Hello and welcome to the intermittent fasting gems with Jen podcast.

I'm your host Jen, a middle aged Michigan mama, wife and teacher who

in 2021 stumbled upon this crazy cool thing called intermittent fasting.

And before I knew it, I'd lost 46 pounds in four months and

gained an incredible lifestyle filled with complete food freedom.

If you're hungry for unique, no nonsense fasting tips that actually

work, you're in the right place.

So whether you're walking the dog, folding that last load of laundry, or

cruising to your nine to five, let's start fasting our way to freedom together.

Hey there fasting friends.

How is your intermittent fasting weight loss and health journey going?

I certainly hope you answered fabulous to that question.

So it's the 15th of the month, which means I have an intermittent

fasting bonus episode for you.

In today's bonus episode, we'll be talking about non food fun.

Nowadays, having fun is so often associated with eating.

It's important to realize that there really are so many awesome ways to

have fun without relying on food.

In fact, in today's bonus episode, I'm going to give you 101 creative ways

to keep yourself busy and having fun because finding non food activities

that you love is a great way to make intermittent fasting way easier.

If you're distracted by and having fun participating in non food fun

activities you'll be satisfied and able to push through your

intermittent fasting window with ease.

So, let's get to it.

Let's start out with activities that involve moving our bodies because

engaging in physical activity is a great way to have fun and improve

your health at the same time.

And, the endorphins released during exercise will help you

to feel energized and alive.

You could Go on a hike and just enjoy the beauty of nature around you, sign up

for a dance class, take your cute little dog or your cute little spouse for a

walk, join a sports team, go on a bike or a motorcycle ride, take a yoga class.

After you buy brand new cute leggings for yourself, of course.

Head to the golf course or take your kids to go and play mini golf, putt putt.

Dive in and go for a swim somewhere.

Roll on over to the rink for some ice or roller skating.

You could go for a leisurely run through your neighborhood or get crazy and train

for a road race or maybe Even a marathon.

Bundle up and go snowboarding, sledding, downhill skiing, or snow tubing.

If you live in a very snowy place like I do in Michigan, you could make a

splash and go surfing or snorkeling or boating, canoeing, kayaking,

sailing, rafting, or water skiing.

You could put on your brave face and go rock climbing, scuba diving, bungee

jumping, skateboarding, or Skydiving.

Um, no thank you for me on that.

My daughter and my husband did it and I wouldn't even go watch them do it.

But, it's an idea.

Maybe for you.

You could try for a turkey when you are at the bowling alley.

Three strikes in a row.

Dribble the soccer or the basketball outside in the driveway.

Play some, um, horse or pig with your kids.

Grab a racket and head to the tennis courts.

Or maybe grab a bat and head to the baseball or softball fields.

You could get in touch with nature and just go fishing, hunting.

Maybe do some camping.

Not my jam for sure, but lots of people do like camping and camping

is beautiful, um, in Michigan.

And oh my gosh, this is a total side note, but when I need a funny

distraction, Jim Gaffigan has the absolute best, uh, comedy bit on camping.

You have got to listen to it.

That would be, it will, I promise you, it will be the best, uh, non food

fasting, fun distraction for you ever.

It's so, so funny.

I will link it in the show notes below, it's just that good.

Aim for a bullseye at your nearest archery club or shooting range.

Head out and go geocaching, which is essentially treasure hunting that

is fun for both adults and kids.

You could get sandy and salty at the beach and play some beach volleyball,

or maybe you could enter the biggest sandcastle building contest.

Alright, so if moving your body is not really your jam, You could put your

efforts into maybe learning a new skill.

Learning a new skill can be a very fun and at the same time

a very rewarding experience.

There are plenty of options to choose from and not only will you have fun,

but you'll also be stimulating your brain and potentially building new

social connections at the same time.

All right, just think about what is it that you've always wanted to learn.

Why not take a painting, drawing, sculpting, woodworking, cooking,

sewing, or photography class?

