Average Weight Loss After One Month Doing Intermittent Fasting
For our Intermittent Fasting survey, we started with a question: How much weight can you lose in 1 month with Intermittent fasting 16/8?.
Turns out over half of intermittent fasting beginners lost around at least 8 pounds after 1 month of intermittent fasting and 30% reached at least 12 pounds weight loss.
How Intermittent Fasting Can Help You Lose Weight
There are many different ways to lose weight.
One strategy that has become popular in recent years is called intermittent fasting .
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that involves regular, short-term fasts or periods of minimal or no food consumption.
Most people understand intermittent fasting as a weight loss intervention. Fasting for short periods of time helps people eat fewer calories, which may result in weight loss over time .
However, intermittent fasting may also help modify risk factors for health conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, such as lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels 30002-0/fulltext” rel=”nofollow”> 2,
There are several different intermittent fasting methods. The most popular ones include:
- the 16:8 method
- alternate-day fasting
All methods can be effective, but figuring out which one works best depends on the individual.
To help you choose the method that fits your lifestyle, heres a breakdown of the pros and cons of each.
A Diet Strategy That Seems To Work
Intermittent fasting, which involves cycling through voluntary fasting and non-fasting periods, has become one of the most popular approaches to losing weight. People who follow intermittent fasting diets will pick a daily or weekly period where they can eat regular-sized meals, but will otherwise fast and avoid consuming calories.
There are many different intermittent fasting schedules, ranging from the popular 5:2 diet, where someone eats five days a week and fasts for two days, to alternate-day fasting, where someone eats one day and fasts on the next day. Other schedules instead center on fasting for part of each day, such as only eating in a daily eight-hour time window.
Many participants report that intermittent fasting schedules are relatively easy to adopt and stick by. Some researchers theorize these fasting schedules jibe with the human bodys natural tendencies , as humans may have evolved to go without food for long periods in prehistoric times.
Other theories suggest that fasting can trigger beneficial changes in the bodys energy processes that encourage weight loss. But few studies have examined the fasting-specific effects of intermittent fasting or compared its effects to diets that simply reduce daily net calories.
Finally, the third group followed a similar alternate-day fasting schedule as the first group but had no restrictions in energy intake. This last group essentially ate 200% of their daily energy intake every other day.
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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.
Average Weight Loss How Many Pounds Can You Lose
Fasters can expect to lose roughly one half to one pound of weight per day of fasting . Weightloss comes from a combination of burning fat and glycogen weight as well as water loss weight.
Strangely, many fasters say they dont do it for weight loss. Maybe thats true or maybe theyre trying to look more spiritual.
For the rest of us, we use fasting methods to lose weight as the primary goal.
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What Should I Eat During My Feeding Time
If youre following the 16/8 intermittent fasting plan, then your 8-hour eating window will typically fall between 12 pm and 8 pm.
If you dont eat anything after your last meal at 8 p.m. and dont start eating again until noon the next day, youre technically fasting for 16 hours.
Many folks dont like to eat breakfast in the morning, so this plan fits like a glove.
There are a few important things to keep in mind when it comes to what you should eat during your feeding time:
1) Avoid anything high in sugar Sugar is something that can spike your insulin levels which means less fat burning. Focus on protein-rich foods like eggs or chicken breast for breakfast so you have enough energy throughout the day.
For lunch and dinner stick with lean proteins like turkey burgers or grilled salmon fat burning vegetables like kale salad or roasted broccoli and healthy fat like avocado. 1/2 an avocado spread on your turkey burger is delicious and good for you!
2) Dont eat too much Overeating regularly will prevent weight loss, because youll be taking in more calories than your body can burn. To stay on track with the 16/8 intermittent fasting plan its important that you dont overeat during your eating window.
You can read about portion control here.
*Bonus tip: I like to drink bubbly water like La Croix or Aha. Carbonated beverages are great for suppressing your appetite during the day.
What Is A Whole Food Diet
In other words, it involves a lot of cooking because whole foods do not involve anything processed. That means no premade sauces, dips, or convenience foods like chocolate bars, sweets, or ready-meals. It also includes things like tinned vegetables and white bread.
Why? Processed and convenience foods are often high in salt, saturated fat, and additives in comparison to anything homemade. Because of this, their toll on your overall health is higher.
