Intermittent Fasting is a simple topic, but people tend to overcomplicate it by overthinking about it. With proper research I now follow 16:8 intermittent fasting to lose weight and honestly I have not felt better my entire life. There is so much energy and mental focus and when I combined it with keto diet, the fat seemed to melt away pretty quickly.
Intermittent Fasting is Not a diet, in fact, its nothing but restricting your hours of eating to a limited window called the ‘Eating Window’. It is NOT about calorie restriction. You may not have the urge to eat more frequently since you have a limited time to eat. People do Intermittent Fasting for many health benefits such as reduce insulin resistance, cell repair, reduce inflammation, have better focus and more energy. Intermittent Fasting is for everybody especially if you want to lose weight.
I do Intermittent Fasting to lose weight especially to reduce the visceral fat around the belly which is so dangerous. Intermittent Fasting, when combined with Keto diet and caloric deficit, results in huge fat loss in a very short time.
Today lets talk about 2 things:
- For how long should you fast
- What can you have during fasting mode
How long should I fast?
As a beginner I started with the 12:12 ratio where I fasted for 12 hours and ate within the rest of the 12 hours. I’d have my first meal at 8 am and the last meal at 8 pm. After about a week, I narrowed my eating window to 10 hours and gradually reduced my eating window to 16:8 ratio everyday.
Another realistic option for beginners could be to fast for 3-4 days a week. Thomas Deleur in his video says, women over 40 should not fast everyday as it lowers their metabolism. He recommends fasting 3 days a week following the 20:4 ratio where the eating window is only 4 hours. Women over 40 should also have their caffeine in the morning and consume high protein. You can find out more scientific information on Dos and Donts of fasting for women over 40 by watching Thomas Deleur’s video.
What can I have during fasting mode?
Honestly, nothing but water. Technically any amount of calories will break your fast. Water is your best friend during fasting mode however it can get really boring and monotonous. I add some Apple Cider Vinegar and Himalayan Pink salt in a bottle of water and finish it before my first meal. Surprisingly this mixture helped me curb my appetite a lot. You can also have black coffee or black tea. Some like to have green tea mixed with lemon juice. Whatever you chose to have just make sure your calories are under 50 cals in total during fasting.
In Part 2 of this post, I will share how I break my fast and how I work out to reap maximum benefits from fasting.
Hope you found this post useful.
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Take care of your health coz no one can.
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Shom 😘
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