Frequently Asked Questions Concerns And Complaints
Im a woman. Should I do anything differently?
I havent worked with women on implementing an intermittent fasting schedule, so I cant speak from experience on this one.
That said, I have heard that women may find a wider window of eating to be more favorable when doing daily intermittent fasting. While men will typically fast for 16 hours and then eat for 8 hours, women may find better results by eating for 10 hours and fasting for 14 hours. The best advice I can give anyone, not just women, is to experiment and see what works best for you. Your body will give you signals. Follow what your body responds favorably to.
Also, if youre a female, there is an allfemale page on Facebook that discusses intermittent fasting. Im sure you could find a ton of great answers and support there.
I could never skip breakfast. How do you do it?
I dont. Breakfast foods are my favorite, so I just eat them at 1pm each day.
Also, if you eat a big dinner the night before, I think youll be surprised by how much energy you have in the morning. Most of the worries or concerns that people have about intermittent fasting are due to the fact that they have had it pounded into them by companies that they need to eat breakfast or they need to eat every three hours and so on. The science doesnt support it and neither do my personal experiences.
I thought you were supposed to eat every 3 hours?
Here’s why this was a popular idea for a brief period of time:
Here’s the problem:
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What Are The Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting 14/10
Even with a relatively short fasting period of about 14 hours, the process of autophagy is enhanced getting rid of damaged and dead cells and their particles. In combination with increased production of growth hormone , which is also considered to be the effect of fasting, it provides a powerful stimulus for cell renewal.
Intermittent fasting 14/10 has a hugely positive effect on blood sugar levels this is especially true for people who have metabolic disorders, including those with type II diabetes. However, remember that you should not practice fasting when insulin-dependent.
During Intermittent fasting 14/10, the insulin level normalizes, restoring the sensitivity of cells to insulin and leptin, the hormone responsible for regulating appetite and signals about hunger or satiety. Resistance is a sign of metabolic syndrome a metabolic disorder that leads to various health problems and contributes to the rapid growth of visceral fat. Unlike subcutaneous fatty tissue, it is deposited on the internal organs in the abdomen. It increases the risk of cardiovascular and endocrinological diseases. Getting rid of visceral fat with a regular diet is quite difficult. However, intermittent fasting hours reduce its amount quite successfully.
Dairy And Fermented Food
You can boost your weight loss and overall health if your diet includes plenty of probiotics. They are highly effective when it comes to improving your metabolism and play a prominent role in the healthy balance of bacteria in your gut. They can reduce inflammation and aid in digestion. The most probiotic-rich foods include yogurt, kefir, aged cheese , non-dairy yogurts, sauerkraut, sour dill pickles, kimchi, miso, natto, kombucha, tempeh and others .
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Patients In The Study Were Allowed To Have A Cheat Day
The researchers behind this latest study even allowed their patients a âcheatâ day once a week, letting them eat for a slightly longer period of time. They still saw measurable health improvements.
Patients lost about 3% of their body weight, a figure that would normally be associated with a roughly 5% reduction in âbadâ LDL cholesterol. Instead, the patients reduced their bad cholesterol by a whopping 11%.
âThe benefit of time-restricted eating goes beyond just a decrease in calories,â the cardiologist said. âI tell my patients, if you can do at least five days a week, thatâs a good way to start.â
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Schedule #: The : 2 Diet
Popularized by Dr. Michael Mosleys The Fast Diet, this approach involves consuming a lot less food two days of the week, and eating normally the other five.
Maybe youre thinking, Thats not fasting! Thats part-time dieting! And youre right.
Technically, this style of eating is called intermittent energy restriction .
What it involves
Exactly what and how much someone eats on the two fasting days can vary from around 20 percent of normal intake to 70 percent. For someone consuming 2800 Calories a day, a fasting day might range from 560 Calories to 1900.
As you can imagine, the lower end of that range is a lot more challenging than the upper end.
People who benefit
People who do best with 5:2 fasting tend to have a lifestyle and/or fitness schedules that align with it.
Heres an example: Robin Beier, PN2, is a German nutrition coach who practices IF personally and coaches a number of clients who do the same. In Germany, most shops are closed on Sundays, including grocery stores. So for one of his clients, a 5:2 diet naturally emerged.
This client would wake on Sunday with hardly any food at homeand didnt want to eat out. So hed have breakfast and then eat either very little or nothing at all for the rest of the day. He broke the fast Monday evening, after hitting the grocery store for dinner supplies.
If you try it:
Read Also: What Is The Best Fasting Schedule For Weight Loss
Who Is Omad For
Those most likely to benefit from OMAD are people looking to lose serious amounts of weight, reverse type 2 diabetes and lower their risk for Alzheimers and Parkinsons by activating autophagy. If you are considering OMAD Its best to start with shorter fasts of 14-18 hours, and work your way up over several days or weeks.
