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How Do You Intermittent Fasting

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How To Do Intermittent Fasting Correctly

How Often Should You Do Intermittent Fasting?

Todays blog post will be about Intermittent Fasting and how to do it the right way.

Were going to talk about what your goals are and how to achieve them, why youre doing it in the first place and how to actually do it. Along the way, we will also be discussing the common pitfalls of intermittent fasting such as how do you know if youre someone that may have physiological or hormonal imbalances that may prevent you from getting the full benefit and maybe even getting worse?

So lets dig in off the bat!

Restricting During The Week Can Lead To Weekend Overeating

Every evening, Jen said she has one low-calorie hard seltzer.

Being strict with a diet during the week can backfire, Turoff said.

âI want to know what her âone day for an indulgenceâ looks like,â she said. âThis can be totally fine, but often, Iâll see people be very restrictive all week only to go totally off the rails on the weekend when they have more âfreedom.’â

Not only is this a bad mindset to be in, but it can affect your fitness results as well, Turoff said.

Read Also: How Many Calories Should You Eat When Intermittent Fasting

Female Intermittent Fasting Results After 1 Month

First off Ive noticed in my years as a personal trainer and nutrition coach that women tend to lose a little less weight than men with Intermittent Fasting. Im not sure the physiological reasons for this but women just tend to lose a little less than men. But that doesnt make it any less effective for them.

Women tend to lose about 10-15 pounds in their first month using Intermittent Fasting.

If youre a woman then youll also notice a slimmer midsection with less belly fat and a tighter tummy. You can also expect to drop a few pant sizes in one month as your body loses weight and burns off more fat. Plus youll notice your arms and legs will appear more toned than before.

But if you have a lot of weight to lose then women can easily lose more weight than this. 20 pounds can be achieved with Intermittent Fasting in your first month if youre already carrying 40+ pounds of excess weight on your body.

Many postpartum women can lose a good chunk of baby weight they gained during the pregnancy. Lots of women can get back to their pre-baby weight after a few months of Intermittent Fasting.

Make sure you also take a before and after picture to see visual changes in your bodys appearance after the first month of Intermittent Fasting. Measuring your inches as well will help to give you an overall picture of how much weight and fat you lost over the first month of fasting.

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What Is Intermittent Fasting And Why Would You Do It

Intermittent fasting is not a diet, it’s a pattern of eating. It’s a way of scheduling your meals so that you get the most out of them. Intermittent fasting doesnt change what you eat, it changes when you eat.

Why is it worthwhile to change when youre eating?

Well, most notably, its a great way to get lean without going on a crazy diet or cutting your calories down to nothing. In fact, most of the time you’ll try to keep your calories the same when you start intermittent fasting. Additionally, intermittent fasting is a good way to keep muscle mass on while getting lean.

With all that said, the main reason people try intermittent fasting is to lose fat. We’ll talk about how intermittent fasting leads to fat loss in a moment.

Perhaps most importantly, intermittent fasting is one of the simplest strategies we have for taking bad weight off while keeping good weight on because it requires very little behavior change. This is a very good thing because it means intermittent fasting falls into the category of simple enough that you’ll actually do it, but meaningful enough that it will actually make a difference.

What Are The Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting

A Beginners Guide to Intermittent Fasting

Weight loss isnt the only benefit of IF. Fasting is a practice that dates back to ancient times, and in some cultures is still practiced regularly.

Health benefits are a pleasant side effect of IF, and many of those perks can affect womens health specifically.

Musculoskeletal health. This includes conditions like osteoporosis, arthritis, and lower back pain. Fasting has been shown to promote hormone secretion from the thyroid. This can promote bone health and help prevent bone fractures.

Metabolic health. Some women go through menopause in their 50s. Menopause can cause changes in your body that increase belly fat, insulin, and glucose. Fasting can help you decrease your blood pressure, cholesterol, and belly fat, which can improve insulin sensitivity. Fasting can also keep your metabolism on track as you age.

