On Motivation and Fasting
As I write this I’m three days into a five day fast. If you’re curious I actually feel pretty great, albeit a little scatter-brained at the moment. I know from past experience that brain fog will open into intense clarity later today or tomorrow.
Just yesterday I told you some ‘diets’ may not be right for you, and unless you’re on the more advanced end of your health journey, longer term fasting (without medical supervision) is probably one of them.
So why am I telling you about it? Because the first step in making adjustments to your nutrition isn’t changing your diet, it’s understanding what is motivating you to make changes in the first place.
I’ll tell you why I’m fasting at the end of this post (if you want to know now just scroll to below the line). But for now let’s talk about your why. What is driving your desire to eat differently?
Do you want to improve your energy? Lose weight? Sleep better? Gain muscle? Feel stronger? Decrease body fat?
If you answer “I’m doing it because everyone else is losing 30 lbs doing it”, you’re doomed before you even begin. To make any change you need to truly understand WHAT YOU WANT, not what you feel like you ‘SHOULD DO’.
Next, you need to write that desire down. Next to your broad desire I want you to quantify your goal with an amount, and give yourself a deadline.
For example:
Good: I want to lose 20 lbs by 5/15/21.
Not Good: I want to lose weight.
Below your specific and measurable goal write your answer to the question ‘Why?’ three times in a row.
“I want to lose 20 lbs by 5/15/21.”
Why: Because I want to look like Sally.
Why: Because I want to feel comfortable in my skin.
Why: Because I deserve to live a happy life.
For the next post you’ll need your goal, the list of whys you just created, and the diet history list with likes and dislikes we created yesterday. We’re going to begin figuring out a method of eating that fits YOU.
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OK, so why am I fasting? First, let me be clear, a five day fast is NOT the same thing as intermittent fasting, which is primarily used as a calorie restriction tool. I have no desire to lose weight, in fact I could care less what happens with my body composition.
My goals are simple and have powerful ‘whys’ behind them, which makes this process as painless as possible.
Longevity
The science is pretty clear on longer term fasts. They appear to improve the aging process, add years to your life, and help battle chronic inflammation and disease. Our cells go into a kind of maintenance phase called autophagy when our bodies are fasted. This is our body's way of ‘cleaning up’ and recycling old or damaged parts.
Mental Benefits
First, as I already mentioned, come day 4 of the fast you get this insane level of acuity and focus. It’s one of my favorite days of the year.
I’d be lying if I told you getting to that point didn’t come with a little discomfort. Luckily for me that’s the second reason I love to fast: PRACTICING HARD THINGS PREPARES ME FOR THE INEVITABLE STRUGGLES OF LIFE. Know why COVID didn’t totally derail me? I practiced.
Seneca puts it best:
“Set aside a certain number of days, during which you shall be content with the scantiest and cheapest fare, with coarse and rough dress, saying to yourself the while: ‘Is this the condition that I feared?’”
Let's say I lose everything and can’t afford to eat much until I get back on my feet. I know what that feels like, and I know it’s not that bad.
Spiritual Dieta
At the end of this week I’m participating in a ceremony with a medicine woman to continue my personal journey of healing. This is the first moment I’ve openly talked about this, (I’m sure I’ll talk more about it) but working with psilocybin in a controlled and ceremonial environment has been insanely beneficial for me over the last year.
There’s some stuff from my past that I just couldn’t process without this medicine to help. As Johns Hopkins, Berkeley, and others are clearly showing in their current clinical trials, for the right people, in the right setting, psychedelics can change your understanding of the world and your place in it.
That doesn’t mean you should go out and eat an eighth of mushrooms in your backyard. This stuff needs to be respected and you need to work with people who know what they’re doing. The goal is therapeutic benefit and greater understanding, and to receive that benefit you need a guide to help you along.
Part of my respect for the medicine and this work involves some small sacrifices on my part. One of them is preparing my body physically for the ceremony.
I’m happy to answer any and all questions on any of this stuff. Just shoot me a DM or put it in the comments.
I’ll be back soon to start building your personal food plan!
