After Three Years Of Intermittent Fasting
I reached the 3 year mark for Intermittent Fasting in October 2020 and honestly I wasnt even paying attention. I have completed a 14/10 or 16/8 fast almost every day since October 2017 and its just a normal part of my lifestyle I really dont even think much about it anymore. Fasting is simply as much of an everyday occurrence for me as brushing my teeth, sleeping, or just breathing.
That being said, because I havent actually focused on my fasting or my diet, I let myself dip a bit in 2020 although Im sure the crazy Covid-19 #pLandemic that resulted in lockdown life and quarantines had a bit to do with that so Im not taking all the blame!
In any case, here were my 3-year results from October 2020 vs Baseline October 2017
- Weight: 154 which is within my 150-155 target
- Belly: 34.8 no where near my goal of 32
- Chest: 40 inches goal maintained
- Arms: 13.5/14.9 goal not quite achieved
And yet, once again, in spite of everything that I did WRONG, Intermittent Fasting helped me maintain my weight within my target range! Thats pretty freakin incredible in my book!
Furthermore, in spite of the continued world challenges with #electionfraud , the specter of #TheGreatReset , and never-ending requirements to wear face masks during endless lockdowns, I decided to listen to my wifes advice and focus on inner circle and cherish the Now Moments of our family. Im also taking my own advice and seeing The Beauty That is All Around Me.
Can I Exercise During Fasting
Yes. You can continue all your usual activities, including exercise, while fasting.37 You do not need to eat before exercising to provide energy.38 Instead, your body can burn stored energy for fuel.
However, for long-duration aerobic exercise, eating before exercise may increase performance.39 Its also important to drink fluids and replenish sodium around exercise when fasting. This is good to know if youre competing. Learn more
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.
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Choose Your Best Protocol
Krystal began her intermittent fasting journey about a year ago, and she experimented with various protocols until she found the right protocol.
I alternate what kind of fasting I do. Sometimes I stick with a traditional 16:8 fasting period, other times I will do a longer time frame, she says. My longest fast was five days.
Though five days might seem a bit overwhelming to a beginner, Krystal urges readers to find whats best for them. For her journey, Krystal admits, I read a lot about the health benefits of fasting, plus with following a ketogenic diet fasting came naturally as my hunger levels decreased.
Fasting May Improve Blood Sugar Control
Some studies have found that intermittent fasting can improve blood sugar control in those with type 2 diabetes.
A study in 10 people with type 2 diabetes found that a fasting goal of 1820 hours a day lead to a considerable decrease in body weight and significantly improved fasting and post-meal blood sugar control .
However, another recent study showed that intermittent fasting increased the chances of hypoglycemia , even when taking lower doses of blood-sugar-reducing medications .
Though lowering blood sugar levels in a safe way is beneficial, hypoglycemia can be dangerous and lead to serious complications .
For this reason, people with diabetes who are interested in trying out intermittent fasting should consult with their doctor first.
Summary
Methods of intermittent fasting like the Warrior Diet may help reduce weight, improve brain health, lower blood sugar and reduce inflammation.
Despite potential health benefits of the Warrior Diet, there are some downfalls to this way of eating.
Also Check: Does Fasting Help With Ketosis
Pro Tips To Get The Best Intermittent Fasting Results This Ramadan
Intermittent fasting results in tremendous and quick weight loss while boosting your immune system. Get started on your journey to revamp your life with this century old technique.
Fasting is a concept that has often been associated with religious practices. Believers feel that is the ultimate version of self-sacrifice out of love. Modern science has another take on it. In western society, research into the weight loss effects of fasting dates back to 1915. Regardless of your reason to fast, this article is to help you get the best intermittent fasting results with expert strategies that work.
There are numerous ways to do intermittent fasting. Muslims who observe Ramadan observe fast from when the sun rises to sunset. This is also the most common type of intermittent fasting for weight loss too. Apart from the religious beliefs, Muslims too believe that fasting helps them purify their soul, helps build self-control and clean their bodies.
