Day Intermittent Fasting Challenge
Thu, 02/11/2021 – 08:23
Intermittent fasting has been shown to improve your health, slow the aging process, and even help with weight loss or weight maintenance .
So, I want us to take this on for 30 days and lets see if we cant make it a permanent habit!
Now, I know the word fast can sound really scary and intimidating, but honestly this has been around forever and its simply been called breakfast or breaking your overnight fast. Yup. Old as time.
Now, there are ways to do this that make a difference! See the top things to be mindful of below:
The first is time frame. The 12:12 approach is the easiest. So this is the one I challenge you to do. If you want to do more you can, but 12:12 for 30 days is what Im asking of you! You simply create an overnight fast window of 12 hours. So if you finish dinner at 7:30pm dont eat again until the next day at 7:30am.
Research has shown that a window of up to 16 hours can be very beneficial for those with serious health conditions like type 2 diabetes for example. However, a longer fast window could cause you to become overly hungry and overeat when you do finally eat which is ultimately counterintuitive. So, I recommend starting with 12:12 and gradually increasing by 30 minute increments until you find that threshold where you feel like you are starving and stop before that happens.
Before You Start Intermittent Fasting
I know many of you are itching to get started right away, but IF is not for everyone. It is not recommended for pregnant women, women who are breastfeeding, people with diabetes, or other people who need to closely regulate their blood sugar. In addition, there has not been research on participants who are underweight, very old, or very young and these populations could be at higher risk for experiencing negative consequences of fasting . So please:
- Visit your doctor and share your interest in IF. Make sure its right for you.
- Research more about IF and learn outside of what I share to see if there is a different style of IF that is a better fit for you and your needs. While there is widely available research on the benefits of IF, you should also learn more about the potential of negative effects of fasting on sleep, alertness, cognitive-motor performance, mood and for those with a previous history or susceptibility with eating disorders.
- If you want to understand how full day fasts work , check out the BBC documentary Eat, Fast & Live Longer. It focuses on a style called Alternate Day Fasting. This documentary helped me in deciding to try IF as a lifestyle.
- Check out my friend Daniels journey in IF. Ive been grateful for his early support and guidance in adopting this life changing lifestyle. His journey in losing 60+ pounds was what initially got me interested in researching IF, and I found comfort in knowing someone who had success with it.
How Should You Do Intermittent Fasting
Most of us already “fast” every day while we are sleeping. Intermittent fasting can be as simple as extending that fast for a few more hours. You can choose from a variety of different intermittent fasting schedules. For example, fasting for 12, 14, 16, 18, or 20 hours and fitting all your meals in the time that’s left.
Read Also: What Are The Best Hours To Do Intermittent Fasting
Want To Know More About Intermittent Fasting
Alright, folks, I hope you appreciate the efforts of the research and it gave you some insights into the apps mentioned.
In fact, if you wish to get started right now but need more guidance and support where and how to start exactly, sign up for our 21 Day Intermittent Fasting Challenge and get to know everything you need to successfully master the intermittent fasting diet and lifestyle.
* these fasting apps have sponsored this article. However, I would have included them anyway, because these are great apps that will help to make your intermittent fasting journey easier.
What Results Can I Expect With Intermittent Fasting
Many factors go into how much weight you lose on intermittent fasting. Weight loss will depend on your current weight, metabolism, eating habits, and activity levels. Take our 60-second quiz and discover exactly how much weight you can lose with DoFasting if you follow your personalized fasting plan.
Recommended Reading: How To Start Fasting For Beginners
Reasons To Choose My Fasting Challenge
Intermittent fasting is a great way to train your body and mind. There are several benefits of IF that can do wonders for your health if you change your lifestyle.
Such challenges can become a primary tool for your fitness. It educates dieters about workouts, nutrition, and most importantly, the mindset required to obtain long-term results. It keeps you accountable for your daily activities via emails so that you can meet your health goals.
Still unsure why you should choose this program to make intermittent fasting simpler? Take a look at these benefits:
Measurements & Tools I Use
- A scale. I use the Weight Gurus Digital Scale with smartphone tracking. This particular scale measures weight, body fat, muscle mass and more.
- Weight loss tracking app. I love the Happy Scale mobile iOS app . It shows how your weight loss is trending, allows you to break your goals down into smaller milestone goals and can predict based on your current weight loss rate when you will hit your goals and more.
The above two are the most helpful and what my friends and I use daily. The below are additional things Ive done to measure success . I love data, so I choose to do the following as well:
- Visual Progress. Take before photos! You may feel uncomfortable especially when youre first getting started, but youll be thankful for them later.
