Combining Intermittent Fasting With The Ketogenic Diet
Now that you have a solid foundation for both the keto diet and IF, you can probably guess how to combine them. By eating a very low-carb diet during your eating windows for IF, you can successfully combine these methods. Your keto meals can fit into the IF schedule easily, as high-fat keto foods are really filling and can keep you feeling full and satisfied between meals and for most of the fasting period.In fact, if you’ve been doing keto for a while, you may notice that the distance between your meals has naturally lengthened. That’s because, in the absence of insulin spikes and drops, you’re no longer feeling intense cravings or hunger pangs. That can come in handy if you’re attempting to create a big eating gap every day (or every few days, depending on the method you choose.
The Ketogenic Diet Keeps You Satisfied
Another great perk of the keto diet is its high level of satiety.
Not only does ketosis itself tend to stifle hunger, but the high level of healthy fat in the keto diet also makes it much easier to stay satisfied in a fasted state and eliminates those intense feelings of hunger and cravings throughout the day.
This is perfect for someone doing intermittent fasting.
How Can You Combine Keto And Intermittent Fasting
Its actually not that hard if youve already got a good handle on keto, since that diet has a stronger learning curve in terms of whats allowed. Technically IF isnt even a diet in the traditional sense, says Brigid Titgemeier, RDN, a functional medicine dietitian and the founder of BeingBrigid.
Intermittent fasting can be paired with any kind of diet because it simply refers to the number of hours that you fast, she explains. Combining keto with intermittent fasting means adhering to the parameters of a ketogenic diet and eating within a condensed window of time.
If you do choose to combine the two, it’s a good idea to ease into it. Aja Gyimah, MHSc, RD, owner of Compete Nutrition, suggests starting with an easier IF schedule to begin with, like a 12- or 10-hour eating window , and work your way up to a longer fast, especially if you’re an avid snacker throughout the day, she adds.
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Bottom Line: Should You Combine Keto And If For Weight Loss
Yes, but make sure you evaluate your own eating behaviors before proceeding. Monica Auslander Moreno, MS, RD, LD/N, nutrition consultant for RSP Nutrition, cautions against integrating an IF routine if you are at risk of developing disordered eating behaviors. “People love structure and rule-based diets, and it doesn’t get more rigid than ‘no carbs and stop eating after 4 p.m.,'” she says. “But IF is not for women or men at risk of disordered eating, food obsession, or anxiety surrounding food as these conditions could be exacerbated by IF.”
She notes that mindful eating techniques are key to being successful with these diets. “The pairing of IF and keto can be a good idea if the individual is aware of the potential difficulties of following such a restrictive approach,” says St. Pierre. “Ultimately, to lose body fat, one needs to be in a caloric deficit. IF and keto are not required to make that happen. But they can be a viable approach for folks who like eating lots of fat-rich foods, are comfortable not eating carb-rich foods, and who can go longer stretches without eating and not compensate later with overconsumption.”
Nuts Seeds And Full Fat Dairy
Nuts and seeds are sort of the cross-sectional food of the keto diet. They have all of macronutrients: protein, fat, carbs, and calories. Theyre a great keto snack, but the calories and carbs can add up. All nuts are keto-friendly in moderation, offering healthy fats and proteins, and moderate carbs.Full-fat dairy is also a cross-sectional food that offers both protein and fat. Follow the same rules for full-fat dairy as you would for meats. Stick to heavy cream, full-fat aged cheese , and full-fat yogurt. These are also pretty high-calorie foods that you shouldnt overdo if weight loss is the ultimate goal.If you find that your weight loss is stalled out on your keto diet, you should consider removing nuts, seeds, and dairy to see if theyre impeding your progress or causing your ketone levels to drop.
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Will You See Results
Results are obviously important and perhaps the main reason why people try intermittent fasting or the keto diet during their lives. This method is safe, but will it produce the outcomes you desire?
In short, yes.
If done right, you can enjoy the following benefits of combining keto and intermittent fasting:
- Quickly reaching the state of nutritional ketosis
- Reducing initial side effects like upset stomach and keto flu
- Getting rid of cancerous cells
- Having less hunger pangs
- Avoiding brain fog that comes from eating lot of carbs between fasts
- Preventing drastic shifts in sugar levels that can cause mood issues like depression
- Still be in fasting mode even when youre eating
- Rapidly reducing fat tissue
- Reducing oxidative stress and inflammation
- Improving cognitive effects
Many people who combine both diets actually see better results than people who only stick to one method. Dozens of studies have been done on men and women to determine whether or not fat loss and improved health are actually benefits of this combination.
One study that appeared in the Journal of Translational Medicine studied 34 resistance-trained men for eight weeks. The numerous researchers discovered guys who did the combo of keto and intermittent fasting actually lost 14% more body fat than the control group.
People who did keto at the same time actually retained more muscle mass than those who just tried intermittent fasting, making it a great way to cut fat while retaining healthy muscle.