Mental health. Fasting has been shown to promote mental health. It may reduce anxiety, depression, and the emotional roller coaster that can go hand-in-hand with menopause. Fasting has also been proven to improve self-esteem and reduce stress.

Other proven benefits of IF include:

  • Improved memory

Read Also: What Can Be Consumed During Intermittent Fasting

It Could Lead To Disordered Eating

The Warrior Diet places an emphasis on overeating, which could be problematic for many people.

Though Ori Hofmekler argues that one should know to stop eating when you feel pleasantly satisfied, this may not translate into healthy eating practices for everyone.

The Warrior Diet could lead to binging and purging behaviors, especially in those at risk of developing disordered eating.

Binging on large quantities of food may also lead to feelings of regret and shame, which can negatively impact mental health and body image.

Yes You Can Have Water

To get the full benefits of fasting, its important not to consume any food during your fasting window but you can drink water, black coffee and tea, says Pleimling. Be aware that caffeinated drinks can dehydrate you when your body is already depleted of energy though, says Carrie Lam, a family medicine doctor in Loma Linda, California. She also says alcohol is off the table during the fasting window.

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What Are The Goals Of Intermittent Fasting

The first goal is were trying to increase lipolysis which will increase fat burning. The benefits that you get from intermittent fasting comes from that last meal lets say its at 8PM all the way to the next day, now its twelve hours weve gotten so far. Then well have, lets say, until 2PM in the afternoon. Weve added another four plus six, so we have eighteen hours of no food. So a lot of that benefit happens in that eighteen-hour time where we start increasing lipolysis.

The next goal is to increase cellular autophagy where our body starts recycling proteins. This also comes with the benefit of lengthening the telomeres.

And the third goal is to and were making our body more sensitive to insulin.

Again, insulin and fat burning are inversely correlated. When our insulin is high, we cant burn fat but when our insulin is low, we burn a whole bunch of fat. So the goal is to make ourselves more sensitive to insulin. So its like, the more sensitive your hearing is, people dont have to yell or raise their voices for them to get your attention i.e. the pancreas doesnt have to raise your insulin levels so the body can understand where to pull the sugar in and how to store the nutrients. When growth hormone goes up, that will help you put on muscle mass and we can combine this with good exercise allowing us to put on more muscle, which is great.

So the goals are all of these really good benefits above.

Intermittent Fasting Increases Several Fat Burning Hormones

How Long Can You Do Intermittent Fasting For?

Hormones are chemicals that act as messengers. They travel through your body to coordinate complicated functions, such as growth and metabolism.

They also play an important role in the regulation of your weight. This is because they have a strong influence on your appetite, the number of calories you eat, and how much fat you store or burn .

Intermittent fasting has been linked to improvements in the balance of some fat burning hormones. This could make it a helpful tool for weight management.

Recommended Reading: What Do I Eat When Intermittent Fasting

Why Does My Blood Sugar Go Up During Fasting

While this does not happen with everyone, it can occur due to hormonal changes that occur during intermittent fasting. Your body is producing sugar in order to provide energy for your system. This is a variation of the dawn phenomenon and in general is not a concern as long as blood sugars are not elevated the rest of the day.45

/6concentrate On Making Protein A Big Part Of Your Diet

A crucial component of a good and effective weight loss diet is protein, which, when had in the right quantity keeps you well satiated and nourished. When you switch back to a three or four small meals a day, regular diet plan, make sure you have enough protein-rich foods in your plate, which is one of the ways to ensure that you do not overindulge, and stay in control of your eating habits, even after switching off from the fasting plan. Be it animal protein or plant-based protein, having protein rich foods regularly is quite beneficial.

