Intermittant Fasting

http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/2001/02/Fasting-Chart.aspx#
Although I'm not in religious in the conventional sense, I am interested in the belief systems of different religions and I found the above chart interesting. Fasting - self denial / giving up. Christians do it for the 40 days of Lent & Muslims do it for 29/30 days in Ramadan.

I started intermittant fasting yesterday for much more mundane reasons. I know I have got into unhealthy eating / drinking habits & put on too much weight. Apart from the look of an overweight body, I know it is bad for my health. My self image is definitely slimmer & I can no longer ignore the tightness of my trousers!

I think I can do this because after one of the two fasting days a week I know I can eat normally within reason. I might be able to get into the habit of eating more sensibly on the non fasting days. It's even possible I will be able to ignore the biscuit & cake tins & the crisps & nuts. But I can go out with friends for a meal & eat & drink anything I want & counterbalance any excess by fasting the next day.

A lot of eating is habit. Meals at certain times of day. Cups of tea / coffee / hot chocolate with a couple of biscuits. Savoury snacks with a glass of wine. I find sweet things like chocolate and salty snacks addictive. I am totally incapable of eating just one chocolate. The pleasure centres of my brain send strong messages to my mouth & I can't stop.

There is a battle going on in my head between the self that says - who cares, you're 68, food is one of the chief pleasures in life, and the self that says -  you care about what you are doing to yourself by over eating. At the moment the former is winning. But it's only been one day. I need to make this a permanent way of life. So I won't replace or buy the things I know I want to avoid. I've even bought green tea!