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What to Eat While Intermittent Fastin
in Celebrating with Fasting Lifestyle · March 28, 2022

What to Eat When Intermittent Fasting? (You may be surprised!)

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in Celebrating with Fasting Lifestyle · March 28, 2022

What to Eat When Intermittent Fasting? (You may be surprised!)

This post addresses What to Eat When Intermittent Fasting!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click one of these links and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. In addition, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.-

In my past 1.5 years of fasting, I’ve come to realize people don’t understand that the “rules” aren’t so much what to eat when intermittent fasting, it’s more about when you intermittent fast.  I am asked all the time, what do you or what can you eat while intermittent fasting?  The answer is simple, but requires an explanation.

Simple Answer: Anything!  I very intentionally don’t have exclusions, “bad foods’ or the like.  I allow myself to enjoy every single eating window!

Now before you go pick up a dozen donuts to gleefully partake in the ‘eat anything’ read on to see how I implement this.

What to Eat When Fasting…Why No Limits!?

Think of any diet you’ve done with restrictions.  My go-to was always weight watchers.  I could follow the point system SO WELL, I could succeed but what happened eventually?!  I got sick of avoiding certain foods, and having a select few zero point foods as my main choices.

Maybe for you this fatigue came from limiting carbs on KETO.  You may have hit a wall where you obsessed about potatoes because you couldn’t just enjoy them.  Or avoiding fats while eating a low fat lifestyle – you might start to dream of bacon!

If we’re anything alike, avoiding foods or having a list of what you cannot eat will make you want that one item (or list of items!) even more.  It’s the forbidden fruit!  Who hasn’t heard the phrase you want what you can’t have.  It’s human nature and I am indeed human.

For example…

Perfect example of this is I am currently in a challenge (75 Hard) and one element of the challenge is no alcohol for 75 days.  I easily go months without drinking from time to time.  It’s not a huge part of my diet nor lifestyle.  But guess what I am DREAMING of since it’s off limits?! A margarita.  Literally the only thing I cannot consume is alcohol and I’ve been wanting it!  I’m only 10 days in.

Use Time Limits

SO – time is a concrete limitation.  I can understand time.  Further, I don’t feel deprived nor like I’m missing out when my limitations are time.  Plus, with a bit of planning, I can make any time of day my eating window.  Wait XX hours in between eating windows and then enjoy!

The focus on the fast and allowing myself to enjoy the eating window does a number of things for me.

How I benefit from “eating anything”:

-Gratefully, I look forward to my eating window

-I don’t obsess about food choices (ie longing for the forbidden pizza)

-I don’t count anything!  Having freedom of trying new foods, new recipes, eating out without a calculator or app to assist me in planning is a huge mental burden lifted.

-I can easily say “no” to foods I would obsess about in a traditional diet.  Because it’s not off limits, I am less inclined to include it.  I know it’s counter intuitive, but in reality (at least for me!), if I’m not obsessing over what I can’t have, I am really not thinking of it often.  Do I eat donuts, cake, pie and ice cream cones?! YES 🙌 But not daily.

-My window is small usually and I do get full – therefore, even if I indulge in certain  foods, I will hit a limit and close my window.  Because it’s not the last hoorah with said food, I don’t feel like I need to eat the entire carton!  There is tomorrow’s eating window if I want more!

Illustration of Eating Anything and the Freedom of Choice

Friday was the start of my kids’ spring breaks.  We planned to have a family movie night with carryout pizza and Italian sodas as a kick-off.  I LOVE having fun events or celebrations at our house.  And usually, as a foodie, that means we include delicious foods.

In my previous roller coaster of diets, I would simply plan all the goodies for my family while I ate an alternative (not as fun!) version OR (and most often) I would participate and beat myself up afterwards.

But now, I planned my window to include the spring break pizza party.  The same can be applied to any fun food event.  I eat whatever is planned, and since I plan it… I know I will love it!  When I am satisfied, I close my window and begin the next fast.  It’s simple and effective.

Here is the thing, I didn’t feel like I need to eat as much pizza as possible.  Because my window can always include pizza, I don’t feel like it’s now or never.  I also don’t have the feeling of regret and tell myself, well you already broke your ‘no pizza rule’ better eat 3 more pieces and try again next time.  Because it’s not off limits, I am better at recognizing when I’m still too full.

Further, if I eat too much of something, I really feel worse and that feeling is training me to make sure I continue to feel good!  I feel SO GOOD while fasting, why continue to eat in ways that make me feel horrible.

What to Eat when intermittent fasting

Quick Italian Soda Recipe:

1 shot (1.5 oz) flavoring

1 shot (1.5 oz)  half & half

ice

fill remaining 16 oz cup with club soda

top with whipped cream

SO Delicious, easy & festive! Use colors/flavors to match any theme!

