Intermittent Fasting Journal – Week 24

Donna Reish, Intermittent Fasting blogger and author, tackles the subject of building belief in yourself and Intermittent Fasting through the teaching of James Clear, author of upcoming book, Atomic Habits. Donna starts out asking listeners to think back to something that they have done consistently, something that they have been successful at. Then she builds on that to explain that we are successful at something when we take it on as our identity. We are consistent then we succeed. It becomes US, who we are. She then applies this to weight management endeavors. Many of us were not successful because we didn’t have our bodies working FOR us to help us build the habits that it takes to be successful with weight management and fitness. Donna then explains a two-step process that Clear teaches in his articles and videos—that of taking on the identity of who or what you want to become and THEN applying TINY habits that support that identity. She explains how we can do this with Intermittent Fasting, exercising, and other habits that may have eluded us before we became fat adapted and developed balanced hunger hormones. Everything is different now with IF—and we can be exactly what we want to be—even something that we previously never thought possible!

A. How Strong Is Your Belief?

1. Think about something you have done consistently.

a. Why have I not been successful in weight management and fitness when I am successful in other areas?
b. What can we do now that we have our bodies balanced?
c. We have belief in areas that we have had success in…..not the things that we have not been successful with.
d. What have you done consistently and been successful at?

i. You have been successful!
ii. You were consistent in that!
iii. But maybe you wondered why you couldn’t have control in some areas?

2. How did you increase your belief in something you were consistent with?

a. You believed in it enough to do it over and over and over and over again!
b. You had to have great belief to be successful in that—college degree, job, any area you were consistent and successful with.
c. You believed in the final outcome!
d. When you believed in it so much, it became a huge part of your identity.
e. You do it over and over and it becomes part of who you are, your identity.
f. It isn’t something added on….it is YOU!

B. Identity-Based Belief

1. James Clear, upcoming book “Atomic Habits”

a. We do it backwards…we wait until we are successful before we change our identity or belief about yourself.
b. He says we try to change our behaviors and habits first.
c. We need to change how we view ourselves first.
d. Then the behaviors and habits will follow.
e. Quote: “The basic idea is that the beliefs you have about yourself can drive your long-term behavior. Maybe you can trick yourself into going to the gym or eating healthy once or twice, but if you don’t shift your underlying identity, then it’s hard to stick with long-term changes.”
f. Quote: “If you’re looking to make a change, then I say stop worrying about results and start worrying about your identify. Become the type of person who can achieve the things you want to achieve. Build identity-based habits now. The results can come later.”
g. I sooooo want you to believe that you are the type of person who gets results—you are the type of person who sticks with IF, who changes your health and wellness, who loses pounds and inches, who is successful.
h. Use self-talk to change your identity: “I am the type of person who is successful at intermittent fasting, weight loss, and inch loss. Because I am that type of person, I change my habits week by week to meet my goals.”

2. Two steps to changing your identity

a. Decide the type of person you want to be

i. What do you want to be?
ii. Call yourself that
iii. Identify with it

b. Prove it to yourself with small wins

a. Progression, not perfection
b. Not lofty, unattainable goals
c. Tiny little wins that prove to yourself that you are the person you say you are

i. Teeny, tiny little changes
ii. Changes that you will never have an excuse for not doing
iii. A tiny change that makes you what you say you are—an action/goal that supports your identity (even if it is just one push up)

c. New identity with tiny habits incrementally that support that identity

i. Every little thing that we do towards that identity will make us what we want to be
ii. Every single time you are successful, you will believe in your identity more and more

a. Applying this to Intermittent Fasting

i. Some don’t want to fast 12 or 13 or 14 hours at first because they want fat adaption and appetite correction to start sooner
ii. Do whatever you can do that you WILL do….
iii. Do whatever fasting protocol that supports your identity as an Intermittent Faster
iv. We do the smallest action that supports our identity—even if it is a 14 or 15 or 16 hour fast
v. Do the most that you can do that you REALLY will DO! You want and need success right off the bat!

d. Restarting Intermittent Fasting

i. Mindset issue—starting fasting was really hard before, so I don’t want to do that again
ii. Start smaller when you start back up—start with what you REALLY will DO!

C. Building Belief in IF and Yourself

1. Once your identity is changing, you can develop habits to support that identity even moreso
2. Tiny habits and repetition!
3. See others’ success
4. Build your belief—lock arms with lock minded people, share your success with others/accountability
5. Apply your past success to IF—in tiny steps

D. Our sponsor—Plexus Plant-Based Supplements…check out our store or email with questions!

1. To visit our store click HERE
2. For Hunger Control Slim (pink drink) click HERE
3. To try a free sample of Plexus Slim Hunger Control (pink drink) click HERE

Below are a couple of links to books I use and love. I am an affiliate for Amazon.com. If you click on the links below I will earn a small commission. Thank you for your support of this blog!