Additional Health Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting isnt just about achieving a healthy weight. Here are some additional benefits youll experience along the way:
- Improves cardiovascular health: Intermittent fasting diets have been shown to improve cholesterol, improve blood pressure and reduce cardiovascular risk. One note: These studies associate intermittent fasting with lower levels of LDL and VLDL cholesterol, but managing your inflammation might be more important.
- Helps remove cellular waste: Over time, your cells naturally accumulate damaged cells and wastejunk that can interfere with cellular function. In rodent studies, intermittent fasting has been shown to promote a process called autophagy, which is what happens when your body clears out the cellular junk so your body can work even better.
- Supports healthy aging: Studies show that intermittent fasting can help protect your cardiovascular system and how you manage blood sugar to support healthy aging. In rodent studies, intermittent fasting has been shown to increase lifespan and protect against disease. Worried about the long-term effects of stress? Fasting has been shown to promote feelings of tranquility and alertness.
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The Keto Diet And Ketoacidocis
Ketoacidosis is a serious condition that is usually associated with diabetes, but not always. It causes dehydration, poor appetite and difficulty breathing. I found this case where a lactating woman on the ketogenic diet suffered from ketoacidosis particularly revealing. Women in general, but particularly lactating women need more carbs for proper hormonal function.
I am not claiming the keto diet is dangerous and should not be practiced. What I am saying is that if you are doing both intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet, proceed with caution.
Intermittent Fasting Health Benefits
Fasting is entirely natural. Only this way, our ancestors could survive winter, when food was scarce or not available at all.
Accordingly, many indigenous peoples still do not eat for days if they were not successful in hunting. Although we dont rely on this survival mechanism anymore, we can realize its benefits by fasting regularly:
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Intermittent Fasting Vs Low Calorie Diet
Low-calorie diets help achieve similar benefits . They will even allow your body to repair itself through autophagy. However, the problem with low-calorie diets is that they are are the sustain long-term. Reducing your calorie intake by 20% is enough to make you feel deprived and hungry.
I do recommend short term calorie deprivation to mimic the effect of prolonged fasting. This type of calorie deprivation is more severe as it allows you to consume only 40-50 % of your normal calorie intake. Its called the fasting mimicking diet and it has many health benefits. It is also how I was able to achieve ketosis without the keto diet .
Intermittent Fasting And Ketosis Schedule
After looking at the intermittent fasting stages breakdown, you have a general idea of how long it will take you to achieve ketosis without the keto diet. However, I want to give you a few more pointers that will help you come up with hour own intermittent fasting schedule suited for ketosis.
First of all, if you have never been in ketosis before, it may take longer. You may choose to go on the keto diet for 7 days to speed things up. If so, I have a 7-Day Intermittent Fasting Keto Meal Plan that will help you do just that. If you use the meal plan, you will notice that I dont recommend you skip lunch when you are on the keto diet. Thats because the keto diet mimics fasting so you dont need to fast as long. Another thing I want to mention is that if you choose to try the keto diet to become fat-adapted, plan to feel unwell for a few days. I did it myself and even though I was already in ketosis most days through intermittent fasting , I still had the keto flu.
Fasting in definitely a more gentle way to achieve ketosis, but it will take longer.
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Intermittent Fasting Without Keto Results
A keto diet can be beneficial for some people to jumpstart their weight loss journey and the results vary for each individual.
After practicing intermittent fasting and following a keto diet for months and did not lose any weight, I can attest that the results are going to be very goal-specific.
After a week of consistent intermittent fasting, I noticed an increase in focus at work -especially in the morning. This also translated into more energy throughout the day which led to being in a better mood -almost like a chain of events.
In the evenings, after putting the kids to bed I was able to relax with a book and noticed better sleep patterns.
One reason people lose weight when following a keto diet is that they also restrict their caloric intake and with that, the nutrition their bodies require. Probably a reason many gain the weight back.
Keto And Intermittent Fasting: A Beginner’s Guide
Brady Holmer
When it comes to biohacking, there probably arent two more popular practices than the ketogenic high-fat diet and fasting.
Both regimens have health benefits including improved metabolism, weight loss, and even better cognitive function. Research studies have shown benefits for each, and personal stories on social media serve as some pretty profound anecdotes.
It might not be surprising that many often adopt a keto diet with intermittent fasting. Maybe youre one of those people. This makes senseketo and intermittent fasting actually have a lot in common. Keto works in many of the same ways that intermittent fasting works.
And, in fact, sticking to a low-carbohydrate or ketogenic diet might actually make it much, much easier to practice intermittent fasting. The synergy of keto with intermittent fasting can lead to some pretty remarkable benefits for you body. This article will explore why.
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Intermittent Fasting With Ketosis
Since ketosis means that the body has depleted carbohydrate stores, it can tap into body fat for energy.
Because the body spreads this fat energy in the form of so-called ketones via the bloodstream, this natural fat burning is called ketosis.
For this reason, fasting is the most effective way to get into ketosis faster.
