Youre Eating Too Little
Counterintuitive to what I just said, eating too little might actually hurt your weight loss aspirations.
Per the MayoClinic, you only need to eat around 500-1000 fewer calories to lose 1-2 lbs of weight per week which is, by the way, the safe weight loss rate you should aim for.
Now, if you deducted more calories than that, youd certainly lose more than 1-2 lbs for the first couple of weeks but eventually, your body adjusts and goes into starvation mode where your metabolism slows down and burns less calories.
The fix? Consume just the right amount of calories without compromising your metabolism too much. Losing just 1-2 lbs per week is typically a telltale sign that thats what youre doing. If you lose more than that, eat some more.
Again, not a plug and were not making money out of this, but MyFitnessPal helps you do that for free.
Circling back to the topic of metabolism
Intermittent Fasting Rule #: High Protein And Carbs On Training Days
This is where I indulge a little. After an intense training session, I dont mind treating myself. I enjoy carbs after a solid lift. This is also how I justify pushing through those extra rounds on the mats and reps in the weight room. I know that a snack is coming. I know that I get to feast and not feel too guilty about it.
You Are Eating The Wrong Type Of Food
Many other diets come with a list of foods that you can and cannot eat. However, that is not how intermittent fasting works.
Intermittent fasting lets you eat anything you would like within a specific eating window.
Because intermittent fasting does not restrict your diet, it is easy to slip right into unhealthy feeding habits. Binging on unhealthy processed foods even if it is only in your eating window could be responsible for your slow results.
Stuffing too many calories during your eating periods is also counterproductive.
During your intermittent fast, consider changing your meal plan. Toss out the unhealthy processed food and switch to healthier options. Think of foods like whole grains that are rich in dietary fiber.
Furthermore, sugary foods could send your blood sugar levels through the roof and contribute to reduced insulin sensitivity.
Staying away from sugary foods protects you from sugar highs and the sugar crash that results after. It also helps keep your blood sugar within the normal range.
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Are There Any Side Effects Of Intermittent Fasting 20/4
Yes, there are. Some downsides of participating in a fasting eating plan include:
- May lead to a binge-eating disorder This is a serious eating disorder in which you frequently consume unusually large amounts of food and feel unable to stop eating. Fasting has been linked to the increase in the onset of binge-eating .
- May lead to nutrient deficiencies Since you are eating during a very small window, you are unlikely to consume the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Nutrient deficiencies that can lead to anemia, fatigue, weakness, poor eye health and immunity, short term memory loss, diarrhea, dementia, and skin disorders, muscle loss, osteoporosis, and depression .
- It has no basis in science As we mentioned above, this diet was developed by an ex-military guy who based all his findings from his experience during active duty. He is neither a scientist, nutritionist, nor a dietitian. On the other hand, most of the benefits mentioned have been linked to fasting in general or other forms of intermittent fasting and not the 20/4 method.
Saturated And Trans Fats
These two types of fat belong to the group of bad fats. Both saturated and trans fats can harm your body and are recommended to be avoided and substituted by healthy fats. Saturated fats are also called solid fats, due to their ability to become solid at room temperature. Dietitians recommend consuming no more than 13g of saturated fats per day. You can find this type of fat in animal meats and their products, dairy , certain vegetable oils , and processed foods .
Trans fats are not healthier than saturated fats. These fats are manufactured and were widely used in fast-food production, as they are relatively cheap and can be preserved for a longer time. It is best to avoid them completely. Trans fats usually occur in fried foods, some baked goods , cookies, crackers, pizza dough, fast foods, packaged foods, shortenings, and stick margarine . Always look for the words hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats or oils on the ingredients list and avoid those product that contain them.
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What Is The 1: 8 Diet
The 16:8 diet is a type of intermittent fasting where you break each day into two parts a 16 hour stretch and an 8 hour period. For 16 hours every day, you consume nothing but water, coffee, tea and other unsweetened drinks. Then for the other eight hours of the day, you can eat all your meals and snacks.
The 16 hour stretch sounds like a long time, but if youre getting enough sleep, you should be asleep for about half of that time.
Sports Scientist Harry Aitken tells GoodtoKnow, Intermittent fasting is a dietary technique in which all food is consumed within a relatively small window of time. Fasting is going for a significant period of time without eating, and intermittent fasting simply brings in a small window of time where you are able to eat.
