Do It Like A Man : Intermittent Fasting

An ex-colleague read my #HealthyPuasa blog entry and sent me an email. I must say I am totally honored that she reads my blog! In the email, she asked me about doing fasting and she read a book about it. However, the book did not offer any guidance on how to start. Here is her email (name removed) and my response. See if this will help you to start doing Intermittent Fasting.
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Her Email to me:

Hi Ee-Van

 

How are you??? Hope things are getting better for you after XXX.

Btw, where are you now and what are you doing (job wise i mean)..;-)

 

Anyways, i happened to read your blog about 'healthy fasting'. I've been trying to do that but am not sure of the right ways to go about. Infact, i was at MPH 2 weeks ago looking for a book from this doctor in Canada..

i can't remember his name but the book is called 'Fast Diet'..whereby you only need to fast 2 days in a week and the other 5 days you can eat whatever you want. I went thru the book but was dissappointed as it did not really gave me step by step instructions of what to eat and how to fast.

 

Any tips and ways???

 

Hope to hear from you soon. Take care Ee-Van and God bless.

My Reply:
Hey YYY!

:) Office is in Bangsar. Company named ZZZ. An US company and back into Consulting. Leading the Environmental division in KL with another colleague (Just the two of us!). Office has about 30 people doing other things as well... :D 

On Fasting - thanks for reading that blog entry. It was a result of engaging a few doctors and dieticians on Twitter. 

I do IF or intermittent fasting once a week where i refrain from food and minimal liquid during the day. 

If you want to start, first determine the hour you want to do it. I suggest you start with perhaps half a day first. say from time you wake up (example 8am) till say 4pm. So, you have breakfast before 8am and then refrain from food until 4pm.

If you are comfortable with this, you progress to stay off food until 8pm. 

Allow yourself water, as we are fasting not because of religion but more of health. 

For breakfast, rolled oats or low GI food is good as it takes longer to digest. fill half your normal cup with the oats and trail mix (like the one i showed you back in XXX) with some milk or just water.

You will grow hungry of course - but this is due to the "brain telling you to eat at your normal hour". Take a cup of water or just a few sip to kill the urge. Control is the key here ;-)

Once you are familiar and comfortable with doing a ONE day fasting, you can try on Day 2. 

Please stick to good real food instead of loading on anything (and everything).

As for the proposed book to "fast two days and eat whatever for 5 days", my opinion is to AVOID doing that. It totally defeats the purpose of fasting much like people EXERCISING to eat. Moderation is the key and practice good control. 

If you want to feel fuller or what we call "satiated", take a bit more protien based food aka meat, nuts etc. Carbo do not fill you up. Fat certainly doesn't, but protien gives you the "final push" to fullness. Haha. I know what you thinking, Dessert? ;-) Fruits or a bar of chocolate doesn't hurt once in a while. 

Good luck and God Bless!

EV