Also Check: How To Stop Thinking About Food When Fasting

History Of Diabetes And Intermittent Fasting

Fasting has been around for some time, particularly if you consider the historical role of fasting as part of many types of spiritual rituals. More recently, intermittent fasting has been used as part of a healthy diet for weight loss, as part of “detoxifying” the body, and more. But there has been much controversy surrounding the topic of fasting for those with diabetes.

Today, there is a growing body of evidence indicating that specific types of intermittent fasting diets may be beneficial for people with diabetes. In addition, scientists are beginning to speculate that when a person fasts may be just as important as the diet itself.

Should You Do Intermittent Fasting And The Keto Diet

The Intermittent Fasting Trend: What Is the Best Way to Do It?

We have a crazy extensive guide on the Keto Diet in case youre not familiar with it, so here it is in a nutshell:

This process is called ketosis, and there are two ways for a body to enter ketosis:

  • Eating in a way that induces ketosis .
  • FastingHey, thats what youre reading about right now!

We actually have an amazing success story here on Nerd Fitness, Larry, who followed our strategies, went Keto and start intermittent fasting. He ended up losing weight, getting stronger, AND overcame the challenges of rheumatoid arthritis !

Heres how the fasting portion of it works:

As your body enters a fast period when there are no sources of glucose energy readily available, the liver begins the process of breaking down fat into ketones.

Fasting itself can trigger ketosis.

Fasting for a period of time before kicking off a Keto-friendly eating plan COULD speed your transition into the metabolic state of ketosis, and fasting intermittently while in ketosis could help you maintain that state.

I personally love fasting for the simplicity: I skip breakfast every day and train in a fasted state. Its one less decision I have to make, its one less opportunity to make a bad food choice, and it helps me reach my goals.

WHY KETO + IF WORKS = eating Keto can be really challenging. And every time you eat, its an opportunity to do it wrong and accidentally eat foods that knock you out of ketosis.

Youre also tempted to overeat.

Your value may vary!

You need to decide what works for you.

Read Also: How Does Do Fasting Work

So Is Intermittent Fasting As Good As It Sounds

According to metabolic expert Dr. Deborah Wexler, Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Diabetes Center and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, says “there is evidence to suggest that the circadian rhythm fasting approach, where meals are restricted to an eight to 10-hour period of the daytime, is effective.” But still she recommends that people “use an eating approach that works for them and is sustainable to them.”

So, heres the deal. There is some good scientific evidence suggesting that circadian rhythm fasting, when combined with a healthy diet and lifestyle, can be a particularly effective approach to weight loss, especially for people at risk for diabetes.

The Downside To Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting works well for some people but not everyone. Some people find it difficult to go long periods of time without food. For others, skipping meals leads to overeating or binge eating later.

If you have a tendency toward disordered eating, intermittent fasting is not a good idea. If thats the case, try setting reasonable weight-loss goals. Set a non-food reward for when you reach the goal.

All weight loss should focus on healthy nutrition and exercise as lifestyle changes instead of temporary weight-loss aids.

Also Check: What To Drink When Fasting To Lose Weight

Approximately 8 Hours After Your Last Meal Depending On How Big It Was Your Body Completes The Process Of Digesting Absorbing And Assimilating It

So says Alejandro Junger, MD, founder of international health and wellness company CLEAN. This, according to the expert, is when the body refocuses from digestion to other vital matters such as detoxification. Detoxification doesnt stop while digestion is taking place it is simply slowed down, just as thinking and moving are, he says.

How Much Weight Loss Can You Expect In A Month On Intermittent Fasting

How Do You Do Intermittent Fasting?

Many factors go into how much weight you actually lose on intermittent fasting. Weight loss will depend on your current weight, metabolism, what you eat, and your activity levels. Obviously, if you follow a healthy eating pattern and exercise every day or a few times a week, it will help you shed weight faster.

Intermittent fasting may enable you to lose between 0.51.5 pounds a week. In 4 weeks, you could lose anything between 26 pounds.