Because the keto diet tries nothing else but to achieve the same benefits as fasting via nutrition, you can combine intermittent fasting and keto so well.
And that makes intermittent fasting with ketosis even more efficient:
- Getting into ketosis faster: Combining a ketogenic diet with intermittent fasting helps you reaching ketosis faster, so you can reap more profound benefits earlier.
- Fewer side effects: Also, a ketogenic diet reduces common side effects of intermittent fasting such as the keto flu or an upset stomach.
- More energy: Since it amplifies ketosis and autophagy, many people report that they gain mental clarity and power when combining keto with intermittent fasting. Due to elevated adrenaline, productivity often increases as well.
- Stability: Due to so-called fat- or keto-adaptation, the body no longer has to switch between burning glucose and fat for energy frequently, increasing well-being
Before You Try Intermittent Fasting
If you want to give intermittent fasting a try, make sure to discuss it with your doctor first, says Dr. Rimm. Skipping meals and severely limiting calories can be dangerous for people with certain conditions, such as diabetes. Some people who take medications for blood pressure or heart disease also may be more prone to imbalances of sodium, potassium, and other minerals during longer-than-normal periods of fasting.
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Should You Combine These Diets
Combining IF and keto can offer an amazing weight loss and synergistic health benefits for some. For others, it might make more sense to do one at a time or to modify them slightly as you learn how your body and mind react to them. Each of these diets is backed by scientific research, but more work needs to be done to understand the nuances of how these diets affect different people, including men vs women, and when they may be contraindicated.
Who Should Try An Intermittent Fasting Keto Approach
Anyone who has been on keto for more than two weeks and with the okay from their healthcare team would like to add IF may do so. But the keto diet has become popular for those who have prediabetes or diabetes, though asking these patients not to eat for a significant amount of time can be dangerous, says Kwasnicka. If you have chronic kidney disease, a history of eating disorders, are undergoing active cancer treatment, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, its unlikely youre a good candidate for this combined diet plan. Even the individual diets may not be recommended for these populations. Check with your healthcare team.
Also, if youre currently following the keto diet and are happy and feel good with the way youre eating, you do not have to add in IF, she says.
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How Intermittent Fasting Works: Insulin Reduction Ketone Production And Autophagy Induction
From a weight-loss perspective, intermittent fasting works by making it harder to overeat throughout the day. A simple rule like skip breakfast or only eat between 5 pm and 8 pm, can help prevent you from reaching for snacks or drinking calorie-dense beverages throughout the day that contribute to weight gain.
Even if you do build up a ferocious appetite while fasting, youll still find it difficult to overeat. In fact, intermittent fasting tends to decrease daily energy consumption and promote fat loss.
This means that you may be able to eat as much as you want and reach your goals as long as you stick to a shortened eating window or a limited number of meals.
When you first try intermittent fasting, your body will need to adjust itself to this new eating schedule. You may be hit hard by hunger pangs and potent cravings at first, but they will soon dissipate as your cells feast on stored fat and ketones.
The key mechanisms behind your ability to fast, lose fat, and improve your health throughout the process are insulin reduction, ketone production, and autophagy. As we accumulate time in a fasted state, our insulin levels decrease incrementally. This promotes the release of fat from our fat cells and stimulates the ketone-producing process known as ketogenesis.
As you continue your fast, youll enter a deeper state of ketosis, become more efficient at burning fat, and ramp up the self-cleaning process known as autophagy.
Intermittent Fasting On A Low Carb Diet: How It Works
Intermittent fasting can be a helpful tool in your weight loss toolbox. Learn from our decades of experience how to pair intermittent fasting with Atkins and how to avoid common pitfalls.
Intermittent fasting is becoming increasingly popular, but if youre already adapted to a low carb dietor considering starting oneyou may not need to rely on it as your sole diet. The truth is: Atkins diet plans offer many of the same benefits intermittent fasting does, all on their own.
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Isnt Fasting The Same As Reducing Calories
No, not necessarily. Fasting can reduce the time you spend eating and primarily addresses the question of when to eat.62 Calorie reduction addresses the question of what and how much to eat. They are separate issues and should not be confused with each other.
Fasting may reduce calories but its benefits extend far beyond that.63Learn more
What Is The Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet. In most versions of the diet, eaters are restricted to between 20 and 50 grams of net carbohydrates per day for a 2000 calorie diet. This roughly breaks down in macronutrients like this: 55% – 60% fat 30% – 35% protein 5% – 10% net carbohydratesNet carbohydrates take into account fiber and sugar alcohols and their smaller effect on blood sugar and ketosis. To calculate net carb intake, take total grams of carbs and subtract grams of fiber. That number is the net carbs for that serving of food. If the food contains sugar alcohol like erythritol, youll subtract half the grams of sugar alcohols from total carbs to reach net carbs.If youre trying to lose weight using the keto diet, youll still need to maintain a calorie deficit, but the idea is that by eating this way, your efforts will be much more effective than simple calorie restriction.
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