Intermittent Fasting
The title can be used in many ways. Some are like yourself, with a one day, once in awhile as a reset. Some do up to two 24 hour fasts a week, and aim to eat well for the other days, but don't worry so much about indulging in the good stuff (booze, cheesecake) when the occasion arises. Some people do it daily, fasting for 14-16 hours and having the other 8-10 hours as the "eating window", and some even shrink that window, thinking that you are very unlikely to be able to pound down more calories than your body should be allowed to eat and lose weight or maintain in the eating window time frame (although some of us surely could pound down 3000 calories in under 8 hours!!). So the goal is still to eat the right amount of calories per day, overall, but your mind doesn't have to think about it all day long. Not having to think about food all day is one of the biggest reasons people do it. Looking forward to that really good meal when they break the fast is something many enjoy. And many really plan to have something really good for them, not like the unhealthy sister in law in that previous post! Some just need to clear out the damage from Mardi Gras or Christmas, and take a break from food for a day.
I also think that the common thought of several small meals a day fuels the engine can be debated (and I am not picking sides, this is not pro or con either way). You know how they tell you to charge your phone completely before using and letting the battery drain all the way before recharging, and if you don't you will set the battery max charge to a lower rate? You know how you keep plugging in your laptop all the time, giving it a charge before it actually needs it? It starts to run down faster, and you have to charge it more often to maintain it. Eventually, you have to keep the darn thing plugged in all the time because the battery won't maintain a charge, right? Some say this is the same as the body. Charging your batteries too often can shorten the battery life.
Just some food for thought, I suppose.
Many people feel the same way as you said, it helps clear the mind of the cravings, and helps get you back on track. It also helps balance out your calorie overages from the prior few days. It's not starving yourself to have the candy bar tomorrow, and that is not healthy, and that is how people can abuse the idea of intermittent fasting.
Different from multi-day or month long, or juice fasting, it's not meant to be more than 24 hours at a time without any food, and it's not meant to cut your overall calorie intake to unsafe levels. People like Brad Pilon would tell you that it wil become an eating disorder if you start doing it this way. He doesn't like more than 2 days per week, and no obsessing. It's about creating a balance.
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