Why Fasting Is Not Just for Lent

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Intermittent fasting has been catching on as more people realize the simple benefits. It’s not just for the 30 something dude who wants to look ripped in his next Instagram post. It’s a simple solution to fighting years of yo-yo dieting, and can be applied well into your 60’s. Read on for tips and personal experience from a woman in her 60’s who learns fasting is not just for lent.

This guest post by Barb Lammi (Maria’s mom) breaks down Intermittent Fasting and how it has helped her lose weight, eat mindfully and learn why fasting is not just for lent.

I grew up Catholic where the words “fast” and “Lent” were yes, four letter words.  During Lent, you gave up something – maybe chocolate, or if you were older, smoking.  You felt proud to have limited yourself for those long 40 days.

They say a habit is formed in 21 days, so perhaps some people were able to use their Lenten practice to end their dessert and/or snack binges, but not me.  I always seemed to go right back to chocolate or chips.

My Food Story

I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s when you had three square meals a day with your family, you cleaned your plate, and ate heaping portions of casseroles (hot dishes for us Minnesotans!) laden with tater tots, and salty canned soups. 

It was a time when microwaveable T.V. dinners came into vogue, and who could forget those pot pies (10 for $1.00) with thick gravy and one miniscule chicken piece in them? It was a time when moms (bless my mom who raised seven kids) took advantage of fast foods and the latest fads.

My mom was a fantastic cook and baker.  She could perform miracles in the kitchen on a tiny food budget. We were lucky though as our expansive vegetable garden was a bounty to us throughout harvest season and beyond into winter with mom’s skills at canning and pickling. We didn’t lack for much, but salty snacks, sugary cereals, and baked goods made with lard were readily available. 

I remember mom always kept a grease container on the back of the stove. In it, she poured all the bacon fat and grease from cooking. She would then take a dollop of that and cook eggs and meat in it. I think moms then thought olive oil was Popeye’s girlfriend!

It just wasn’t the norm to use olive oil. She was told to use margarine and low-fat this and low-fat that…. and despite my exposure to fresh veggies and always home cooked meals (with seven kids our family never went out to eat), an unhealthy foundation was taking hold on me.  It was an era of “non-food”, over-sugared, over-salted, fake meats and larger portioning. It set the stage for habits and cravings which can lead to pre-diabetes and high blood pressure. 

My Wake-up Call

My life has been filled with wake-up calls, those little taps on the shoulder that say, “Now is the time to turn it around.”  Many of us have been dealt some health cards that are not fair. Both of my parents had diabetes and heart attacks. My genes, as they say, are stacked against me. Couple the genes with yo-yo weight gains/losses, more sitting and it appears like now is the time to turn it around.  Hello Lent and Intermittent Fasting!

My doctor suggested I read two book titles, The Obesity Code and The Diabetes Code by Dr. Jason Fung.  I absolutely recommend that you read these books and please consult with your doctor before starting a fasting regimen.  The books simplified weight gaining and weight loss. This gave me the information I needed to make some positive and necessary changes in my life and to play that hand I was dealt.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Fasting has been around for thousands of years, and early on it was mainly used in a spiritual practice.  We tend to think of it negatively, but put simply it means skipping meals for a longer period of time, so your body uses stored glucose from the liver for fuel. 

You see, if we are constantly eating three meals a day with snacks in between, our body never gets to use the stored sugar and our weight will yo-yo. By fasting, we pull the rug out from under our routine and make our body work for us.  Dr. Fung educated me on insulin and how this hormone plays a huge part in weight gain. I am no expert, but he is, so read his books and listen to his podcasts.

Here Is What Works for Me

I started out doing the 16:8 intermittent fasting routine.  This is where your last meal of a day is at 6:00pm and you don’t eat until noon the next day, basically skipping breakfast.  You drink plenty of water, have a healthy fiber, protein, vegetable rich, low carb lunch at noon, no snacks and a healthy protein fiber vegetable rich , low carb dinner at 6:00 pm.   You are actually sleeping for eight of those 16 hours of fasting, and you are only eating in an eight hour window without snacking. Sounds easy, right?

I found it to be very easy, maybe too easy for my body, I only lost .5 lb in four weeks.  Hence, I chose to begin the 5:2 intermittent fasting program. In this routine, your week is five days of normal, well-proportioned healthy meals and two full days of either 500 calories or clear liquids like water, coffee, or broth.

For instance, I would eat normally for say Sunday, and Monday and then fast for 24 hours on Tuesday.  Your last meal would be 6:00 pm on Monday night, to your first meal at 6:00 pm on Tuesday night. You would then continue eating healthy (always lots of water!) on Wednesday and Thursday, and then fast on Friday (last meal 6:00 pm on Thursday to first meal 6:00pm on Friday).

Eureka! The weight comes steadily off at a rate of 2lbs a week. By Easter, I hope to have lost a freshman 15! I feel energized and more alert while fasting, which seems counterintuitive, but it is what I have experienced. 

Include Exercise

Intermittent fasting saves money, gives me a goal and a spiritual Lenten practice, and forces me to eat mindfully. Exercise is also a part of my routine. During this time of staying home, I have set a goal of exercise for one hour a day, outside if possible, and weightlifting for three days. I have found that I can easily exercise on fasting days – but of course, if you feel lightheaded or sick, have a small healthy snack and reduce intensity.

Final Thoughts

Everything I have read says that what we eat and when we eat makes all the difference in the world for weight management. Fad diets aren’t healthy and don’t work, and counting calories was tedious for me. Eating no processed whole foods, farm to table, energizes us and helps our farmers and the environment.  Once again, be sure to consult your doctor before attempting any kind of fasting. There are many safe fasting routines geared for many types of bodies.

Lent and fast are no longer four letter words in my life!

If you found this article informative from our guest author Barb Lammi, you might find these helpful as well.

10 Foods I Don’t Buy to Cut Costs and Stay Healthy

5 Drinks I Don’t Buy for My Home

5 Benefits of a Produce Garden in the PNW

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Join the Discussion

Tell us below: Have you tried Intermittent Fasting and what was your experience like?

Author

Barb Lammi is a teacher, writer, friend, wife, mom and grandma. She can be found cooking, traveling, biking, talking with family and friends, and loving up her grand kids.

Sources

Fung, Jason. The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss. Greystone Books, 2016.

Fung, Jason, and Nina Teicholz. The Diabetes Code: Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally. Greystone Books, 2018.