Question:
I’ve been thinking about trying intermittent fasting.
People say it improves focus, burns fat,
and resets your metabolism.
But is it actually worth doing?
Or is it just another trend?
Ossan’s answer:
If you’re doing it for aesthetics,
you’ll probably quit.
Because hunger is persuasive.
But if you’re doing it for awareness,
it changes the experience.
An ossan doesn’t ask,
“How many hours should I fast?”
He asks,
“What happens to my mind when I remove comfort?”
The first thing that appears is irritation.
The second is negotiation.
The third is clarity.
You notice how often you eat
not because your body needs fuel,
but because your mind wants relief.
Fasting makes the gap visible
between impulse and action.
And inside that gap,
there is choice.
That’s the real benefit.
Not fat loss.
Not discipline.
Choice.
But an ossan also knows something important:
Fasting should make you calmer,
not obsessive.
If you become anxious about timing,
if you obsess over hours and windows,
you have replaced one dependency
with another.
The goal is not to suffer.
The goal is to reduce unconscious behavior.
Intermittent fasting is useful
if it increases awareness.
It is useless
if it becomes identity.
Try it for a week.
Not to change your body.
To watch your reactions.
If you learn something about yourself,
it was worth it.
If you only count hours,
it wasn’t.