༻ how to hide fasting and its effects: tips i've picked up through the years + thinspo

⊰ part 1 ⊱

excuses not to eat

when asked to go out to eat:

- i'm trying to eat healthier and i'm not sure if i could have enough self control in there

- (of course) i ate already

- if it's with friends, say mom/dad is cooking lunch/dinner

- period cramps

- i'm trying intermittent fasting for health benefits

- i'm a picky eater

ALWAYS try to seem like it anything to do with health benefits, like I.F., meal prep, avoiding unhealthy food, even say smth like "even salads from restaurants aren't healthy like homemade ones"

- (if with friends) i forgot money

- for me, my family will go out to dinner sometimes on sundays, and i say that i won't have enough time to run (i'm in cross country so this works sooo well for me)

⊰ part 2 ⊱

hiding the effects + maintaining appearance

for me personally, i look different while i'm doing an extended fast. i look paler, my lips lose color, my eyes look duller, and my dark circles are more apparent. maintaining a normal appearance is so important in not causing suspicion.

1) wear colors that compliment your skin tone.

for me, reds, oranges, yellows, blacks,, basically the majority of warm colors wash me out and make my skin dull. pinks, peaches blues, greens, and purples all make me look more vibrant.

a general guideline for knowing what will compliment you vs what will wash you out is finding your undertones.

an easy test is to look at the veins on your wrist:

a greenish color usually indicates WARMER undertones
blueish/purple indicates COOLER

generally speaking, warm colors will flatter warmer skin tones, and cool colors will flatter cooler skin tones.

this isn't to say you can't look good in warm colors with cool undertones (as there are undertones to colors as well), this is just an easy, basic guideline to follow

2) wear makeup if you're able to

choosing the RIGHT type of makeup is important if you want to try to look "normal."

for example, bronzer > contour.

contour can highlight weightloss + skin dullness, as it usually has cool undertones. bronzer helps define and slim while also bringing color and a "healthy glow" to your face

in addition to this, blush can also make you look healthier!

the best places to apply it are:

- the apples of your cheeks
- eyelids
- nose (optional, if you like that look)
- a small bit on your chin !!!! (this one does wonders trust me)

this isn't to say you can't still do your makeup how you want, however this is the best way that i have found to make yourself look the "healthiest" (semi picture dump bc im in love with all these)

3) this isn't strictly appearance, but just a couple random things before moving on

-avoid caffeine if you know you get shaky
-wearing less flattering clothes to hide weightloss
-horizontal stripes make u look wider
-say you have low iron if anyone says anything

-take vitamins/supplements, u don't wanna pass out from lack of nutrients halfway thru a fast
-antioxidant + electrolyte drinks will make ppl less likely to notice you not eating
-if you MUST EAT, eat a smaller portion and try to eat make it healthy if you have the choice

⊰ part 3 ⊱

take care of yourself in other ways

i hate and struggle with this as much as the next person, but get proper sleep sleeping is just,, an all around godsend. its important bc your body obviously is lacking proper nutrition, so sleeping helps your body refuel with the little bits that it has to work with

sleeping boosts metabolism, repairs cells, burns fat, and you can use it as a way to help you do longer fasts as well (more on this in a bit)

you can use sleep as a way to:
-miss meals
-avoid people (and food)
-be healthier in general
-feel less tired

⊰ part 4 ⊱

how to fast with other people around (who may be suspicious of you)

timing your fasts out right is crucial, especially when you're home a lot with family. not eating a couple hours before bed is the best way to do 12+ hr fasts without raising any suspicion whatsoever

while you may wish you could fast for days, for some this is just not an option. however, "intermittent fasting" is an option that will give you just as good results (it also prevents forming a binge cycle, so theres a plus!)

generally, your body switches into "fat burn" mode after 12 hours without food. anything longer than 13 hours will aid in weight loss. that being said, this goes back to why i said sleep is so important! it allows you to fast without people getting sus of you, since its night

an example: if you wake up at 10 am and eat right when you wake up, don't eat after 6 pm the night before. this comes out to be a 16 hour fast, with 4 hours of fat burn. if you wait until lunch time to eat (after noon) theres an easy 18 hours of fasting (6 hours of fat burn)

shorter fasts are more manageable for the majority of people living at home, and coupled with the benefit of avoiding binges, it really does ease anxiety over not being able to fast for as long as you like, since u can fast more frequently

i'll keep adding to this as i think of more things, or if u have anything you want me to add please reply here or quote this tweet