1. Arm Yourself With Knowledge

Know that you will NOT die if you don’t eat for a few hours. If you think what you’re doing is harmful or antagonistic to your body, fasting will become a huge hurdle in your mind. Read articles and do research to understand what’s actually happening in your body during a fast. (As Olaf would say, “All good things, all good things!”)
2. Feast Before
Don’t commence your fast in a hungry state. If you’re going to do the common evening hours or dinner protocol like me, consider eating A LOT the night before starting. Channel the “I’m so stuffed I could never eat again!” feeling. That way, you won’t even be hungry for a substantial part of the first fasting day. Once you’ve got a day under your belt, you’ll be more motivated for day 2, and the days to follow. I find that if I can do something for a day, I can do it many days. It’s just making it through the beginning. (“My spinach puffs!”– Kronk)
3. Fill Your Schedule

Keep your schedule busy during the fasting window. If you’ve constantly got something to do, you won’t be as likely to encounter the all-too-common boredom munchies. Also doing things you love tends to kill appetite anyways. There’s a scientific reason for that of course which ties into all of this – I shall post in the future! As Morgan Freeman says, “Either get busy living, or get busy dying.”
4. Stay Active
Keep on moving! Physical activity up-regulates lipolysis and fat burning. It pairs well with fasting, while actually enhancing it! If you simply lie around in a lethargic “I’m fasting” mindset, it’ll actually make things more difficult rather than help matters. As Elle says, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t.”
5. Caffeine
In the beginning, caffeine is your friend. Caffeine blunts appetite and increases lipolysis. Drink tea and coffee during the fast – just don’t load them with cream and sugar. As Ingrid Bergman says, “Thank you for your coffee, monsieur. I shall miss that when I leave Casablanca.”
6. Remember Sleep Counts

Sleep is not only your health friend in general, it also totally counts towards your fasting window. It’s hard to be hungry when you’re asleep! Consider timing your sleep to give you a sort of “head-start.” For example, if you’ve settled on an evening feeding window, you could have a big, early dinner the night before fasting. By the time you wake up the next morning, you’ll be significantly into your fast already! Also, don’t start a fast when you know you’ll be sleep deprived, which will only make it unnecessarily difficult. Remember the Wicked Witch’s brilliant idea: “Poppies. Poppies will put them to sleep. Sleeeeep. Now they’ll sleeeeep!”
7. Consider Starting Slow
You can always try just skipping breakfast here and there for starters, and then gradually increase consistency or the fasting window time. “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t slow down and look around, you might miss it” – Ferris Bueller
8. Try Just 3 Days
Committing to an IF pattern for just 3 days will probably get you hooked. If you can make it to day 3, chances are you’ll be in LOVE with intermittent fasting by that point and want to go longer. When I started, I said I’d try it for a week (ie: weekdays ie: 5 days). That was over 3 years ago, and I haven’t stopped! (No movie quote here, just saying that Three Days is officially the biggest tearjerker TV Christmas movie ever).
9. Consider Going Low Carb or Paleo First

Adopting a low carb diet is another way to make your body super fat-efficient. If you’re already low carb and “fat adapted,” fasting will likely be a breeze from the get-go. (“Is butter a carb?” – Regina)
10. See IF as a Learning Experiment, Rather Than a “Test”
When you first start intermittent fasting, don’t look at it as a test where you pass or fail. Look at is as a way to experience something new. To see how a different meal pattern feels. To try something different. Rather than thinking “I will do this for a week, otherwise it was pointless,” think “I will do this for a week, and then I will know how it feels, and if it is right for me.” Experience the moment.
 “I don’t know if I will have the time to write any more letters because I might be too busy trying to participate….right now these moments are not stories. This is happening….This one moment when you know you’re not a sad story. You are alive, and you stand up and see the lights on the buildings and everything that makes you wonder. And you’re listening to that song and that drive with the people you love most in this world. And in this moment I swear, we are infinite.” – Charlie, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