There is no doubt that fasting has a lot of health benefits, modern science supports these claims. Fasting is also one of the best ways to cleanse your body and burn an excess amount of calories.
Before we start, the difference between fasting for religious purposes and intermittent fasting is being able to drink fluids. While fasting for religious purposes, you are not allowed to consume any food or drinks till the sun sets. In intermittent fasting, you can drink water and even set your own timings.
Jump To
If I Didnt Eat For 24 Hours Id Die
Medical practitioners have noted the health benefits of fasting for thousands of years. In other words, fasting isnt some new fad or a crazy marketing ploy. Its been around for a long time and it actually works. Youve probably already fasted many times, even though you dont know it. Have you ever slept in late on the weekends and then had a late brunch? Some people do this every weekend. In situations like these, we often eat dinner the night before and then dont eat until 11 am or noon or even later. Theres your 16hour fast and you didnt even think about it.
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/8 Intermittent Fasting Diet Plan
- It is really up to you whether you will decide to restrict yourself from eating for 16 hours out of 24 hours. You can choose the dining window from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., 8 p.m., or any time as long as its not 16 consecutive hours.
- Most people who follow an Intermittent Fasting diet schedule prefer to skip breakfast instead of dinner, but different people have different rhythms of life.
- The best part is that out of 16 hours, you will probably be sleeping at least 7-8 hours, so we are really talking about 9-8 hours of fasting every day.
- It is also worth noting that we believe that the Intermittent Fastening 16/8 method is the most durable and easiest to start.
Sample Intermittent Fasting Meal Plan On Fasting Day
On each fasting day, you will have two meals and two snacks. Women will eat 500 calories per day, while men 600 calories per day. Men only need to double the snack portion to get the required number of daily calories.
On all fasting days, permitted beverages are limited to water, unsweetened hot or iced tea, and black coffee.
MEAL-1
| 100 calories |
How One Woman Used Intermittent Fasting To Lose 80 Pounds In A Year
- Height: 5 feet 4 inches
In January 2019, Martine Etienne-Mesubi had had enough. She was 42 years old, and she weighed 225 pounds. She couldnt play outdoors with Zoe, her 6-year-old daughter, without stopping to catch her breath. When we went to the park Id say, Hold on Zoe, lets take a break, lets wait for mom, lets sit down.’ I hated that, she says.
Her second daughter, Ava, had been born a few months earlier, and Etienne-Mesubi ate whatever she wanted when she was pregnant and nursing. At 10 at night I would pull out a bowl of cereal or make toast, then go to bed right after. My eating habits were down the drain, she says. By the end of 2018 Ava stopped nursing, so the eating for two excuse wasnt cutting it anymore. Plus, Etienne-Mesubi was concerned about developing diabetes and hypertension, which run in her family.
She knew she had to take control of her weight and her health. Being 225 pounds and carrying on the way I was with no-holds-barred eating all the time, I realized cant keep eating like this.
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How Much Weight Can You Lose In A Week/month With Intermittent Fasting And Keto
There can be no blanket answer to this question. People, their initial situation, and their bodies are individual.
If people stick to a ketogenic diet and practice 16/8 intermittent fasting, they can lose 3-10 pounds in the first week.
However, the reason for the initial success is the depletion of glycogen stores. It is, therefore, only logical that you cannot continue to lose weight at the same pace after flushing out the water depots.
Therefore, you should not immediately despair if the weight loss stagnates after the first pounds have fallen.
After that, it can take another 2-5 weeks until a body learns to burn fat efficiently again. After all, your body burned only sugar for decades if you ate a conventional Standard American Diet before.
How much weight you can lose per week or month depends on how much body fat you carry around.
In my experience, an average person who is slightly overweight can lose about 1-2 pounds per week or 4-8 pounds per month with keto and intermittent fasting.
Last but not least, you want to lose weight at a healthy pace and, most importantly, sustainably. If you are close to your target weight, you will lose weight more slowly. However, if youre far from it, it can go significantly faster.