Read Also: How Is Intermittent Fasting Done

Foods List And Meal Plan

To maximize the potential health benefits of your diet, its important to stick to nutritious whole foods and beverages during your eating periods.

Filling up on nutrient-rich foods helps round out your diet and supports a healthy weight. Try balancing each meal with a wide variety of whole foods, such as:

  • Fruits: apples, bananas, berries, oranges, peaches, pears, tomatoes, etc.
  • Veggies: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cucumbers, leafy greens, etc.
  • Whole grains: barley, buckwheat, quinoa, rice, oats, etc.
  • Healthy fats: olive oil and avocados
  • Protein sources: eggs, fish, legumes, meat, poultry, nuts, seeds, etc.

Drinking calorie-free beverages like water and unsweetened tea and coffee, even while fasting, also helps control your appetite while keeping you hydrated.

Its best to avoid ultra-processed foods like packaged snacks, deep-fried items, sugary drinks, and most frozen meals. These negate the positive effects of 16/8 intermittent fasting and may harm your health.

Summary

To begin 16/8 intermittent fasting, choose an 8-hour window and limit your food intake to that time span. Be sure to follow a balanced diet based in whole foods.

Summary

Animal and human studies suggest that intermittent fasting may increase weight loss, improve blood sugar levels, and extend longevity.

Intermittent Fasting Good For Reversing Insulin Resistance And Muscle Building

You may start intermittent fasting because you want to reverse your insulin resistance. That objective might take you a little longer to achieve, so you could be fasting intermittently for say 5 6 months.

If your objective is to build muscle with intermittent fasting, then it may take you as long as 4 6 months or even longer. With muscle building, you will want to consider adding a workout regime to the fasting.

You also should consider doing your workout routine which must include resistance training towards the last 2 hours of the fasting window to accelerate the process.

In essence, I am saying the workout should be the last activity you do before you resume eating. That has been shown to be very effective.

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Intermittent Fasting Is A Diet Plan That Allows Dieters To Eat All Their Meals In A 12

Intermittent fasting requires following some diet tips.

Intermittent fasting is a diet plan that allows dieters to eat all their meals in a 12-hour window. Some people fast for longer periods, which can be as long as 14 or 18 hours. Intermittent fasting is said to be a middle ground between prolonged very low calorie diets, which are said to be harmful in the long run, as well as unrestricted eating and unhealthy diets. There are several different types of intermittent fasting and the one described above is known as time restricted feeding. People also practice alternate day fasting where they fast during three days in a week and eat just one meal which meets 25% of their daily calorie requirement, while the rest of the days have no food restrictions. Then there are those who practice whole-day fasts one or two days in a week and donât fast for the rest of the days of the week. Advocates of intermittent fasting claim that the diet offers a number of benefits, including weight loss, as well as some other positive metabolic changes. It is important to consult a dietitian or nutritionist before attempting this diet.

Although evidence regarding effectiveness of intermittent fasting for weight loss is scanty, a number of people have reported dropping weight by following the regime for several weeks. In fact, there are certain diet tips that if followed while fasting, may help burn fat faster.

Replace Electrolytes And Eat Salt

Intermittent Fasting Helps to Lose Weight Fast and Improve ...

Electrolyte loss is a common and normal response during intermittent fasting. As a result, you may experience dry mouth and thirst, despite your effort of drinking gallons of water. These symptoms can be uncomfortable and make you feel hungry .

Electrolytes are integral for health and wellbeing, so we urge you to keep levels in tip top shape, before symptoms set in. To replace electrolytes, you can drink bone broth and salt food liberally during your eating window. Additionally, a magnesium and potassium supplement can be helpful . Here is our guide on electrolytes, which will go through it in more detail.

A pinch of salt is also a great way to cleanse the palate and dampen hunger. Use a small bit at a time, a few dabs on your tongue, and let it work its magicâââin no time, hunger will vanish, along with that horrible coating in the mouth.

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