3 tips to help you ease into intermittent fasting for the new year

Hello everyone, I'm Dy Ann Parham, creator of the For Today’s Aging Woman Course & Community. In this article, I will share some intermittent fasting tips and mindset approaches, especially as we approach the new year. This is a time when many of us feel a sense of urgency and perhaps even a bit of panic about our health and wellness goals. I've received numerous messages from women in our community expressing these feelings, and I want to address them with practical, sensible advice to help you look and feel your best. Whether you're new to intermittent fasting or looking to get back on track, I'm here to guide you!

Understanding the Need for Change

The first step in adapting to any new health regimen, including intermittent fasting, is to decide what changes you need to make. This decision-making process is crucial and should be approached with a clear and open mind, free from the influence of aggressive marketing and quick-fix solutions that flood our senses, especially during this time of the year.

• Identify Personal Needs: Reflect on what aspects of your current lifestyle might be prompting the desire for change. For many women, especially those going through menopause, it's essential to recognize and accept the natural changes in your body and consider how these changes impact your health and lifestyle needs.
• Avoid Quick Fixes: It's easy to fall for the promise of rapid results like losing belly fat in five days. However, true and lasting lifestyle changes take time and continuous effort. It's about evolving with your changing body and needs, not about quick fixes that don't provide sustainable results.
• Consider Intermittent Fasting: For many, intermittent fasting offers a simple, cost-effective, and adaptable method to improve health. It doesn't require drastic changes to your diet but rather adjusts the timing of when you eat. This can lead to significant benefits such as increased energy, clearer mental focus, and better hormone balance.

Applying Logic Over Emotion in Decision Making

The second tip focuses on the importance of logical thinking over emotional reactions when making health and lifestyle decisions. It's easy to get swayed by emotional testimonials or persuasive influencers promoting specific diets or lifestyle changes. However, it's crucial to ground your decisions in logic that aligns with your personal health goals and lifestyle.

• Evaluate the Practicality: Before adopting any new diet, like a carnivore or plant-based diet, consider how it fits into your current lifestyle. Will it require you to isolate yourself from family or social gatherings? Is it sustainable in the long run?
• Avoid Emotional Decisions: Emotional decisions often lead to impulsive actions that might not be right for you. Take the time to research and reflect on how each change will affect your life and whether it aligns with your long-term goals.

Embracing the Challenge of Change

The final tip is about acknowledging that while change is hard, it is also necessary and rewarding. Whether it 's feeling discouraged about your current health situation or making significant lifestyle adjustments, both scenarios present challenges that require commitment and perseverance.

• Choose Your Hard: Life is full of difficult choices, and it's essential to choose the challenges that bring positive outcomes. Embrace the difficulties of changing your lifestyle, knowing that the benefits will be worth the effort.
• Consistency is Key: Once you've made a change, such as incorporating intermittent fasting or a new diet, stick with it. Consistency will help you see and feel the results, making the process feel less daunting over time.
• Seek Sustainable Changes: Aim for changes that you can maintain over the long term. This might mean integrating moderate, manageable shifts in your diet and exercise routine rather than adopting extreme measures that are hard to sustain.

Conclusion

As we approach the end of the year and look forward to a new one, it's natural to feel a mix of excitement and anxiety about achieving our health and wellness goals. By focusing on making thoughtful, logical decisions about the changes we need, avoiding emotional impulses, and embracing the challenges of change, we can set ourselves up for success. Intermittent fasting, with its simplicity and adaptability, can be a powerful tool in this journey, helping us to align our eating habits with our body's needs and our lifestyle goals.

The goal is not just to make changes, but to make changes that last and continue to benefit us throughout our lives. If you're interested in exploring how intermittent fasting can fit into your life, consider joining our course and community where we focus on mindset and practical approaches to lifelong wellness. Here's to a healthier, happier you in the coming year!