Which Type Of Intermittent Fasting Is Best For Beginners
There are several different types of intermittent fasting, and it might be worth experimenting to find which works best for you. If your schedule is fairly flexible, you might be able to sustain a more intensive fasting style, such as time restricted eating or alternate day fasting. If you have a family to work around, you may find 5:2 fasting less disruptive, as you can still enjoy family meals 70% of the time, and focus on your fast the rest of the time.
Kumaran outlines the main types of fasting:
1) Time Restricted Eating e.g 20:4, 16:8, 14:10 12:12 the first number represents the number of hours you fast for, while the second number represents the number of hours you have as an eating window. So for example with 16:8, you fast for 16 hours and eat within an eight hour window. For some people, this means skipping breakfast, and eating lunch and dinner, however others may choose to skip their evening meal instead.
14:10 and 12:12 tend to be the best for those new to intermittent fasting, because they are less restrictive in terms of when you can eat.
2) 5:2 Fasting In this method, you can eat normally for five days a week, but on two non-consecutive days you consume 500-600 calories a day.
3) One meal a day This is where you eat only one meal a day, and get all your calories and nutrition from that meal.
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What Is The Keto Diet
The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, very low-carb way of eating.
Carbs are typically reduced to 20 to 50 grams per day, which forces your body to rely on fats instead of glucose for its main energy source .
In the metabolic process known as ketosis, your body breaks down fats to form substances called ketones that serve as an alternate fuel source .
This diet is an effective way to shed pounds, but it has several other benefits as well.
The keto diet has been used for nearly a century to treat epilepsy and also demonstrates promise for other neurological disorders (
Whats more, it may reduce blood sugar, improve insulin resistance and lower heart disease risk factors like triglyceride levels .
Summary
The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet linked to potential health benefits, such as weight loss and improved blood sugar control.
If you commit to the ketogenic diet while doing intermittent fasting as well, it could offer the following benefits.
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Intermittent Fasting Schedules And Their Benefits
Luisa Torres, PhDLuisa is a science communications manager at LifeOmic. She is a neuroscientist and science writer covering topics related to aging, metabolism, and brain health.
Luisa Torres, PhDLuisa is a science communications manager at LifeOmic. She is a neuroscientist and science writer covering topics related to aging, metabolism, and brain health.
Intermittent fasting involves avoiding calories for a period of time. It is a simple way to control your weight that doesnt require you to follow a specific diet, count calories, measure food, or follow other complicated rules. Intermittent fasting benefits include weight loss, improved insulin sensitivity, improved blood sugar control, reduced blood pressure, reduced inflammation and increased autophagy. Although its not a diet, you can get the most benefit from intermittent fasting if you focus on eating natural foods most days of the week. You should also limit your intake of meals or snacks that are processed or high in sugar.
There are many intermittent fasting methods you can try. Well talk about some of the most popular here. Use this guide to create an intermittent fasting plan that works for you!
What intermittent fasting schedule should you follow? Consider the following 5 categories:
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Examples Of Different Intermittent Fasting Schedules
If youre considering giving fasting a shot, there are a few different options for working it into your lifestyle.
Daily Intermittent Fasting
Most of the time, I follow the Leangains model of intermittent fasting, which uses a 16hour fast followed by an 8hour eating period. This model of daily intermittent fasting was popularized by Martin Berkhan of Leangains.com, which is where the name originated.
It doesnât matter when you start your 8hour eating period. You can start at 8am and stop at 4pm. Or you start at 2pm and stop at 10pm. Do whatever works for you. I tend to find that eating around 1pm and 8pm works well because those times allow me to eat lunch and dinner with friends and family. Breakfast is typically a meal that I eat on my own, so skipping it isnât a big deal.
Because daily intermittent fasting is done every day it becomes very easy to get into the habit of eating on this schedule. Right now, youâre probably eating around the same time every day without thinking about it. Well, with daily intermittent fasting itâs the same thing, you just learn to not eat at certain times, which is remarkably easy.
Weekly Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent Fasting Schedules: 16/8 Vs 14/10 Vs 20/4 Vs Omad
Throughout history, people have tried pretty much anything to lose weight, from starvation to cleanses to fad diets and more. They do this because the best, most permanent way to lose weight is difficult and involves permanent lifestyle changes, and many people dont want to commit. That said, every single person is different. What works for one person wont work for another, so finding the right combination of diet and exercise to maximize your own health and comfort is a personal journey.
One of the options many people turn to for weight loss is called Intermittent Fasting, or IM. Its a fairly self-explanatory concept intermittently typically once a day, though not always you spend time fasting, or not eating anything and drinking only water.
