| Intermittent fasting is one of the safest and most | | | | 3. Sleep. If it's possible to schedule your fasts so |
| effective ways to reduce or maintain body fat | | | | the difficult time period happens while you're |
| levels. However, it can be challenging to stick with | | | | asleep, great. |
| a fast when hunger hits. | | | | 4. Be physically active. You may feel a bit sleepy |
| Fortunately, after several short-term fasts, | | | | during the hungry time, which may furthur |
| people usually have an easier time with | | | | weaken your resolve to not eat. Surprisingly, a |
| intermittent fasting. Hunger actually lessens as the | | | | burst of physical activity can help. Try something |
| body is retrained so it won't act up because it | | | | simple like a few pushups or leg raises, or lift |
| expects food every few hours. | | | | some light weights. |
| But sometimes, no matter how well the body | | | | 5. Have some caffeine. Caffeinated drinks can help |
| adapts, there are certain hours that are harder to | | | | to curb hunger, but only use them in moderation |
| cope with. | | | | and make sure that you sip your drink slowly. A |
| Some people may find that they start to feel | | | | big hit of caffeine, which you'll get if you down |
| 'different' and perhaps rather hungry at the time | | | | your drink quickly, will lead to a rapid rise in |
| that their body is probably switching from burning | | | | energy and then a rapid fall which can trigger |
| food for energy to their own body fat. This might | | | | hunger. |
| occur at 16 hours into a fast, or later. It varies | | | | 6. Breath deeply several times. You might start to |
| from person to person. | | | | feel a little stressed when hunger hits, so doing |
| How do you get through the hungriest times | | | | something that helps you calm you down is wise. |
| instead of breaking the fast? Here are a few tips: | | | | Deep breathing is one of the easiest ways to |
| 7 Ways to Get Through Your Hungriest Times | | | | calm oneself, and it can safely be done anywhere |
| 1. Be aware of when your hungriest times usually | | | | and repeated as often as necessary. |
| occur so you're mentally prepared. It may take a | | | | 7. Remember how great it is to get through |
| while to identify your pattern, but once you do, it | | | | hungry times *without* eating and therefore |
| will be easier to cope with the feelings because it | | | | breaking your fast. The end result of intermittent |
| will be familiar territory. | | | | fasting, including improved body composition and |
| 2. Keep busy. Do something that engages and | | | | an increase in growth hormone, will be *much* |
| therefore distracts you as much as possible - | | | | more satisfying than eating which will only make |
| something that isn't food related. | | | | you feel good for a very short time. |