You could head to your garden for some pruning and planting.

Sing or write a new song or poem.

Take an improv, acting, or martial arts class.

Learn to play a musical instrument or learn a new language.

Search Pinterest for a new craft idea or recipe that you can try.

Sometimes it helps to just switch things up, get out of the house,

and enjoy some different scenery.

Get in touch with your cultural side and head to a play or a musical.

Or what about an art gallery or a beautiful botanical garden?

Become mesmerized by the stars at a planetarium or by the exotic sea and

land animals at the zoo or aquarium.

You could head out and catch some thrills at an amusement

park, water park, trampoline park, or maybe a local carnival.

Save a few pennies and visit a flea market, consignment shop,

or a subdivision garage sale.

Personally, this is my absolute favorite thing to do while fasting.

Of course, I only, uh, get to do it three to four months out of the year

because, uh, we don't exactly have great garage sale weather in Michigan.

But for those four months, I am loving going to garage sales.

I need that bumper sticker that says, I stop at all garage sales.

All right, you could live out your famous singer fantasies and find a

place that offers some karaoke fun.

Meet a friend at a coffee shop.

Just make sure that you're drinking your plain black coffee or your green

tea so that you can successfully keep your intermittent fast going,

you could turn back time and visit a historical site or an antique shop.

Take your kids to an indoor or outdoor playground or Your dog to

one of those very cool dog parks.

Visit your local orchard if the season is right.

Pick apples or berries.

Bring them home and spend the afternoon canning or baking with your fresh produce.

Why not head to your local library or pick out a new book from the bookstore?

Why not indulge your adventurous side and play some laser tag or check

out an escape room or laugh until your cheeks hurt at a comedy show.

And sometimes we just need to chill and there are plenty of non food

activities and ways to do just that.

How about you shop till you drop with a friend or enjoy some alone time while

indulging in some serious retail therapy.

Be careful, this one could be dangerous.

Why not make a special craft for someone that you love?

Or read a trashy romance novel?

Or work on a scrapbook while wearing your favorite comfy yoga pants?

Gather up a few friends or family members and play a card game or a board game?

You could take a bubble bath or pamper yourself with a

relaxing beauty or spa treatment.

Relive your childhood and play a game of hide and seek with your kids or a steamy

game of truth or dare with your spouse.

Or maybe watch a sappy Hallmark or a cheesy, very predictable, Lifetime movie.

While cuddling with your favorite pet, you could spread kindness like confetti

with simple random acts of kindness.

So as you can see, food is definitely not needed to have tons of fun.

So grab your clean fasting drink of plain black coffee, green tea, or plain

sparkling mineral and just have a fabulous day of fasting and Hey, thanks for

listening to this bonus episode today Be sure to tune in to the next episode

of the Intermittent fasting gems where I'll be chatting with Lisa who has

experienced incredible weight loss and health success with intermittent fasting

and Exactly how she navigates IF as she travels around the country with her

family, homeschooling her three daughters.

Have a blessed and beautiful day, my fabulous fasting friend.

Hey, thank you so much for choosing to spend part of your day listening

to this episode of the Intermittent Fasting Gems with Jen podcast.

If you think these tips could help a friend or a family member, please

consider sharing this episode with them.

And if you really enjoyed the show, taking a minute or two to leave a

positive review Would be so appreciated.

Tune in for new 15 to 25 minute episodes released on the 10th,

20th, and 30th of each month.

Episodes will feature solo shows filled with IF hacks that have worked for me, as

well as episodes where I get to chat with.

fun folks of all ages who've experienced incredible success

with intermittent fasting.

If you have questions or want more unique intermittent fasting health

and weight loss tips, tricks, and recipes, please visit my website

and blog at sowhatifwithjen.

com.

Finally, we'd love to welcome you into our free intermittent

Fasting Facebook support group.

So what if with Jen, find all of these links in the show notes below.

And as always, I hope you spend your day loving without fear and

laughing until your cheeks hurt.