- Measurements. I also decided to take measurements using a flexible measuring tape when I first started and every four weeks or so. Sometimes the scale doesnt accurately show all of your progress and photos, and measurements tell a better story.
- MyFitnessPal. I use this app to track my calories on Eat Days . I only do this to get a sense of how much Im eating and make sure Im eating more than enough on Eat days.
- Detailed spreadsheet.In a spreadsheet I created for myself, I track all of the above and have used it to identify daily/weekly trends and help me figure out how to further experiment with IF. This has been a highly requested spreadsheet, and I hope to share the template in the very near future!
Also Check: How To Do Intermittent Fasting And Lose Weight
Fasting Is Not A Quick Fix
If youre jumping onto fasting and expecting it to be the key to transforming your life, Im sorry to say that its not going to be.
Fasting has helped me uncover the tip of my issues with food. It has helped me achieve my weight loss goals . It has helped me detox a lot of junk from my system not just physical detox, but also emotional detox. It has definitely changed my life on some level, knowing that I can survive without food for some time , and knowing that many mainstream beliefs surrounding food are pretty much false.
However, all these happened because I went into fasting recognizing it as a method of healing, not a holy grail. I recognized the bulk of the work was on me in the end that I needed to process my issues during my fast, that I needed to sort through my problems, and that I needed to change my eating habits post-fast, to maintain the benefits.
Fasting itself isnt meant to be a quick fix. It is a great way to usher in quick weight loss, physical detox, emotional detox, and reset unhealthy eating habits , but its not your one-way ticket to a magically improved life. Things will not magically disappear and get improved by just not eating. Fasting will, however, provide an opening to work on your issues with weight/food/life, after which its up to you to work through them.
Do You Experience Side Effects From Extended Fasting
Fasting for a long period of time can cause some minor side effects. From my research, it seems it’s typical to experience some side effects although most are relatively mild and not cause for concern.
It should go without saying of course, that if you experience extreme side effects then you stop immediately and seek help.
I expected to feel hunger pains, and these were mostly present between the hours of 18-24 into the fast. The thing is these are not constant hunger pains as they come and go.
I was concerned this would prevent me from sleeping, but fortunately, I was so tired from not sleeping well the night before, that I fell straight to sleep.
Also Check: When To Eat When Intermittent Fasting
Challenges Associated With A 7
You dont need us to tell you that fasting for seven days in a row is hard. It requires extreme commitment, self-control, and restraint. Even if you possess super-human willpower and have some experience with prolonged fasting, you could encounter many potential challenges throughout your 7-day fast. Here are a few to look out for:
What Is Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and periods of voluntary fasting over the course of a single day, week or other defined period.
Huh?
In human terms, it merely means controlling when do you eat and when you dont. The period when you dont consume any food or drinks is called a fasting window. And the rest is calledeating window.
How long you choose to have your fasting or eating window is really up to you and your chosen Intermittent Fasting schedule. I will cover all the most common schedules and their pros and cons in a few sections below.
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What Is My Fasting Challenge
When following a diet plan based on fasting, it is often more challenging to follow than other plans. And world-renowned methods, such as intermittent fasting, are no exceptions.
This type of fasting can be great for reducing the temptation of overeating. Thus, it is not easy to follow or stick to a diet method that needs long-term consistency.
When you decide to follow an intermittent fasting diet plan, you have to choose the type of fasting that suits you the best. Fasting has various forms, including alternate-day fasting, eat-stop-eat, 5:2 diet, and 16:8 diet.
All these require the right knowledge of diet plans, nutrition, and guidance. And it can make things a little trickier.
Does it sound complicated?
Dont worry, as this guide can be your one-and-all solution to all these problems.
The challenge comes with a comprehensive design and features to make intermittent fasting simple. Combined with the DoFasting app and DoFasting supplements you will achieve the best results possible.
From guiding you about IF and simple workout programs to tracking progress and monthly evaluations, My Fasting Challenge makes reaching your goals simpler and quicker.
It also offers a step-by-step daily guide for healthy weight management and lifestyle change, helps build sustainable habits, and creates a healthier relationship with food and your body.
It also works as your personal challenge that you can take up to meet your weight goals.
Did I Lose Weight Doing An Extended Fast
I am very keen to shed some fat since gaining over 6kg in 18-months and really feeling flabby. I am realistic though and fasting for two days is not going to massively move the weight scales needle.
