Weekends are for fun. Do you have to fast ?

Life should be about saying “yes” to the fun things in life, not “no” because you are trying to get healthy.

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Most women commit to an intermittent fasting lifestyle once they understand they can still enjoy food favorites, travel, and can “skip” the fast occasionally and indulge on weekends. But there are a few caveats if you want the long-term benefits of fasting.

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Intermittent Fasting isn’t about what you eat – it’s about WHEN you eat it. You have a 24-hour period to set your eating schedule, giving you lots of flexibility. Whether it’s the weekend, a holiday, or vacation, you never have to “go off” your intermittent fasting program.

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You simply tweak it around the day’s events. If you do decide to take a fasting break for a few days, there is nothing you need to do or buy to restart. Simply choose when you are ready, and after dinner that night, the fasting begins again.

Adjusting for weekends, vacations and celebrations

There are different types of intermittent fasting, but all can be adjusted without skipping a full day so that you can enjoy celebrations, vacations, and weekends while remaining on course toward your long-term goals.

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If following the 5:2 diet plan (5 days you eat normally and 2 days you consume no more than 500 calories) or alternate day fasting plan (normal eating one day and 500 calories the next), plan for your weekends to be part of your regular eating days. If a holiday or special event is coming up, adjust your two fasting days that week.

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If you are doing the 16/8 method (16 hours fasting and 8 hours eating what and how much you choose), you can often make tweaks to your schedule without skipping a full day of fasting. 

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You can start or end a fast early and schedule the eating window around the events where you want to indulge, such as a wedding or Christmas dinner.

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Vacations are no different. First, choose if you even want to fast during those days away. If you do, then consider shorter fasts closer to 12-14 hours, and you won’t feel like you missed out on anything on your trip.

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If one morning you wake up and want breakfast, or you’ve planned a day excursion and might not be in control of when you can eat, then forget the fast, eat moderately, and the next day get back on track – or not. After all, it’s a vacation. When you return home, it’s back to your intermittent fasting way of life.

Skipping day(s) of intermittent fasting

If you have been fasting consistently for a while, skipping a full day of intermittent fasting here or there, or even a couple of days in a row, shouldn’t have any effect on your weight loss results. In fact, it can be good for your mindset and long-term commitment to your goals. But when you have a skip day, there are a few things to consider:

1. A skip day doesn’t have to be about overindulging. It can include a healthy breakfast and a midnight snack you typically would forgo. However, if you eat a significantly larger number of calories than you would on a typical intermittent fasting day, you may slow your progress down, especially if you do this over several days. 

2. Another factor that may affect your weight loss results is the foods and beverages you choose to consume on your “skip” day(s). If you load up on sweets, pasta, and alcohol, your body needs to process all the fun you had once you resume your fasting routine. As a result, it could take your body several days before it gets back into fat-burning mode. That means 3 days you are not reaping the many health benefits, such as anti-aging, cell cleansing, energizing effects from both the process of autophagy and the increase in human growth hormone levels, both bonuses when you stick to your fast for 16+ hours.

3. Limit your full days off of your fasting program.  Unfortunately, it’s easy to let one skip day roll into the next, and suddenly your intermittent fasting journey comes to a halt. If you want to have a day off, choose a skip day once a week, a couple times a month, or on special occasions depending on your long-term goals and your ability to not let a few days of not fasting mentally derail your progress.

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Focus on having more days following your intermittent fasting routine than days off, and you will be right on track. When you do pass on fasting for the day, if you can, plan for the indulgences and don’t overdo it. Find a healthy, balanced routine and enjoy life without sacrificing your long-term goals.

For support with intermittent fasting, join our intermittent fasting community for women only. There you get all the help you need!