Practicing yoga and meditation has helped me tremendously through my IF journey

I’ve been hesitate about doing an “advice post” on this sub because I still consider myself very much a newbie and beginner to IF as I’m only been at it for 3 months. But within those three months, I can say with confidence that IF has been life changing for me. I’ve struggled with my weight for years, so much so that even losing 7 lbs in a year seemed like an impossible task to me. Since starting IF (18:6, 5-6 days a week) at the beginning of the year, I’ve lost almost 20 lbs so far! Apart from cutting my portions as well as adding strength training and ashtanga yoga to my regime, I attribute most of my progress to my prior experience with yoga and mindfulness. For context, I’ve been a practicing yogi for almost 10 years now. I never really practiced yoga for fitness or exercise, but rather for its therapeutic applications such as with my past issues with anxiety and insomnia. I avoided going to hot yoga and the “gym yoga studios” and stuck with smaller studio spaces that offered more accessible classes. Along the way, I started practicing meditation and have been at it for the last couple of years. Long story short, yoga changed my life for the better because it helped improve the quality of my sleep and overcome near crippling social anxiety. Though I still struggled with stress eating and losing weight. When I started IF, I came to realize that just how applicable my background in yoga and meditation was to my IF journey particularly in regards to self control and my relationship with food. In yoga philosophy, one of the Eight Limbs of Yoga is Pratyahara — which is roughly translated to “withdrawing onself of their senses.” In context how it’s applied to mediation, it’s the practice of consciously redirecting your mind to your object of meditation regardless of the physical stimuli that would otherwise distract you from your meditative state of focus. For example, one would be practicing pratyahara if they’re able to remain in meditation despite the sound of someone’s cell phone going off in the room. This concept of resisting the urge to entertain the senses was vital in how I remained consistent with adhering to my fasting schedule. On a daily basis, I find myself tempted in breaking my fasting window due to seeing an enticing treat or smelling the aroma of food being cooked. The moment I recognize myself almost being overcome with my cravings and hunger, I pause and take a deep breath. After which I’d will myself into walking away from the source of temptation. When the time comes to break my fast, I make a conscious effort to treat each meal as a meditation. I eat slowly in smaller portions not only to savor the food more but also to pay close attention to when my body feels satiated and nourished. Doing that, I’ve always been surprised to see that it really doesn’t take much food to actually satisfy your hunger. So if you’re new to IF and maybe find yourself struggling adjusting to it, maybe consider adding yoga or meditation as part of your routine. The mindfulness aspect was a real game changer for me.