What Is The Best Intermittent Fasting Schedule What Is The Ideal Time You Should Be Fasting How Long Should You Fast
I keep getting these questions and I get it. You want to know what the best intermittent fasting schedule is. You want to make sure if you are fasting youre going about it right. We all have different reasons for fasting. Some fast for the incredible health benefits it offers, others are in it for the fat loss or both. When it comes to dropping fat intermittent fasting is a great tool to add to your arsenal.
One thing I usually recommend to those new to the intermittent fasting lifestyle is NOT announcing it to everyone. There is always that one person who is gonna tell you its unhealthy, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and starving yourself is not the answer to weight loss. The fact that youre reading this tells me already know this and there is a high probability youve started intermittent fasting already.
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You Keep Breaking Your Fast
If you are used to snacking in between meals, staying without food for an extended fasting period could be difficult and affect your intermittent fasting results.
Consistently breaking your fast before your fasting window is up could be responsible for your lack of progress with intermittent fasting.
Your fasting period might be too long and switching your eating schedule a bit might be helpful. Consider reducing your fasting period to about 10-12 hours and begin to increase it as time goes on.
Moving up slowly allows your body to get used to going extended periods without food, therefore, you are less likely to break your fast prematurely.
When you can tolerate going longer without food, you could move up to the 16:8 intermittent fast. Here, you will have eight hours for feeding.
Does 1: 8 Intermittent Fasting Work
The 16:8 intermittent fasting method can help with weight loss, increase focus and energy, and improve blood sugar work for most people when incorporated in a safe and consistent manner.
While men tend to see rapid weight loss results, women tend to struggle or reach plateaus more often due to hormonal differences. I share more about hormones in my post, Intermittent Fasting for Women Over 40.
Its best to talk to your doctor especially if you have any underlying health conditions.
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Watch Out For Overeating
Overeating is one of the main reasons why people dont see intermittent fasting results. As youre skipping meals and fasting for extended periods, you can be a little more relaxed about calorie counting compared to other dieters. But that doesnt mean that you can load up on unhealthy foods or eat huge portion sizes without compromising your progress. If you overindulge, youll cancel out the calorie deficit you gained by fasting and end up halting your weight loss.
One of the best ways to prevent overeating after a fast is to meal prep. Plan out exactly what youre going to eat when you break your fast and portion it out into a tupperware container in advance. That way you wont reach for unhealthy convenience foods or load up your plate just because youre hungry.
Another good tip is to eat your first meal slowly before you go back for seconds. Take twenty minutes to sit down and really enjoy your food. If you eat more deliberately, youll be able to listen to your hunger and fullness cues better and stop before you feel overstuffed.
Drink Plenty Of Water
I dont know about you, but water always drops my pounds when I drink enough of it. Enough being a gallon a day.
Yea, thats a lot of water but it sure does work!
Staying hydrated not only helps with your overall health, but it also keeps you from mixing up being thirsty with being hungry.
Did you know that we can feel hungry when we actually need water?! Trippy right?
Well, make sure you drink up!
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What Is Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting has become the most popular form of fasting worldwide due to its scientifically proven benefits.
It involves eating within a certain period and fasting for the rest of the day.
There are various forms of intermittent fasting, but the most popular is fasting within a time window of around 16 hours.
Thereby, you eat only between noon and 8 PM. This way, your body can fast for 16 hours out of 24 hours with an 8-hour eating period in between.
The fasting period ensures that your whole digestive tract rests for another 8 hours a day after 8 hours of sleep .
To start classic 16/8 intermittent fasting, all you need to do is skip breakfast.
Contrary to popular belief, breakfast is the most important meal of the day only for the food industry due to the energy boost from hormone release in the morning.
However, those who have exceptional work schedules can just as easily skip dinner or lunch and be successful. This flexibility is one of the main advantages of intermittent fasting.
Unlike other diet trends, intermittent fasting is all about less, not more. As soon as you skip a meal, youre already practicing it. Health can be that simple!
In addition to 16/8 intermittent fasting, the following intermittent fasting protocols are widely used:
What Are The Benefits Of 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
- Heart health
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