We’re sharing all our sneaky hacks for making intermittent fasting a cinch. And that means, yep, life just got a whole lot easier!
Hey busy chickie, we know you’re probably running around getting on with your Super Life, but take a moment now to read this, because not only will it end up saving you time, it may also end up saving you effort… and don’t we all want that! Just when you thought you knew everything about intermittent fasting – wait, there’s more! You may know some of the tips and tricks below, but we’re betting there’s at least a few you don’t. And yep, that means life just got a heck of a lot easier.
Our top 10 um-say-what-now? tips:
- Get techy! Do you sometimes lose track of how long you’ve actually been fasting for? Maybe you even want to challenge yourself to a longer fasting window some days? If so, we’re very happy to let you in on this juicy little fact: there’s an app. Actually, there’s two that we know of. The Zero Fasting tracker, and the Life Fasting tracker.
- Steps count. But you don’t have to actually count them. This cool little app on your phone will do it for you, all day every day for as long as you carry it around. It’s a funny thing, but for some reason we find that really motivates you to step to it a little more. Did we happen to mention it’s called Steps?
- Bank them. Calories, that is, and when we say that what we actually mean is think of your calories like money. For example: If you were on a 1600 calorie day, you might think “I have to spend 500 on a hamburger tonight, so I’m banking that and living on 1100 until then.” Simple, huh? Ka-ching!
- Make more! You’ve just been found guilty of making way too much of that delicious lo-cal dish and your punishment is… putting it in Tupperware in calorie-controlled portions and chucking it the freezer to be enjoyed with relish on other days. So easy it’s criminal, really.
- Power prep. While we’re on the subject: you’re on a part-time diet, why not be a part-time cook too? We find making a couple of dishes on Sunday night and keeping them sealed and frozen in portions for later in the week means less time in the kitchen, and more time doing fun stuff like online shopping for new clothes suitable for your master faster goddess bod. Happy sigh… fashion.
- Recipe hacks. Did you know that Greek yoghurt can easily and deliciously replace sour cream or cream in most dishes? #savecalsgalore right there. And, on top of that, adding water-based veggies like celery, bok choy, zucchini and bell peppers into that pan won’t really make a dent in your cal-tally? Laughing Cow low-calorie cheese can also be subbed in for cheese sauces and it’ll barely make a lick of difference to your fast day figures. But it may have you licking the spoon. (Hey, we’re not here to judge.)
- Maintain your gains. Many of you may actually be at your goal weight by now, but still feeling a little scared of regaining your weight. Hey, we so, SO get it. One rule of thumb for maintenance is to have one fast day per week no matter what. And for most of us that’s Monday. It can actually feel pretty amazing to know that you can eat and drink and party on all weekend without any guilt or worry, because your body goes into health spa mode every Monday on a 500-calorie cleanse. It’s mega good for your mental and physical health. And weirdly we tend to look forward to it now. It feels a bit like little cleaners are running around inside with vacuums and a mop. #DomesticGoddessStyle
- BBQ everything. It’s fast, it’s fresh, it’s healthy… it’s delicious! We’re BBQing everything over at SFD, including honey glazed pumpkin, chilli king prawns, pineapple steaks and minted lamb skewers that we dip in hummus. Add a crunchy green salad and every day feels like a holiday! #LivingTheDream
- Take stock. It might sound ridiculously simple, but if you haven’t heard of doing this it’s a fast-fail saver every time: stock cubes in boiling water. You will honestly feel like you’ve just had soup and your taste buds will love the salty saviour as much as your grumbling tum. Take stock Master Fasters – wherever you go!
- Purple is good. Yes, all the purple lollies were the best when you were kid and that’s because they were inspired by the best fruits – the power-packed purple varieties. Not only are they high in free radical fighting antioxidants called anthocyanins (try saying that with a mouthful of plums) they are also de-lish-us! Pack them in your lunch box but don’t let these little darlings get squashed: blueberries, cherries, grapes, pomegranate, elderberries – the list goes on but just remember it this way: is purple? Is good. Or as Homer Simpson famously once said ‘mmm…purple.’
Got any healthy hacks that we should know about? Hop on over to the members’ Facebook Group and share. (We love hearing your sneaky secrets.)