Intermittent fasting has been popularised and studies have gone on to confirm that it leads to weight loss and fat loss.
The 16:8 diet stems from the book 8 Hour Diet by author David Zinczenko and editor-in-chief of Mens Health Peter Moore, who suggested that a longer fasting time between eating gives the body the time it needs to process the food and burn away extra fat.
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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Does Intermittent Fasting Have Different Effects On Men And Women
The quick answer is: yes, Intermittent Fasting can affect men and women differently.
Anecdotally, we have many women in our online coaching program that swear by Intermittent Fasting, while others have had adverse effects.
Lets dig into the science and studies.
A recent PubMed summary concluded thatfasting can be prescribed as a safe medical intervention as well as a lifestyle regimen which can improve womens health in many folds .
Now, in that extract, many of the studies cited are focused on specifically calorie restriction , and they also say that future studies should address this gap by designing medically supervised fasting techniques to extract better evidence.
Digging into the PubMed Archives brought me to the following conclusions :
One small study resulted in the following: Glucose response to a meal was slightly impaired in women after 3 weeks of treatment, but insulin response was unchanged. Men had no change in glucose response and a significant reduction in insulin response.
Another small study studied the effects on their menstrual cycles after a 72 hour fast which is significantly longer than any fast recommended in this article: in spite of profound metabolic changes, a 72-hour fast during the follicular phase does not affect the menstrual cycle of normal cycling women..
Precision Nutrition a great resource recommends not attempting Intermittent Fasting as a woman if:
- youre pregnant
- you dont sleep well
- youre new to diet and exercise
Intermittent Fasting For Weight Loss Meal Plan
The plan that has proven to be the easiest to integrate into everyday life is the 16/8 method. It is basically up to you which 16 out of 24 hours you decide not to eat.
However, it is helpful to fit the 8 hours of sleep into the fasting period. This way, you shorten the fasting period to 8 hours a day.
Therefore, it makes little sense to skip lunch. However, some people have accomplished results by skipping lunch based on their unique daily routines.
Nonetheless, the sample intermittent fasting weight loss meal plan is limited to lunch and dinner since most people like to eat dinner with their family.
Monday
- Lunch: Avocado tuna salad with egg
- Dinner: Pork chops baked with cheese and steamed broccoli in olive oil
Tuesday
- Lunch: Chicken mayonnaise salad with cucumber, avocado, onion, and walnuts
- Dinner: Roasted chicken legs with cauliflower puree
Wednesday
- Lunch: Ground beef lettuce wraps with cheddar cheese, onion, and bell pepper
- Dinner: Chicken stuffed with cream cheese, served with roasted asparagus
Thursday
- Lunch: Roasted pork belly, served with steamed kohlrabi
- Dinner: Mackerel fried in coconut oil with kale and toasted pine nuts
Friday
- Lunch: Grilled salmon with a salad of leafy greens, feta, and tomato
- Dinner: Ribeye steak with butter and coleslaw
Saturday
- Lunch: Chicken salad with olive oil, feta cheese, olives, and lettuce
- Dinner: Pasture-raised beef burger with tomato, onion, cheese, and kale
Sunday
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Ways To Keep It Manageable
IF can be tough, especially in the beginning.
In addition to the telltale grumbling of your stomach, you may also experience fatigue, irritability, and stress while you try to manage your new eating schedule.
Here are some tips to make your life a little easier:
As you begin your IF journey, these common concerns may be on your mind.
You Are Not Eating Enough Food
Though it might sound counterproductive, you need to eat well during your eating window.
Intermittent fasting does not mean starvation and you can continue with your normal diet.
When you are not getting enough calories during your eating window, chances are that you will eat a whole lot more during your next window. That is because of the uncontrollable hunger that you will feel.
Also, starving yourself might cause your body to store more fat long-term. Your body notices that you are going for extended periods with little or no food and to ensure that you have a reliable energy source during such periods, your body stores the extra food you eat as fat.
So, instead of burning energy from your meals, your body begins to conserve energy.
Calorie counting could help you ensure you are getting sufficient fuel for your days activities.
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Will I Lose Weight
Most likely.64 If you have weight to lose, it is extremely likely that you will lose weight if you do not eat.
