Ep.54
Navigating the Holidays Using Intermittent Fasting
Hello everyone! Welcome to episode 54 of Intermittent Fasting For Life — Experiment of One. I’m your host Tracey Mack.
Today I will be discussing: Surviving the Holidays Using Intermittent Fasting.
The holidays bring joy, family, fun, travel, tradition, and… let’s be honest — food. Lots of food.
From Thanksgiving dinner to office parties to New Year’s to leftovers and everything in between — the holiday season can feel like a nonstop buffet line.
And for those of us practicing intermittent fasting — whether OMAD, 16:8, alternate day, or your own rhythm — this season can feel like pressure, temptation, or even sabotage.
But I’m going to switch the narrative today:
👉 Intermittent fasting is not a punishment during the holidays — it’s a TOOL.
👉 It’s your structure, your peace, and your choice.
👉 It can actually make the holidays LESS stressful — not more.
So let’s talk about it.
Segment 1: Why Holidays Challenge Our Mindset
During the holidays:
•We eat because it’s tradition, •We eat because “everyone else is”
•We eat because food is love, culture, memory. •We eat because the guilt script says, “It’s rude not to.' We eat because “I’ll get back on track in January”
Here’s the truth: Most holiday eating stress isn’t about food — it’s about expectations. Family pressure. Emotional triggers. Nostalgia. Obligation.
Intermittent fasting gives us something powerful:
🧠 The pause between the trigger and the decision.
Time to decide — “Do I want this? Or am I defaulting to habit?”
Strategies for Holiday Success
✨ Strategy 1 — FLEXIBLE Fasting, Not Fearful Fasting
Fasting is a lifestyle — not a prison. You can: •Shift your window earlier or later, open your window for a special meal, close your window and get right back to routine. One feast doesn’t ruin your progress. But giving up because of one feast does.
✨ strategy 2 — Plan the Window, Not the Menu
Instead of obsessing over what you shouldn’t eat, focus on: When you will eat. Tell yourself: “I’m eating with family at 3pm. That’s my window.” If you plan the window you stay in control — not the food.
✨ Strategy 3 — Hydrate Like It’s Your Job
Holiday travel and salty food = bloating and fatigue. When you hydrate: •You’re less snacky, •Digestion improves. •Your body feels lighter, •You naturally eat less, Water, sparkling water, herbal teas — simple, easy wins.
✨ Strategy 4 — If You Break the Fast, Don’t Break the Mindset
There is no such thing as falling off. There is only “adjust.”
You are one meal away from being back on track. Not Monday.
Not January 1st. The next meal. Scripts for Social Pressure
People will comment. They always do. Here are simple, confident responses:
“Oh I’m good, I’m waiting for later.” “Thanks so much! I’ll grab some in a bit.”
“I’m listening to my body right now.” “I’m still enjoying the holiday — just a little differently.” Notice — no lectures, no defending, no explaining.
Confidence shuts curiosity down. The Real Win of Fasting During the Holidays
It’s not the weight. It’s not the number on January 2nd. It’s knowing you are in control of food and not the other way around.
If you would like to share your intermittent fasting story, please email me at TRACEYMACKIF4LIFE@GMAIL.COM
Check out my book (my I.F. story) on Amazon.com: Intermittent Fasting for Life-Experiment of One by Tracey Mack
