In Episode #35 about “Specials,” Donna Reish, blogger, author of over 100 language arts and writing curriculum books, and Intermittent Fasting teacher, discusses how to decide on, navigate, and carry out “special” days with Intermittent Fasting. Donna begins with her and her husband’s one year anniversary with IF and how close they are to their goal weights, as well as some of their goals for the coming year. Then she explains the concept of “specials,” including her mantra from thirty-two years of homeschooling her seven children: “Every day is special, but every day can’t be a special day!” She explains how our mindset has to shift if we want to make IF a lifestyle—we have to get out of the “go off and on” and “how can I find a way to take days off” and onto the “I want to do this for my health, my goals, and my life.” Next, Donna explains how to select times that truly are special occasions and how to tweak your fasting hours rather than going off and on for days that are special but you still want to keep going towards your goals. She teaches specific steps for how to make little tweaks in your fasting schedule in order to have an earlier, later, shorter, or longer eating window later in the week. She talks about how to end your eating window even when others are continuing and how to use non-food activities rather than using food all the time. Donna explains her two favorite self talk mantras that help her through specials, exercise, and any occasion that she wants to strengthen her mind and will. She then goes on to explain what to do after special occasions—how to avoid punishing yourself, how to get back into fat burning quickly, and how to live this lifestyle all the time. Today’s Plexus product sponsor is Vital Biome, a probiotic supplement that is clinically shown to improve health and mood, reduce anxiety and anger, and much more.

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