Intermittent Fasting is a powerful technique for weight loss. Many people struggle, not with eating healthy, but with portion control. After all, even a plate full of fruits and veggies can lead to weight gain if you eat 5,000 calories worth of them. Its often easier to just not eat anything at all than it is to stop eating something tasty.
If youre interested in intermittent fasting, youve probably seen the sets of numbers that come up in discussion. What are 16/8, 14/10, and 20/4? Lets dig in.
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Study Participants Lost Over Half A Pound Each Week On Average
Participants in the study lost an average of a little more than half a pound a week during the study, which is considered safe for weight loss.
âWe didnât specifically ask anyone to restrict their calories,â Taub said. âWe just told them to restrict their eating window. And one of the nice things is people inadvertently without even meaning to do reduce their calories by a little bit.â
Nearly two-thirds of the patients continued adhering to their fasting routine for at least a year after the study ended because it made them feel better. Some were able to quit or reduce their cholesterol or blood pressure medications. Taub told her patients that they should aim to eat nutritious, healthful meals during the study, but stressed ânot to starveâ and ânot to be very skimpy on the calories.â
âThis is not a caloric restriction diet,â she said. âWe do tell them during those 10 hours to eat, and be content. And I think thatâs whatâs also self-sustaining is people donât feel hungry. People donât feel deprived.â
Taub says that sheâs adopted a version of the same fasting plan, and now typically restricts her eating to between the hours of 8 am and 6 pm. Many of her friends and family are trying out their own versions of the idea.
Dinner: Salmon & Veggies At : 30 Pm
Salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 healthy fats, and dark green veggies like kale and broccoli are high in antioxidants.
Salmon is one of my personal favorites for its taste and nutrient density, and you can select any wild-caught seafood of your choice.
Serve alongside some of your favorite vegetables roasted in coconut oil, and you have a quick and easy superfood meal.
Ingredients:
- 4 cloves garlic, finely diced
Method:
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How Gender Impacts Your Fasting Routine
From a biological standpoint, gender can impact the success of intermittent fasting. Male and female body composition and metabolic systems are different from each other. Physical activity, hormone levels, caloric intake, and fasting impact each of us differently.
Due to these reasons, males tend to benefit from fasting more than females. Females also should not focus on long-term fasting or drastic reduction in caloric intake.
Over thousands of years, the genetic makeup of females benefits most from the constant intake of high-quality calories, which eliminates such fasting regimes as 20:4 fasting from a female routine. The optimal amount of fasting would be 14 hours per day.
For males, skipping breakfast or skipping a day of eating might be just what the doctor recommended.
In both cases, the most important thing is to avoid hangriness, a state when you become very upset while hungry. The key here is to balance out your meals and eat highly nutritious meals throughout the eating window.
Generally, try to eat high-protein and high-fiber dishes to stay satiated for longer.
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Overeating And Potential Weight Gain
Restricting your intake to just 8 hours per day may cause some people to eat more than usual during eating periods in an attempt to make up for hours spent fasting. This may lead to weight gain, digestive problems, and unhealthy eating habits.
Interestingly, current research doesnt suggest that intermittent fasting leads to any more weight loss than typical diets that recommend overall calorie restriction. Both eating patterns may lead to modest weight loss .
If weight loss is your primary goal, you may therefore prefer to lower your calorie intake instead of fasting intermittently to prevent the overeating that may occur when restricting intake to a certain time window.
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Intermediate Fasting Meal Plan
With this plan, you will be eating only between the hours of 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. for a full 18 hours of fasting within a 24-hour period.
I personally practice this plan during the workweek. I’m not a breakfast person, so I just enjoy a few cups of herbal tea to start my day.
Even though you are skipping breakfast, it’s still important to stay hydrated.
Make sure to drink enough water. You can also have herbal tea,
The catechins in tea have been shown to enhance the benefits of fasting by helping to further , so you can make it until lunch and not feel deprived.
Since you’ve increased your fasting period an extra four hours, you need to make sure your first meal has enough healthy fats. The burger in the 8-to-6-window plan will work well, and you can add more fats in with your dressing or top with avocado!
Nuts and seeds make great snacks that are high-fat and can be eaten around 2:30 p.m.
Soaking these beforehand can help neutralize naturally occurring enzymes like phytates that can contribute to digestive problems. Eat dinner around 5:30 p.m., and just like in the 8-to-6-window plan, a dinner with some sort of wild-caught fish or another clean protein source with vegetables is a great option.
- First meal, 12 p.m.: Grass-fed burger with avocado
- Snack, 2:30 p.m.: Nuts and seeds
- Second meal, 5:30 p.m.: Salmon and veggies