Click the image to shop these glasses or flavoring from World Market.

What to Eat when intermittent fasting

Click the image to shop these ingredients at Target

Word of Caution on How to Interpret ANYTHING

It’s small-minded to believe that eating ANYTHING means all my choices will look like this spring break party dinner.

Just because I CAN eat anything, doesn’t mean I eat everything all the time!  Pizza exists in my diet, but so does daily fruit and vegetables.  I still choose cauliflower rice instead of rice because it’s a better choice (one that I personally love!)

There are still times I think to myself “wow, I’ve had a lot more sugar than normal, I need to be conscious of that the next few days”.  Most of our meals are planned with a fruit, a vegetable a protein and grain.  I still try to be reasonable in my choices.  It’s an easier thing to incorporate, when I am going off of how I feel & what my body is craving and learning what feels good instead of a rule or list of foods to eat.

Final Thoughts

As the saying goes, “Everything in moderation, including moderation” – Oscar Wilde.

If you’re interested in seeing some other fun foods I make room for in my eating window, check out me going to the Crumbl cookie grand opening, a date day or me attempting the 10,000 calories challenge.

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cheryl says

    April 2, 2022 at 3:16 pm

    Great read, thanks for sharing Jackie.
    I just ordered The Fast 5 book that you recommended. I totally agree, that the sand hill was a great analogy 👍 for fasting.

    • mittenadservices says

      April 3, 2022 at 2:41 am

      I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂

  2. Barbara says

    April 21, 2022 at 7:02 pm

    I have been following both your youtube channels for some time although I don’t comment. I wanted to let you know that the last time you went to Aldi to get chicken, and the cooler was empty at the front, it looked (from the angle of the camera) that there was more chicken in the back of the cooler. Next time, you may want to bend down and double check.

    My hubby and I did IF last year after I started following you and had great results for many months. Unfortunately, we got off track around the holidays and noticed the pounds creeping back up. I started over today and, I just have to say, it really is an easy program to follow and I thank you for all your videos to keep us inspired.

    • mittenadservices says

      April 25, 2022 at 1:18 am

      thank you Barbara for the chicken tip! Also, best of luck starting again! Perfection isn’t a requirement, just commitment! You can do it! 🙂

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Jackie Moravek

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Sitting at Panera with my coffee refill and about Sitting at Panera with my coffee refill and about to get a bit of work done, thought this picture was a good visual summary of me and life. 
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Happy Friday friends!  I’m going to breakfast soon with a friend (I’m  currently 36 hours into a fast) !  What is your Friday highlight?
We ran to ALDI to get cake pop supplies! $17.77 fo We ran to ALDI to get cake pop supplies! $17.77 for all the supplies to make a triple batch of cake pops for the school for teacher appreciation week…. Which I didn’t know about until after I grocery shopped this weekend!  Ooops! (Still need to decide if I should get sticks)

@aldiusa 

Are you doing anything for teacher appreciation week?
I am so excited to receive this gorgeous beverage I am so excited to receive this gorgeous beverage fridge!  If you were around last summer you saw us working on the pool house…. I’ve wanted a fridge out at the pool for the last 14 years!  This year we will be all set to host 🎉🤩🤗
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There will be a sponsored video on YouTube next month, but I wanted to share it here too because it’s so pretty 😍 
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All staging credit goes to my 10 year old, Elsie 🥳👏🏻 Link to shop in stories, I do have a discount code; Jackie10off
@newairusa 
#newairusa #shareyournewair
Every meal could have this and I’d be happy. Co Every meal could have this and I’d be happy.  Come to think of it, why don’t we do that? 🤔 💭 
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Warm Italian bread, butter and gouda 🤤
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#aldifavoritefinds #aldisides #aldiaddict #groceryaddict #windowworthyfood
I don’t know why, but lately I’ve been craving I don’t know why, but lately I’ve been craving fruit and peanut butter every day!  So delicious and satisfying.
This was yesterday’s window opener.  Today I’m planning a banana (& always cinnamon!) 
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Anyone else get in kicks of the same snacks?  What has been on your plate lately?
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#intermittentfastingfoodie #windowopener #currentfavoritesnack
I have this drawer that I put mom’s snacks in. I have this drawer that I put mom’s snacks in.  It used to be a secret, but everyone knows about it now.  It’s just off limits - unless you’re me 😅  Today I added mini bags of gummy bears.  I love these things and now have roughly 54 of them 🥳. They’ll last me a very long time. 
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Any others have a snack drawer?
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#haribolover #momssnacks #handsoff #aldifinds #aldieaster
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