How To Do Intermittent Fasting?

In some cases, but not all, people can lose weight doing intermittent fasting. It is not advised for people who have or have ever had an eating disorder, as well as people who are pregnant or nursing. If you decide to try intermittent fasting, diet quality is important. Eat a range of nutrient-dense whole foods within your eating window and avoid ultra-processed foods to get the most benefits from intermittent fasting. Additionally, before starting an intermittent fast, speak with a dietitian to make sure that it’s safe for you to do so.

What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting is a type of eating in which you refrain from consuming any calories for an extended period of time. Typically, this period lasts between 12 and 40 hours. There are many different ways to practice intermittent fasting. But they are all based on choosing regular time periods to eat and fast.

For instance, you might try eating only during an eight-hour period each day and fasting for the remaining time. Or you might choose to eat only one meal per day for two days.

Water, coffee, and other calorie-free beverages are allowed throughout the fast, but no solid foods or drinks with calories.

Depending on the person, some prefer to fast from breakfast to breakfast or lunch to lunch. For example, if you eat your last meal on Monday at 7 p.M. And don’t eat anything else until 7 p.M. On Tuesday, you’ve completed a 24-hour fast.

Although many intermittent fasting regimens begin with shorter fasting intervals, you don’t have to go all in right once. A full 24-hour fast every other day can appear extreme and be challenging for many people to maintain.

3 types of intermittent fasting

If you practice time-restricted intermittent eating, you don’t eat anything while fasting. And you only consume drinks with very few calories, like water or black, unsweetened coffee and tea, during the times when you do. And during the times when you do eat, try to stick to a healthy diet full of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean protein. 

16/8 approach

This entails a daily fast lasting 12 hours or longer and eating during the remaining hours. An example of this is the 16/8 approach, which allows you to fit two, three, or more meals into an 8-hour window.

Plan 2 diet

Here, you should eat regularly five days each week. While keeping your calorie intake to 500–600 calories on the other two days.

Eat Stop Eat

This involves a 24-hour fast once or twice a week. The goal of alternate-day fasting is to observe it every other day.

There are many different ways to practice intermittent fasting, and many of them call for you to fast for a period of 12 to 40 hours at a time. 

3 Benefits of intermittent fasting

Many things happen during intermittent fasting that can protect organs against chronic diseases like:

• type 2 diabetes
• heart disease
• age-related neurodegenerative disorders
• inflammatory bowel disease
• many cancers.

Fasting has been linked to numerous possible health advantages, including weight loss, better blood sugar regulation, heart health, brain function, and cancer prevention.

Although glucose from carbohydrates is our most direct fuel source, we burn fat for energy when glucose isn’t available. This happens even more during times of food deprivation.

Intermittent fasting is safe for many people, but it’s not for everyone. Skipping meals may not be the best way to manage your weight if you’re pregnant or have a medical condition that makes you more susceptible to complications from eating less.

Before beginning an intermittent fast, discuss with your doctor if you have kidney stones, gastric reflux, diabetes, or other health issues.

3 Problems with intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is not ideal for everyone, despite the fact that the eating pattern can surely be a part of a balanced diet. It will likely take some getting used to at first.

Here are some drawbacks you can experience when attempting intermittent fasting for the first time:

• You find it difficult to maintain a regular schedule, intermittent fasting may be a bad choice for you.
• Your schedule is unpredictable due to job, family, or other commitments. It may be difficult to stick to a strict calorie intake regimen, and you may experience hunger.
• You’re not used to fasting, even an 8 or 12-hour fast may seem like a long time. You may experience hunger pangs, which is unpleasant and ultimately unsustainable. 
• One of the first things you might notice when you begin intermittent fasting is mood swings. Fasting can also cause headaches, constipation, exhaustion, sleep problems, and other unpleasant side effects.
• As a common physiologic response to fasting or calorie restriction, low blood sugar is also known to cause irritability and anxiety.
• Hunger, headaches, and weariness are common side effects of intermittent fasting, particularly in the beginning.

Key Takeaways

Intermittent fasting is a weight management technique that works for some people, but not all. Many people find the 16/8 approach to be the most simple, long-lasting, and doable, as well as the most well-known, of the several ways to practice intermittent fasting.

Fasting is not for those who now have or have ever had an eating disorder. Additionally, it may not be suitable for children, adults with underlying health issues, pregnant or nursing women, as well as those with other conditions.

Remember that diet quality is vital with any eating plan if you wish to practice intermittent fasting. To get the most rewards from intermittent fasting, eat a variety of nutrient-dense whole foods during your eating window and steer clear of foods that have undergone extreme processing.

Additionally, make sure to consult your dietitian and doctor to determine whether it is safe for you to start an intermittent fast. 

Check out other Healthy Eating Tips here.