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Reduce Stress And Improve Mental Health
The 16:8 diet help reduce cortisol levels and help reduce inflammation. Plus, since you wont be dealing with hunger for two days a week, its better for your mental health.
Those whove tried the 16:8 diet say how much more productive they are during fasting hours, spending less time stressing over food and more time channelling their energy into other beneficial tasks throughout the day.
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How Should You Eat And Drink When Youre Trying If
When youre fasting with IF you can only drink water and other zero-calorie beverages. Examples include black coffee and tea.
This diet can become problematic if you follow these fasting periods with heavy binging. You should only consume your regular number of calories during eating periods. Also, the diet is more effective if you limit your consumption of junk foods, processed foods, and high-calorie fast foods.
If youre looking to change your eating habits along with IF many experts recommend using the Mediterranean diet as a general guideline. This diet prioritizes whole grains, greens, and lean proteins. It also encourages practical substitutions like cooking with olive oil instead of butter.
Keep in mind that the handful of studies that have tried to combine IF with traditional calorie counting methods dont show an increase in weight loss. Both methods seem to be equally effective on their own but dont create added weight loss benefits.
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The Result We Both Win
After eight weeks of fasting both men and women appear to lose approximately half a pound of body fat per fasting day. If you are fasting three days a week, this means you will lose about 1.5 pounds of body fat for three days of fasting per week. During this time period most women report other positive hormonal changes as well. Women of reproductive age start to experience improved symptoms of PMS. Women going through menopause also report improved symptoms as well. We also hear about improved sex drive in post menopausal women. These women often report feeling like teenagers again.
What To Eat With Fasting
Ive found most people who have trouble with their weight do better eating a lower amount of carbs. Im not saying you have to cut them out completely but you should focus on lowering them to boost weight loss. People who are naturally athletic and have more trouble putting on weight do better with lower fats and higher carbs and protein.
You should calculate your BMR to give you a ballpark picture of how many calories your body burns in a day. Then you should keep your calories under that number. You dont have to count your calories for the rest of your life but you should do so for at least for a little while so you can figure out what you should be eating in a day.
Focus on eating real whole foods. Higher protein diets have also been found to be beneficial for weight loss. Avoid starchy, sugary, and carb-rich foods especially those from refined grains and flour. Lastly, make sure youre avoiding bad vegetable oils that could also promote weight gain.
Should you exercise during fasting?
When it comes to exercise youll drop more poundage by working out along with your fasting . I prefer to do cardio in the mornings when Im fasting for an extra fat burn . Then doing a strength training workout later in the day can help to tone up and burn stubborn fat from your body.
Can you lose a pound a day fasting?
Will you lose weight if you fast for 24 hours?
The Last Word
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What Is The 3
The 3-Day Diet is a type of fad diet that dates back to 1985. The 3-Day Diet promises:
- Lower cholesterol
- Increased energy
However, there is no scientific research that validates any of the claims made by the diet.
The diet is meant to be followed for 3 days on, and 4 days off. It may be followed for up to one month, cycling through 3 days on and 4 days off for the month.
Intermittent Fasting For Weight Loss Before And After
Now when we have all the numbers and statistics down, lets take a look at some real-life examples of intermittent fasting results, andbefore and after photos.
Here are 4 people who were open to share their Intermittent Fasting results and answer the questions you as a beginner might have: How long does it take to see results from intermittent fasting and how much weight you can lose with intermittent fasting?
Gigi Ghobrial
WEIGHT LOST: 52 lbs
TIME: 7 months
My transformation was Intermittent Fasting combined with going to the gym. I lost a total of 52 lbs in 7 months.
I started with Intermittent Fasting and transitioned to one meal a day over time. Occasionally I would also do extended fasting. I love the flexibility of being able to enjoy life by eating well. Its not so much what I eat anymore, its when I eat thats important. Fasting changed my life, specifically my relationship with food!
Want to learn more about OMAD Fasting? Start with our 21-Day OMAD Fasting Challenge straight away!
Dionna Lofton
WEIGHT LOST: 86 lbs
TIME: 6 months
In six months to mid-June I went from 223 lbs to 147 lbs, from size 20 pants to size 6 and from size 3XL shirts to L shirts. A few months later, Im at 137lbs and proudly wear a medium/size 6!