In theory, its possible to eat more after fasting, of course, cancelling out the weight lost. But studies generally show that most people tend to eat significantly less overall.65
I call intermittent fasting the ancient secret of weight loss because it might be one of the most powerful dietary interventions for weight loss, yet it has been mostly ignored by doctors and dietitians for a long time.66
What To Eat To Promote Weight Loss
Although intermittent fasting 14/10 doesnt have any particular food requirements or restrictions, a certain nutritional plan can significantly improve your results. As mentioned before, a healthy and well-balanced diet is key to the doubled effectiveness of fasting. So, if you want to boost your health and slimming process, here are some recommendations on what foods to include to your ration:
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How Long Till You See Results From Intermittent Fasting
Now, most people who use Intermittent Fasting will see much better results in their first month compared to typical diets such as calorie restriction.
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention says you can only really lose 1-2 pounds a week . This means according to them you can only drop up to 8 pounds in a month.
But most people using Intermittent Fasting typically lose more weight than that. Plus itll feel less restrictive to use Intermittent Fasting compared to calorie counting since you can still eat outside your fasting window.
The first week youre using Intermittent Fasting youll also notice an increase in energy in the mornings. This is a great time to workout and hit the gym as your body burns off more fat for energy in a fasted state.
Plus youll feel better mentally and have decreased brain fog after a few days of Intermittent Fasting. Youll think clearer which will help to translate over to improvements in productivity in your work and school.
But the weekends can be the toughest for those getting started with Intermittent Fasting for their first month. It can be hard to stay fasted when your friends want to hang out or if you want to cut loose on the weekends.
Do your best to stick with your fasting window over the weekends if you want to keep getting results you can be proud of. I make a rule to live and die by the timer app on my phone to not eat until its finished no matter what.
How Long Does Intermittent Fasting Take To Show Results
You might begin to first notice a difference in your body about 10 days after you begin intermittent fasting. It could take between 2-10 weeks for you to lose significant weight. You might lose up to a pound each week.
Usually, the first signs you will notice that scream that your intermittent fasting is working is less bloating. Your midsection might look trimmer just over your first week of intermittent fasting.
Observing weight loss will take a little longer as your body needs some time to adjust to this new diet.
At about the second week is when most people first notice that they have dropped their first few pounds. If you have still not lost any weight by week two, stay consistent for about four or five more weeks and your results should come in soon enough.
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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.
Its Inappropriate For Many People
The Warrior Diet is not a way of eating that everyone should follow.
This type of intermittent fasting is inappropriate for many people, including:
- Children
13 ).
Some women may be able to fast intermittently without negative effects. However, some may experience unpleasant side effects like insomnia, anxiety, missed periods and reproductive health disturbances.
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Youre Not Eating Enough During Your Window
This may come as a surprise, but not eating enough can cause issues. How is that? If you dont eat enough in your eating window, you increase the chances of binge eating in your next window due to sheer starvation. Youll be so hungry, you may start eating and not stop.
As well, the body stores food to protect itself. Your body will sense the need to stock up on reserves and may store those extra pounds as fat instead of lean muscle. So again, calculate your macros to see the number of calories your body needs and youll still nourish your body while losing weight.
If you are struggling with not eating during the fasting period and then bingeing during your eating window, try reducing the fasting period from 16 hours to 14 or even 12. Once you get things under control, you can gradually expand the fasting period until you are back at 16 hours. If you are trying the 24-hour fast, make it a 20-hour fast to gain control over how you are eating. The same principal can be applied to any of the fasting regimens. The main thing is to eat healthily when you do eat, and to eat enough to nourish the body.
Intermittent Fasting Rule #: Stop Stressing About What Breaks A Fast And What Doesnt Break A Fast
Does chewing gum break a fast?
What? I dont even know what to say to that question.
You can fine tune as you get closer to that dream physique. Focus on starting your days off by getting shit done. Water, sparkling water, and black coffee will help you get through the morning. When youre ready to go from 6 pack to 8 pack we can apply the advanced tricks.
You dont need any fancy gimmicks to get started tomorrow .
Some people argue the rules for intermittent fasting to lose weight. The use labels like clean fasting and dirty fasting. I tend to disagree with those labels. Dirty fasts allow you to chew bubble gum and to drink bulletproof coffee as long as youre cutting calories back. Clean fast requires you to be more strict.
Our goal will always be progress over perfection.
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