What Is The Best Form Of Intermittent Fasting

How Do I Try Intermittent Fasting

There are four popular fasting approaches: periodic fasting, time-restricted feeding, alternate-day fasting and the 5:2 diet. Time-restricted feeding, sometimes called daily intermittent fasting, is perhaps the easiest and most popular fasting method. Daily intermittent fasters restrict eating to certain time periods each day, say 11 in the morning to 7 at night. The fasting period is usually around 12 or more hours that, helpfully, includes time spent sleeping overnight. Periodic fasting will feel most familiar: no food or drinks with calories for 24-hour periods. Another type of fast, alternate-day fasting requires severe calorie reduction every other day. Lastly, the 5:2 method was popularized by author Kate Harrisons book The 5:2 Diet” and requires fasting on two nonconsecutive days a week.

Why Does My Blood Sugar Go Up During Fasting

While this does not happen with everyone, it can occur due to hormonal changes that occur during intermittent fasting. Your body is producing sugar in order to provide energy for your system. This is a variation of the dawn phenomenon and in general is not a concern as long as blood sugars are not elevated the rest of the day.45

What Is Intermittent Fasting

Many diets focus on what to eat, but intermittent fasting is all about when you eat.

With intermittent fasting, you only eat during a specific time. Fasting for a certain number of hours each day or eating just one meal a couple days a week, can help your body burn fat. And scientific evidence points to some health benefits, as well.

Johns Hopkins neuroscientist , has studied intermittent fasting for 25 years. He says that our bodies have evolved to be able to go without food for many hours, or even several days or longer. In prehistoric times, before humans learned to farm, they were hunters and gatherers who evolved to survive and thrive for long periods without eating. They had to: It took a lot of time and energy to hunt game and gather nuts and berries.

Even 50 years ago, it was easier to maintain a healthy weight. Johns Hopkins dietitian Christie Williams, M.S., R.D.N., explains: There were no computers, and TV shows turned off at 11 p.m. people stopped eating because they went to bed. Portions were much smaller. More people worked and played outside and, in general, got more exercise.

Nowadays, TV, the internet and other entertainment are available 24/7. We stay awake for longer hours to catch our favorite shows, play games and chat online. Were sitting and snacking all day and most of the night.

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The : 2 Fasting Method Is Suitable For Those Looking For An Easier Approach To Fasting

“The 5:2 fasting method requires a person to fast for two non-consecutive days per week,” Yule told INSIDER. On fasting days, she said a person consumes no more than 500 to 600 calories. A person might choose this type of fast because it is easier in the sense that they only have to be restrictive once or twice a week, she added.

Yule explained, however, that a major con to the 5:2 fasting method is that it might be very difficult to maintain over the long-term. “The person may feel fatigued, hungry, or irritable on the days that they are consuming so little food, and that could make the workday unpleasant,” she said.

May Help Manage Inflammation

Our bodies naturally undergo inflammation as a part of the process it uses to fight off harmful pathogens or recover from injuries by triggering our immune system.

However, when inflammation persists for too long it can start causing us harm. Chronic inflammation happens when the immune system continues to be triggered by what it thinks is a threat. Prolonged inflammation plays a role in the development of chronic health conditions such as atherosclerosis, heart disease, osteoporosis, and even diabetes .

Intermittent fasting has been shown to reduce concentrations of pro-inflammatory markers such as homocysteine, interleukin 6, and C-reactive protein which play a role in the development of these chronic diseases .

Eating a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods or following a strict anti-inflammatory diet or auto-immune protocol may also help reduce inflammation in the body.

Although fasting may provide some health benefits, looking at the quality of our diet and lifestyle can help us create healthy habits to support our health.

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Modified Warrior Diet From Edward V Of Fledge Fitness

Edward V. of Fledge Fitness on YouTube made modifications to The Warrior Diet that involves fasting for 20 hours a day and then eating within a 4 hour window.

The original warrior diet consist of eating raw vegetables and fruits during the day and eating a large meal at night. I do Edward Vs version of the warrior diet.

Check out his explanation of The Warrior Diet below.

Popular Ways To Do Intermittent Fasting Simplified

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So you want to try intermittent fasting, but all the information out there is so overwhelming! How on earth are you supposed to decide which intermittent fasting type is right for you?

Heres what you need to know to choose the best type of fasting schedule for your lifestyle and health goals so you can start losing weight and reaping all the health benefits now.

Quick Links to Information in this Post

• Intermittent Fasting Types Summary

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Ways To Use This Information For Better Health

/4 Intermittent Fasting Aka The Warrior Diet

In this method of intermittent fasting, you are on fast for 20 hours, and your eating window is just 4 hours. This diet is also known as the warrior diet.