On weekdays I normally do 18/6 fasting eat between 11:30 am and 5:30 pm. During this journey, I learned to eat healthier and stay away from breads pasta and fatty salad dressings.
Tanzilur Rahman Tonmoy
WEIGHT LOST: 59 lbs
TIME: 13 months
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What Is 18/6 Fasting
According to the naming logic we defined earlier, it follows that 18/6 fasting involves 18 hours of fasting and six hours of eating in a typical day.
This type of fasting usually makes enough time for two meals and a snack every day, so people will generally eat a late first meal of the day and an early second. Because the eating window is shorter, its common for people to eat much larger meals than they would if they were not intermittent fasting at all.
Its also worth noting that many people start out in intermittent fasting by trying out leangains before eventually realizing they can push it a little further and moving onto 18/6.
How Much Weight Can Be Lost With Intermittent Fasting
INTERMITTENT FASTING is an eating pattern that involves regular, short-term fasts or periods of minimal or no food consumption. Intermittent fasting deals with when to eat as it does not talk about what to eat and here you only eat at a specific time.
It works by prolonging the period when your body has burned through the calories consumed during your last meal and begins burning fat.
Most people use Intermittent fasting as a weight loss intervention but Intermittent fasting can also help improve risk factors for health conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases such as lowering blood pressure and blood sugar.
Many intermittent fasting techniques exist and some of the methods include the 16:8,5:2 diet, warrior diet, eat stop eat, and alternate-day fasting.
All the methods are effective but figuring out which one works depends on the individual. Limiting the number of hours you can eat during the day may help you lose weight and lower your blood pressure.
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What Foods Do You Eat On The 3
The 3-Day Diet is a very specific food plan that is meant to be followed exactly as outlined. Portions must be eaten exactly as specified. Eating more than is recommended is not advised and it recommends dieters consume all meals, even if they are not hungry. Dieters are also instructed to drink 4 cups of water or other beverages that do not have any calories each day.
Foods to eat on The 3-Day Diet include:
- Black coffee or tea, with 1-2 packets Sweet & Low or Equal
- ½ grapefruit or juice
- 1 piece toast with 1 tablespoon peanut butter
Water Fasting And Long Term Weight Loss Goals
Im writing this section on July 7, 2022 over 7 years since I completed this water fast and lost 20 pounds in 7 days. And I want to openly address the long term results of using fasting as a weightloss tool for 8 years as a part of my healthy lifestyle.
When you first finish fasting and resume consuming calories again, there will ALWAYS be some initial & immediate weight gain. In my experience, it is generally 10% of what weight you lost so if you loose 20 pounds, expect to put 2 pounds back on just accounting for the food in your system.
A word of caution, if you end your fast and immediately return to your unhealthy lifestyle you will undoubtedly suffer from weight gain. Any time you want to maintain weight loss from any diet you must make serious lifestyle change & diet plan changing your eating habits whether that is monitoring your calorie intake, low-calorie diet, doing more cardio, increasing fiber intake, portion control, intermittent fasting, etc..
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Intermittent Fasting Weight Loss Faqs
Now that you know what intermittent fasting is and how to get started, its time to answer your other questions.
Below are answers to the questions frequently asked about intermittent fasting. These answers should help you and make getting started a lot easier.
How Much Weight Will I Lose?
The amount of weight you lose with fasting is determined by how often and long your fasts are, what you eat afterward, and other factors.
One study published by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that average weight loss on an intermittent fasting diet was around 9lbs after 12 months, and weight loss was most successful in those who strictly adhered to their chosen diet.
Can I Work out While Fasting?
Yes, you can. In fact, doing the right type of workout while fasting will help you lose weight faster and even build muscle.
If you are a hardcore athlete who often exercises for an hour or more each day, intermittent fasting may not be the best choice for you as this amount of exercise requires fuel to keep you moving and build muscle. However, light to moderate intensity workouts 2 to 4 times a week should work with intermittent fasting.
The best workouts to do while fasting for weight loss are strength training workouts. This means anything from standard strength training to kettlebell or body weight workouts. Combine these with lighter forms of exercise like walking, jogging, or yoga.
Wont I Lose Muscle When I Fast?
Is Fasting Safe?
So almost three months, 20 pounds down!
