Let's talk Lent! - why I chose intermittent fasting.

We’re now thirteen days into Lent, but before I begin, it’s probably best that I explain what all this Lent stuff is about. Bear with me, I’m not here to preach to you, I just need to give you some context for everything to make sense. This year I’m doing intermittent fasting for Lent and a few people have asked me about what it means. I sometimes forget it’s not recognised in the same way that Christmas and Easter is but I think a summary will be beneficial to all. In short, Lent is the six-week period running up to Easter and lasts 40 days (excluding Sunday’s - which makes it DRAG!). This is commonly practised amongst Catholics, however, Anglican and Orthodox Christians follow the practice too.

Lent is often a time for preparation and fasting to commemorate when Jesus resisted temptation for 40 days and nights. It’s common for people to “fast” during this period such as giving up something, abstaining or giving back. This year Lent started on March 6th on what is known as Ash Wednesday (the day after Shrove Tuesday, also known as pancake day) where the ash from palm leaves is applied to the forehead in the sign of the cross to symbolise its start. Talking of which, this year I went to the gym after church which meant that I was walking around with a black cross on my five-head (it’s OK though, it was a late evening so it wasn’t too bait). I honestly had more fun seeing the bewilderment on peoples faces and wondered who would inform me of the black smudge on my head… not many! Paigons. Londoner’s really know how to watch you walking around like a fool whilst simultaneously pretending that they haven’t seen THAT BIG BLACK MARK ON YOUR HEAD under the guise of “politeness”. Anyway, let me refocus… This year I started intermittent fasting for the simple reason that I could kill two birds with one stone. I may not be as religious as others, but there is a reason I tend to commit to things more during Lent.

Many people give up things such as sweets and chocolates etc for Lent (basically things they shouldn’t eat but also things that, if we’re being honest, aren’t too hard to cut out). Another popular “fast” is a social media detox (which I’ve done a few times) however, last year I went plant-based instead since eating meat and fish is a luxury… plus I think our bodies will always benefit from a little detox. This was hard for me, particularly coming from an African household where if the meal doesn’t have meat in it, it’s not a meal - word to my mother! Some people don’t give up anything, but instead use this time to give back, such as the 40 acts of kindness challenge (which I think we should all try and do, regardless of the period). Whatever people decide to do, we must always try and remember those who are not as privileged as us and resist the temptation for things we want.

This year I chose intermittent fasting since complete fasting would be out of the question with my lifestyle. This allows me to appreciate the food I have access to and also exercise resistance when faced with temptation (especially when I’m in social settings and people want to grab food late at night). By sticking to my word (I only eat between 1-8pm and even if I start later, my cut-off time remains the same). As mentioned above, this kills two birds with one stone as it helps towards my fitness goals of leaning up. The difference is, I’m sticking to my word because there is a greater purpose behind it all. Usually, I might bend some rules on nights out with friends, but knowing that I’m doing it with Lent in mind keeps me going (and I’ve found that people respect it more and appreciate the WHY so don’t try and convince me otherwise).

So what is intermittent fasting(IF)? Tell me more.

Well, first of all, it is not a diet. IF is an eating pattern which is commonly associated with weight-loss. There are many types of intermittent fasting people can follow, but the main two are as follows:

16/8 method - this is where you fast for 16 hours (sleep time included) and eat during an eight-hour window. It can be any time of the day, but most people choose to start their day later as it’s not as destructive to daily commitments (once you get the hang of it all).
The 5:2 method - this is where you eat normally for 5 days and eat a max of 500-600 calories on the remaining two days. I personally think this can be a little tougher for people as many may find it hard to stay within such a small limit. The limitations of this also make it feel more like a diet which may be off-putting in the long-run.

In having fewer hours to eat, an individual will naturally eat less. It also helps to train your body to run on less and by fasting for so many hours, I can appreciate the fact that I know where my next meal is coming from (something we often take for granted) and therefore I am more conscious about the food I do eat when I break fast (appreciating your body is just as important!). Although lent ends in exactly a month (18th April), I’m sure I could continue way after Lent has finished as my body has really adjusted and I haven’t experienced any negative impacts on my mood or energy (so far). I’m actually surprised how many days have gone past already (especially as I’m sometimes working all night so it really can be a testing!). The other benefit is that I’ve noticed how much it has aided with my fitness routine and I’ve been able to help others with fitness/gym advice too. For the remainder of lent I’ll definitely try to incorporate some acts of kindness into my days, whether that’s simply a helping hand, a genuine compliment or a physical act of kindness. I think this time is a great way for us to appreciate what we have, help those that we can and amend bad habits.

I’ll be doing some more posts on fitness and my progress so far… but for now, happy Lent!

Liz x