That said, I lost in total 1.2kg in just 48 hours. Not all the weight loss is body fat though, as a large portion will be down to the water.
I lost in total 1.2kg in just 48 hours.
Although I was very well hydrated, my carbohydrate stores would have been depleted, and considering for each gram of carbohydrate there are 3 grams of water stored this can soon add up.
There is a superb article on glycogen and water retention in this article by Justin Owings.
In summary, the quickest weight loss on a diet is water weight.
Glycogen is stored in the liver, muscles, and fat cells in a hydrated form associated with potassium . . . . Glycogen losses or gains are reported to be associated with an additional three to four parts of water so that as much as 5 kg weight change might not be associated with any fat loss.
You can see that glycogen stores can have a profound effect on body weight!
Read Also: Can You Drink Anything While Intermittent Fasting
These Handy Intermittent Fasting Apps Will Keep You On Track Whether Youre Fasting For The First Time Or Building A Consistent Schedule
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Intermittent fasting is pretty straightforward, especially when it comes to popular diets. You simply limit the hours you can eat during the day to a specific window. Outside of this window, fast meaning, eat nothing. This simple diet can give your metabolism the kick it needs, help you lose weight and even help stabilize blood sugar levels.
Theres just one tricky aspect to this new way of eating: You need to really commit to your chosen diet and its schedule, eating only during select hours and fasting for longer. Thats why turning to intermittent fasting apps can be particularly helpful.
No matter which kind of intermittent fasting you opt for, an app can make everything easier. Thanks to the increasing popularity of intermittent fasting diets, theres now a wealth of handy mobile apps available so you can stay on track right from your smartphone or tablet. From planning meals to tracking fasts, the right app will help you master every little detail of your intermittent fasting plan.
Check out the following intermittent fasting apps, all of which will make scheduling, tracking and monitoring your progress a breeze:
What To Drink During Intermittent Fasting
To get all the health benefits of Intermittent Fasting such as fat loss, increased metabolic rate, lower blood sugar levels, boost in the immune system and others, you have to restrict from consuming any caloric food. But you can still consume non-caloric beverages because they do not break your fast and allow you to get all the benefits of fasting.
This is because non-caloric beverages do not cause the release of insulin, and as a consequence, do not interfere with fat burning and autophagy .
This would include:
- Plain black coffee
- Plain tea
Got more questions about Intermittent Fasting Drinks? Weve got more information in our blog post What Can You Drink During Intermittent Fasting.
Read Also: How To Do Intermediate Fasting For Weight Loss
How To Start & How To Do Intermittent Fasting
One of the reasons I personally think Intermittent Fasting really took over is because of how easy it is to start it.
Literally, the only thing you should really decide before you start is which Intermittent Fasting schedule type you are planning to follow.
And before you make this decision, it is important to understand the various types of Intermittent Fasting. Thats how you will find the one that works the best for you and fits your unique lifestyle.
For your convenience, here are the most popular Intermittent Fasting Schedules.
Indicators Of A Successful Fast
To me, a fast isnt just about abstaining from food for a certain period of time. I see six criteria for a successful fast:
As you can see, fasting is so much more than just weight loss or a quick fix. Fasting is about holistically changing your life for the better: physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. This happens by being conscious about how you approach your fast.
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Brians Week 4 Fasting Window
For those of you following along on Brians journey, hes been sticking to a 15/16 hour window, fasting from 4/5pm-8am. During the week he takes and eats all three meals at work. His typical work day: wakes up early, works a bit, gets ready, heads to the office and then eats breakfast around 8am. Lunch around 12pm and drinks his dinner at 4pm at work. Hes wanted to try KaChava for quite some timeessentially its a meal replacement shake thats touted as a blend of organic superfoods and plant based protein. He says the taste is surprisingly good and so far is happy with it. Heres his 4 week review of it, KaChava is good for my schedule. I eat great breakfasts and an amazing lunch and KaChava curbs my hunger. I dont necessarily look forward to it, but it does make me feel good. Like taking vitamins. Its also forced a healthy routine at work and helps me reset, focus and get more done.
He too is liking the switch timeline wise. He said by having his dinner at work, it gives him the needed energy to get through the rest of his work day, then get home for some quality time with the kids reading books before bed. And like me, this timeline takes out the option of giving into those late night cravings, or un-healthy convenient take out dinners. During the weekends, he skips the shake and partakes in dinner with me and the kids around 4/5pm. Another hidden benefit of this timeline is that family meal time during the weekends is becoming a lot more enjoyable and fun !
