how to not give a fuckintermittent fasting
you don't need to eat every 3 hours
the fitness industry spent decades convincing you that you need 6 small meals a day to "keep your metabolism going." that's largely nonsense. your metabolism doesn't stall because you skipped breakfast. what actually happens when you give your body a break from constant digestion is far more interesting.
what intermittent fasting does
when you fast for 16+ consecutive hours, your body shifts from using food for energy to using stored fat. but the benefits go way beyond weight loss:
- reduced inflammation — fasting triggers cellular repair processes that clean up damaged cells
- improved focus — without the blood sugar rollercoaster of constant eating, your mental clarity sharpens
- metabolic flexibility — your body learns to efficiently switch between fuel sources instead of panicking when it doesn't get its regularly scheduled snack
- increased productivity — no food prep, no lunch break, no post-meal energy crash. you just... work
how to start
the 16:8 protocol is the simplest entry point. eat all your meals within an 8-hour window, fast for 16 hours. for most people, this means skipping breakfast and eating from noon to 8pm.
that's it. no special foods, no supplements, no meal plans. just... don't eat for 16 hours.
the first few days are uncomfortable. you'll be hungry in the morning because your body expects food at that time. by day 4 or 5, that hunger signal largely disappears. your body adapts.
leveling up
once 16:8 feels easy — and it will — you can experiment with longer fasts:
- 20:4 — one meal window of 4 hours
- OMAD (one meal a day) — exactly what it sounds like
- extended fasts — 24-48+ hours for deeper autophagy benefits
the deeper you go, the more you realize how much of your "hunger" was just habit, boredom, or emotion. true physiological hunger is rare when your body has fat to burn.
the mindset shift
intermittent fasting teaches you that you don't need as much as you think. not just food — but comfort, convenience, instant gratification. that lesson ripples outward into every area of your life.
if this resonated, share it with someone who needs to hear it.