Keep yourself hydrated, include green tea or coffee during fasting hours. Try to include all essential nutrients like proteins, fats, carbs, and vitamins in your 4 hours eating window. For example, you could eat a bowl of mixed raw veggies and fruits such as carrot, cabbage, avocado, cucumber, sprouts, apple, pear, oranges, watermelons and add a protein source like fish, poultry, or tofu.

Our ancestors followed this when they had to go hunting they used to come back late in the evening and have a feast of what they had hunted.

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So Which Intermittent Fasting Schedule Is Best For Weight Loss Whichever One You’ll Actually Stick To Tbh

In short, the one that’s easiest for you to follow. “It is all about sustainability for the individual,” says Lemein. “If one of these diets work well for you and your lifestyle and preferences, then you will likely see some success. If not, then you’ll likely not see the results you’re are looking for, as the sustainability piece will not be there.” That means picking a diet that work best with all the lifestyle factors you need to consider, like your work schedule, family dynamic, living situation, commute time, and travel commitments, notes Lemein.

It’s worth pointing out, though, that the 16:8 diet seems to be the most doable for a lot of people who are into IF. The 16:8 method also scores points for preventing overeating at night, which can often be a big obstacle for weight loss. And sticking to an eight-hour eating window during daylight hours allows your metabolism to run as itâs supposed toâyou fuel up for energy during the day , and stop eating for rest and recovery at night, per a 2017 article in the journal Nutrition Reviews.

The bottom line: All intermittent fasting schedules may lead to weight loss if you can follow them sustainably, and the 16:8 method may be the easiest way to follow an IF diet.

Comparing If Methods By Amount Of Weight Lost

So with a plethora of ways to fast, if your goal is to lose weight rather than just reaping the benefits of IF, then which is the best one to choose?

With all diets, it comes down to the age old equation of calorie consumption and above all individual tolerance, and ease of sticking to the diet. If you try out each method, youll better know yourself how you react to each. Everyone has different ways of coping with fasting.

It might be that some methods, naturally lead you to consume larger or smaller amounts of calories. For example, you may find there is a significant difference in the calories you consume between the 16/8 method and the 24-hour fasting methods.

Typically, 24-hour fasting can lead to consuming fewer calories after all, you only have one to four hours to eat. However, it may be that 24-hour fasting makes you so hungry that you consume a large number of calories in that small timeframe.

It all about how well you, as an individual, tolerate hunger, and some of these methods are likely more appealing to you than others. If you find the idea of only have 500 calories for two days during the week, abhorrent, then you are probably not going to succeed with the 5:2 method.

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The 1: 8 Method Of Fasting Is One Of The Easiest Forms Of Intermittent Fasting To Maintain

“The 16:8 method requires a person to eat for eight hours per day and to fast for 16 hours per day,” Yule said. This can be one of the easiest forms of intermittent fasting to maintain, she said, since a person can eat every day, and several meals and snacks can fit inside the eight-hour window. The person can also adjust the window to meet their lifestyle needs and behaviors, she added.

How To Choose The Best Intermittent Fasting Method For You

Last Updated on May 21, 2021 by Latrice

There are a few things to consider when choosing an intermittent fasting method besides thinking about which one works the best for weight loss.

Choosing an intermittent fasting method that doesnt work for you is like suffering unnecessarily and making intermittent fasting way harder than it has to be.

You might choose to fast for 20 hours a day because the weight loss results youve seen look fantastic, but you started out KNOWING you struggle to go from meal to meal without snacking.

Thats a set up for failure, girl. Jumping from eating a total of 6 times a day to eating once will hurt. And it is an unnecessary hurt.

Or you choose to do a 16/8 intermittent fasting routine with most of your fasting done at night, but forget to consider that you like going on dinner dates when a fine date comes along.

As soon as that fine date shows up and ask you to dinner, youll change your eating window. Then you find yourself barely fasting at all.

Choosing an intermittent fasting method that considers your life over if it works the best improves your chances of sticking to it.

And its not like you have to stick with one fasting method.

You can start with one for where youre at in life and your health and then transition into another routine when youre ready.

In this weeks tidbit on intermittent fasting, I share how to choose an intermittent fasting method that works best for you.

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What To Eat During Intermittent Fasting

When eating during intermittent fasting it is crucial to avoid foods that damage your cells.

Unfortunately, most foods on the Standard American Diet are processed, and loaded with added sugar and vegetable oils, making them highly inflammatory.

Heres a list of foods to avoid while practicing IF:

• Processed grains

• Properly-prepared low-carb vegetables
• Low-toxin veggies like sweet potatoes

It is no surprise that these healthy whole foods have been the cornerstone of traditional cuisines for millenia.

Thanks to pioneering researchers like Weston A. Price, we know that peoples who practiced nose-to-tail eating lived longer and had extremely low incidences of the chronic inflammatory diseases that kill most people today like heart disease and cancer. 4

These are also the foods featured in modern ketogenic and carnivore diets.

