Intermittent fasting and the 5:2 diet; what does that have to do with my habits?
Habits are what have caused you to get to where you are right now. Habits are the things we do on autopilot without really giving them much focus or attention; like driving a car or brushing your teeth or reaching for that cup of coffee first thing in the morning. You don’t really think you just do.
The truth is your habits may just have been the reason why you are now undertaking a weight loss journey; why you are here following the 5:2 diet. You see habits can be good and bad; be positive and negative.
They can cause wonderful things in your life to happen like getting a promotion; having a loving relationship or causing negative things to seemingly appear from nowhere; like suffering from the additional 10 pounds of fat that is hanging around your belly area; the weight that just slowly seemed to appear one day.
What you see is what you get?
Your habits are the activities or tasks that you do on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. The repetitive things that you do that have shaped you into being the person you are today; the one you get up and look at in the mirror each day.
So to become a new and different person; to look, think and act differently requires you to change your habits, and it is by changing your daily and weekly habits that will cause you to have success when it comes to losing weight, and it is the one thing that I know will ensure that you achieve your goals with the 5:2 diet.
The trick to achieving your weight loss goals through intermittent fasting and the 5:2 diet is to stick to a plan and follow it; Simple!
But I know that sticking to plan does have its challenges and that is why I want to break it down for you… To lay out what you need to do so that you can establish new habits; habits that will form the basis of your new eating plan.
This plan will be the plan that you need to follow each week, and if you are focused and dedicated then after just a couple of months or less you will have achieved your goals and lost that 10 or more pounds from your midsection.
A Reason to Create New Habits
Imagine that time in a few weeks when you are standing there looking at yourself in the mirror feeling proud of the new person you have become. You will be admiring yourself thinking that your clothes look great; no more pulls and tugs because you have shed the bulging muffin top; you will be smiling and looking forward to a new day because of the increased energy you have gained and you will have a smile on your face as you are a happier and more confident version of you.
This is what creating new habits can do for you!
5:2 Diet Habits That Will Ensure Success
To get there you need to implement these 5:2 diet habits; otherwise, that person that you see in the future will seem like an illusion taunting you. Rather than something that you know can become a reality.
So grab a pen and take note of these intermittent fasting habits and you too can achieve results like these 5:2 diet success stories:
- Fast 2 days each week every week that you are following the diet until you reach your desired weight.
- When intermittent fasting, stick to the calorie count for your gender; women are to eat 500 calories; men are to eat 600 calories.
- Eat a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables, and protein.
- Limit your sugar intake both from complex and simple carbohydrates. Use natural sugar substitutes like Xylitol, Stevia as they are lower in GI and calories.
- Exercise on the 2 days that you are fasting. No strenuous exercise, just moderate exercise only such as brisk walk, bike ride or a homework DVD.
- Drink plenty of water. 2- 3 liters on fasting days. This will flush toxins from your body, appease your appetite and avoid you from becoming dehydrated.
- Get a good night’s sleep – Make getting 8 hours sleep a night on the days that you fast a priority.
- Avoid alcohol – there is no nutritional value in alcohol. It is high in sugar; which means that it’s rather high in calories and is essentially a poison to the body. Drinking alcohol on the days you fast will inhibit the fat burning and detoxifying process that takes place with the liver.
- Prepare and be organized. Shop and stock your fridge with the right food and have snacks ready for your busy lifestyle. This will ensure you eat healthy and nutritious low-calorie foods.
- Believe in yourself! Stop the negative self-talk. Be your best friend and ally. If you do not believe in yourself and what you are capable of then you will never achieve whatever goal it is you wish to achieve; whether that is to lose weight with the 5:2 diet or any change you want to make in your life!
The 5:2 diet has been successful for so many the world over and the reason is that once people decide and commit to losing weight and improving their health then the next part entails finding a system to make that happen. Following a system usually requires you to change what you are doing and implement new processes; new habits.
This is the secret to achieving success from intermittent fasting and the 5:2 diet; find a system that is proven to work and implement the eating plan and create new daily and weekly rituals or habits, and then in a relatively short space of time. A series of new habits will have created a slimmer, happier and healthier you.
