made in the following months to include foods that are highly nutritious and low in calories yet excellent sources of energy. Adopt healthy eating habits and incorporate healthy foods into your daily meals until it becomes a lifestyle. Who knows? You might still hit 2025’s weight loss target, even if you can’t commit to visiting the gym regularly.
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