It is worth noting that combining intermittent fasting and keto have been shown to mutually increase the benefits of each dietary approach.

Now lets take a closer look at the nutrition and benefits of specific foods to eat while fasting.

Why Might Changing Timing Help

But why does simply changing the timing of our meals to allow for fasting make a difference in our body? An in-depth review of the science of IF recently published in New England Journal of Medicine sheds some light. Fasting is evolutionarily embedded within our physiology, triggering several essential cellular functions. Flipping the switch from a fed to fasting state does more than help us burn calories and lose weight. The researchers combed through dozens of animal and human studies to explain how simple fasting improves metabolism, lowering blood sugar lessens inflammation, which improves a range of health issues from arthritic pain to asthma and even helps clear out toxins and damaged cells, which lowers risk for cancer and enhances brain function. The article is deep, but worth a read!

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The Best If To Keep Lean

While any of the intermittent fasting types I mentioned will help keep you lean, I would have to go with the one I use myself: 16:8.

Its the best compromise between implementing some type of diet and constraints while keeping a normal lifestyle.

Its easy enough, once youre able to do it, to make a habit out of it, and easy enough to skip breakfast. 16:8 will make you lose weight and, yes, after a while you might reach a plateau.

But if youre happy with your weight thats not a problem. You can still do other types of IF to go to your ideal weight is 16:8 is not enough, and then stick to 16:8 to stay lean.

16:8 will already help you break the first barriers of fasting, itll give you some of those benefits such as more energy, focus, better sleep, increased metabolism, reduced hunger, and cravings, etc.

Most Effective Intermittent Fasting Methods For Weight Loss

Eating healthy but still not seeing the results you desire?

Wanting to shed body fat, gain muscle, and boost the overall health of your body?

Many whove been conquering the basics of what to eat to best fuel their body for health and weight loss are finding that when they eat has just as much to offer when it comes to aiding their efforts!

Intermittent fasting is taking the world by storm when it comes to a proven, effective method for both losing weight and welljust boosting your health in general.

From setting aside a portion of each day to abstain from eating, to even setting aside a day or two each week for the same, intermittent fasting can boost metabolism, reduce inflammation, and even break down fat cells !

But, intermittent fasting can mean a variety of things depending on the method you choose.

• Which IF method is best for you?
• Which method boasts the most benefits?
• How can intermittent fasting help your health and your waistline?

Before we delve into methods and how-tos, first, what is fasting?

Fasting describes a period of time in which you abstain from food.

This is best seen in why we call the first meal of the day breakfast.

Breakfast gets its name from the fact that this is the meal where you break the period of fasting that youve engaged in while sleeping. Hmm, unless youre a sleep walker who frequents the fridge, I suppose.

But, minus those rare few who engage in sleep-eat-walkingwell, you get the picture here.

Whats the point you may ask?

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Fast For 12 Hours A Day

The rules for this diet are simple. A person needs to decide on and adhere to a 12-hour fasting window every day.

According to some researchers, fasting for 1016 hours can cause the body to turn its fat stores into energy, which releases ketones into the bloodstream. This should encourage weight loss.

This type of intermittent fasting plan may be a good option for beginners. This is because the fasting window is relatively small, much of the fasting occurs during sleep, and the person can consume the same number of calories each day.

The easiest way to do the 12-hour fast is to include the period of sleep in the fasting window.

For example, a person could choose to fast between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. They would need to finish their dinner before 7 p.m. and wait until 7 a.m. to eat breakfast but would be asleep for much of the time in between.

We Fasted 2 Days A Week Heres What Happened

Fasting just one day a week worked great for Precision Nutritions co-founder, John Berardi, PhD. Sure, on that first day without food? Hunger dogged him. His family also reported that he was quite crabby.

But he adapted. And with an eat anything day once a week to counteract his eat nothing day, everything felt doable. After roughly five weeks of fasting, I was barely uncomfortable at all, says Dr. Berardi. And by my seventh or eighth fast, I was having great days.

Dr. Berardi lost 12 pounds of body weight during the first eight weeks on this schedule.

Dr. Scott-Dixon? She had similar experiences.

But when they both tried to add a second fasting day? Everything went sideways.

Within two weeks, Dr. Berardis morning weight plummeted from 178 pounds to 171, with an estimated 4 additional pounds of fat lost but he lost 3 pounds of lean mass, too.

He felt small and weak, and was losing too much weight too fast.

People commented on how drawn and depleted Dr. Berardi looked. And he was exhausted. Training became a struggle. Even getting off the couch was a struggle.

Dr. Scott-Dixon had a similar experience.

In particular, people commented on how awful my face looked, she says. Family members worried that I had a terminal disease.

The lesson:When it comes to fasting, do just barely enough to meet your goals.

And maybe even a little bit less than you think you need.

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