Intermittent Fasting FAQs + My 24 Hour Fast Attempt

Hi, friends! I’ve gotten so many questions about how I’ve been doing Intermittent Fasting, I thought I’d round ’em all up for this FAQs post. I also recently shared my attempt at my first 24 hour fast on my Instagram Stories and a lot of you wanted to know more, so I promised I would share what I learned and what I’ll do differently next time. 

If you have a question I didn’t answer, please feel free to shoot me an email or leave me a comment below!

Thanks for all of the support!

XO

(It goes without saying, but I’m still going to say it, that I am NOT a healthcare expert or dietician or anyone super qualified to give you advice about eating or diet or fitness. This is simply my experience. This post contains affiliated links.)

INTERMITTENT FASTING FAQs

WHEN DID YOU START INTERMITTENT FASTING (IF)? 

I started IF at the beginning of the year. I had been hearing a lot about it and wanted to give it a try. I started by fasting 12 hours and have been slowly working my way up. I’m currently fasting for 14-15 hours each day, and would like to increase that to 16 or 17. 

WHAT TIME DO YOU STOP EATING FOR THE DAY?

On most week days, I’m done eating by 6 pm. During the weekend, I extend that until 7 pm, sometimes 730 pm if I’m feeling wild and crazy. Thankfully, having little kids makes it easy to be on an early bird dinner schedule. 

WHAT TIME DO YOU EAT THE NEXT DAY?

Every day, I aim for a 14-15 hour fast. So, during the week I don’t eat anything until 8am or 9 am, depending on my plan for the day. (If I have a morning workout planned, I will eat at 8/830 am.) 

DID YOU FAST WHILE YOU WERE BREASTFEEDING?

No, I waited until I was done breastfeeding and baby girl was completely weaned before I started IF. I’m a big believer in letting my body do what it needs to do while I’m nursing. 

DO YOU DRINK WATER WHILE FASTING?

Yes! A LOT. That’s the key. I recently ordered this water bottle and LOVE it. It keeps my water cold forEVER. I try to drink 3 a day.

COFFEE? 

YEP. I’m not sure if this is breaking the official IF rules, but I drink coffee with almond milk in the morning. There’s just no way I would be able to wake up and not drink coffee within 3 minutes. It’s not in my DNA. 

WINE?

Again, I like the keep the rules a little…blurry. I allow myself a glass of wine (not more than 2) one night a week. Generally, it coincides with the best Bravo night. Natch.

WHAT DO YOU EAT WHEN YOU BREAK YOUR FAST? 

I break my fast with a light meal. I’ve found that if I eat too much, I feel sick almost immediately. So, I like to ease back into eating with a small meal, usually Greek yogurt with granola and fruit or a boiled egg and avocado. I shared my 3 Day Food Diary if you want to know more about what I eat during the day. 

HAS FASTING HELPED YOU LOSE WEIGHT?

Now that I’m 5 months into my IF journey, I can say that YES, it’s definitely helped me lose weight. Although, I also eat well and workout a lot, but I can totally tell a difference in my body since I started fasting. It’s helped me get rid of the stubborn fat that sometimes just won’t budge.

HOW DOES IT WORK WHEN YOU’RE ON VACATION?

Umm…it doesn’t. Ha. I don’t fast while I’m on vacation. BUT. I will say that overall, my eating habits have changed so much that even when I’m off the IF clock, I naturally prefer to eat early and have a long period of fasting. 

WHAT I LEARNED DURING MY 24 HOUR FAST ATTEMPT

If you follow along on my Instagram Stories, you know that I attempted my first 24 hour fast last week. And you guys, I really gave it a shot. I did. BUT, I only lasted 20 hours. Here’s what I learned and what I’ll do differently next time:

PLAN AHEAD. 

While I knew I wanted to try a 24 hour fast, I didn’t do enough research or planning leading up to it. My mistake was attempting a 24 fast on a Friday. Bad move. My guard was already down after a long week and I wasn’t at my most resolute. Also, I took the girls to a local spot where I would ALWAYS eat lunch, and well, that’s just not a great idea. I managed not to eat while we were there, but as soon as we got home, my resolve dissolved. 

WATER, WATER AND MORE WATER.

I had so many beverages on hand during my fast: coffee, unsweetened Passion Iced Tea, Kombucha, La Croix Sparkling Water, But, I overlooked water. You know, the regular ol’ water kind of water. I did drink some, but not nearly enough. Next time, I’ll drink it like it’s going out of style and supplement with the other liquids. 

IT’S HARD, BUT DEFINITELY NOT IMPOSSIBLE.

Without a doubt, fasting is more of a mental challenge than a physical one. We’ve been taught that hunger “pains” are a warning sign and that we need to eat as soon as possible or we will…what? Perish? Thankfully, those days are long gone and our hunger signs no longer mean we need to hurry up and kill our next meal. What surprised me most was that I was not only able to sit with that hunger feeling, but the hunger actually turned into energy. Pretty damn cool. 

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