You’ve heard about all the methods now and different ways to combine them: 2-Day, 3-Day, Part-Day, OMAD, 24-hour fasts, extended day fasts; maybe you’ve tried them all, maybe you’ve mixed it up and maybe you’ve combined them… or maybe you haven’t. The truth is, some people find it easier to just to stick to the one method, and if that’s your thing: go for it. All that really matters is that it works. For you!
What Other Master Fasters Say
Mary-Anne, 25kg gone:
“I’ve tried 2-Day, 3-Day, Part-Day and extended day but was never keen on the 24-hour fast or the longer fasts. Nowadays I stick to Part-Day and throw in a 500-cal day on Mondays to get rid of weekend excess feasting baggage. That works for me, so I just stick to it and it’s just habitual now – a lifestyle.”
Gen, 30kg gone:
“Part-Day just works for me so I stick to it nearly all the time. Now and then I throw in a 500-cal fast day, especially if I’ve over-indulged or been on holidays. I just find it the easiest way and have kept the weight off for three years now.”
Rosie, 13.5kg gone:
“I, personally, love the 24-hour dinner-to-dinner fast. I find it really simple to stick to, I do about two of these per week and it means I don’t have to worry about what I’m going to eat until dinner time, which leaves me the energy to focus on other things. And then the rest of the week I can relax. It works perfectly for my all-or-nothing personality, and it’s meant I can easily maintain my goal weight.”
What Your Brain Says
Your brain hates change – it’s a medical fact. It actually wants things to stay the same and loves the status quo like a seventies bogan. For that reason, it may be easier to stick to a routine and let your brain enjoy the comfort of habit. Quite simply, it could just be naturally easier.
Habits make for success… so make success a habit!
What About That ‘Plodding’ Feeling?
You don’t have to feel that you’re just plodding along because plodding is actually progress. Remember that tortoise-and-the-hare thing. Plodders keep on going, and guess what? They get there! One of the best ways to keep on plodding is to remain focused on the word progress. Progress doesn’t know that it’s fast or slow, it just leads you along and once those big differences start to add up you won’t really care that it took a while – you’ll just be happy to arrive!
Defeating The Last Enemy: Boredom
The only real challenge left when it comes to sticking with the same method is overcoming that inevitable boredom with it, so here’s our top 5 tips on how to overcome the ho-hum:
- Food heroes: Sometimes, finding a food hero of the week can really alleviate boredom and getting creative with it can be fun. Great foods to hero include cauliflower, pumpkin, tomatoes and fruits of the season like mangoes, pineapple or berries. You can make all sorts of soups, bakes and stir fries and get inventive with salads, BBQs and desserts. Cauliflower crumbed steak anyone? (It’s a thing. Check out the recipe below!)
- Try something new: There are so many products and foods that we and the SFD community recommend, but often we forget to try them out, yet a new fast day fix can go a long way towards alleviating boredom. Make sure you are staying in the community and listening out for a new fave. A new super low-cal soup or recipe might just become your new BFF.
- It isn’t only about food: It might feel that way, but it honestly is not. Just because you’re on the same method doesn’t mean your whole life is routine. Do something different and keep things interesting by perhaps joining a new Zumba class, challenging a friend to a joke-a-day for a week or hosting a fave eighties song hour on Facebook.
- Flavour, flavour, flavour: You can actually eat very low-calorie by simply adding spice, stock and fresh herbs, chilli, garlic and vegetables. Soups and stir fries are so easy to make and your taste buds will love this simple way of keeping them titillated. Chuck them all in the pot and graze all afternoon on a rainy day! It makes the house smell amazing too.
- Be bothered to chef: We have so many fantastic and delicious recipes in the SFD library and magazine. Break out your hat and apron and be bothered, because it really is worth taking the time to cook something a little bit special. And, after all, you deserve it. Besides, you can freeze leftovers if you make a decent batch and reap the benefits of having a low-cal gourmet feast just waiting for you on other less enthused (lazy) days. Bon appetit!
Cauliflower Steaks in Parmesan Crust Recipe
- I cm slabs of cauliflower – approx. 1/4 turret
- 1 egg and 1 egg white
- 15g parmesan
- 30g breadcrumbs
- thyme
- garlic
- olive oil spray
Method:
- Coat steaks in whisked eggs (you will only use about half)
- Coat in parmesan, breadcrumbs, thyme and garlic mix
- Spray with olive oil and bake till golden
- Serve with fresh salad and a dash of low-fat chilli mayo
Total calories: 150
Remember – persistence pays! So, no matter what method you’re using, stick with us Master Fasters and you’ll be flying towards those goal posts in no time flat. Got any recipes you’d like to share? Jump into the Members’ Only Facebook group and share them!