You’re probably reading this book right now because you just looked at the number on the scale. Instant depression! No matter where you are in your life journey, a first-year college student who is experiencing the ‘freshman fifteen weight gain’, or maybe you’re in a mid-life crisis and just realized you barely recognize yourself in the mirror. Wherever you are in life right now, have no fear, this book welcomes you with open arms. You can now relax and ease into a comfy chair and enjoy the rest of this book knowing that this is not a diet book. Diets are from Satan. 

Besides being created from the fiery depths of Hell, why don’t diets work? For starters, it’s because while you’re on one all you can think about is all the foods you can’t eat. By doing this, you’re creating an iceberg in your path that’s not avoidable, and eventually, you will crash. Don’t lose all hope though! There is a way to create a healthy lifestyle that won’t feel limiting. The trick to creating your own personalized healthy lifestyle plan is to listen to your body. Some of you just thought, well my body is telling me I want doughnuts! Trust me, my body screams the same thing to me from time to time. Especially those really good maple bars from the grocery store. However! This book will not only talk about how to healthily deal with those cravings but we will dive into the why behind them. Where do cravings come from? Why does it feel like my body is sabotaging itself? Those are very common thoughts and questions that this book encourages and will answer! Understanding the why behind a good healthy lifestyle will create a firm foundation for your health journey.

This book will provide all the benefits of intermittent fasting in addition to some other fantastic facts about the history of fasting, where it came from, and how much it’s changed over the years. You may be surprised to find out that fasting is still practiced all over the world in multiple cultures for different reasons. Some apply it to their lives for health, spirituality, cultural customs, and even as political stances. There are so many interesting topics surrounding this one practice and we will help inform you and also guide you into creating your own balanced lifestyle.

Is there more to creating a healthy lifestyle than just intermittent fasting? Yes, of course! don’t worry though, this book talks about more than just the different fasting styles and how to implement one of them into your everyday life. We will also be taking a look at the different food groups and learning how to discover which foods work best for your body. We will discuss why not everyone can follow the same nutritional schedule and why making a personalized meal plan that suits you is so important. We will go over all the different types of activities you can add to your week to help bring meaning and balance to your week. Based on your own personal goals, you will understand what type of exercise will help you achieve and maintain your physical health.

Some of you might be double-checking the cover of this book and wondering how on earth intermittent fasting is not a diet. Some of you might even feel worried that if you try intermittent fasting, you will feel like you’re starving all the time. Let me offer you a quick bag of reassurance before you get to chapter one. You will not feel like you’re starving! Sure, there are some die-hard extreme intermittent fasters out there who do crazy stuff like fast for an entire day and then gorge themselves the next day. Have no fear! We won’t be introducing that lifestyle in this book. This book is for beginners and for those of us who are searching for balance. A healthy balance you will be able to stick to, lose weight with, and feel like you recognize your reflection again.

Always remember whenever you are thinking about changing your lifestyle to something you believe will be more beneficial to your health, always consult with your healthcare provider. Intermittent fasting is not for everyone, some with certain health risks should not practice intermittent fasting. In the following chapters, we will go over those specific health risks. Make sure your doctor knows your health history and ask them if they think Intermittent fasting may be right for you. So, what exactly is intermittent fasting? How is only eating during certain hours of the day going to help my health improve? Will I have to eat certain foods while doing this? Is intermittent fasting trusted by health professionals? All of these questions and more will be answered in this book. If by the end you still aren’t sure which fasting style to try, there is a fasting style quiz in chapter 10 to help you! For now, flip to chapter one and we can start discovering the Why behind intermittent fasting.