What if we told you that the answer to losing weight, improving body composition, and feeling better isn’t about dieting, but instead skipping meals every once in a while? For some, intermittent fasting, or going a longer period of time — usually between 14 and 36 hours — with few to no calories, can be a lot easier than you may think. And the benefits might be worth it. If you think about it, all of us “fast” every single day — we just call it sleeping. Intermittent fasting just means extending that fasting period, and being a bit more conscious of your eating schedule overall. But is it right for you? And which method is best?
The four-hour eating window — which Hofmekler refers to as the “overeating” phase — is at night in order to maximize the Parasympathetic Nervous System’s ability to help the body recuperate, promoting calm, relaxation and digestion, while also allowing the body to use the nutrients consumed for repair and growth. Eating at night may also help the body produce hormones and burn fat during the day, according to Hofmekler. During these four hours, the order in which you eat specific food groups matters, too. Hofmelker says to start with veggies, protein and fat. After finishing those groups, only if you are still hungry should you tack on some carbohydrates.
Following what Greg lays out for us, we should wait a couple of hours and stave off our cup of jolt, kick-starter for at least a couple of hours after getting up. Instead, we should have some hydrating water. That’s a hard one, let’s be truthful. Real hard, especially for coffee lovers, but I suppose there is a reason for this. I think this has something to do with cortisol levels. This really helps when, or if you get hunger pains and then have a cup of wakey juice or two or three or four cups. This almost always alleviates the hunger, so this is why it’s so powerful.
Those studies above, in working with small sample sizes, and different types of fasting than recommended here, would lead me to believe that fasting affects men and women differently, and that many of the weight loss benefits associated with intermittent fasting (that affect insulin and glucose responses) work positively for men and negatively for women.
That window can be shrunk or expanded depending on your needs and preferences but typically, it’s somewhere between 4-7 hours of feeding during the day. Intermittent fasting is a great practice for weight loss, appetite control, digestion, and health on its own. When it’s combined with the keto diet and its benefits, the results can be even better.
Some people believe that IF has worked for them simply because the limited eating window naturally helps them reduce the amount of calories they consume. For instance, instead of eating three meals and two snacks, they might find that they only have time for two meals and one snack. They become more mindful about the kinds of food they consume and tend to stay way from processed carbs, unhealthy fat, and empty calories.
Of course, fasting — regardless of the method — isn’t for everyone. If you have any medical conditions or special dietary requirements, it’s smart to consult a doctor before giving intermittent fasting a shot. Anyone who tries it should also plan to be highly self-aware while fasting. If it’s not agreeing with you, or if you need to eat a little something to hold you over, that’s just fine. It takes our bodies time to adjust, and some require more than others. Keep in mind that hormones can make it harder for women to follow a fasting plan than for men. “Be cautious at first, and start slowly [with a shorter fast],” Shanks recommends. If it doesn’t make you feel better, try something different, or accept the fact that maybe fasting isn’t for you.
Finally, note that fasting to induce ketosis can also trigger a set of symptoms often known as the “keto flu.” Fasting ketosis symptoms may include decreased energy levels, increased cravings, digestive issues, muscle aches and dizziness. These symptoms can last between a few days to a few weeks when starting the ketogenic diet, but they typically subside once your body enters ketosis and begins to adapt.
Stable blood sugar levels are vital to the success of any diet. This is because when glucose levels plummet, it leads to intense hunger, which almost always results in binge eating. Stable blood sugar levels help eliminate headaches, lack of focus, poor memory, and brain fog as well. Interestingly, these are common complaints among those who follow high carbohydrate diets, as opposed to diets that are rich in fat and protein.
Intermittent fasting is hard in the contemplation, of that there is no doubt. “You go without food for 24 hours?” people would ask, incredulously when we explained what we were doing. “I could never do that.” But once started, it’s a snap. No worries about what and where to eat for one or two out of the three meals per day. It’s a great liberation. Your food expenditures plummet. And you’re not particularly hungry. … Although it’s tough to overcome the idea of going without food, once you begin the regimen, nothing could be easier.”
How It Works: This one’s easy: Eat very little one day, and eat like normal the next. On the low-calorie days, that means one fifth of your normal calorie intake. Using 2,000 or 2,500 calories (for women and men, respectively) as a guide, “fasting” (or “down”) day should be 400 to 500 calories. Followers can use this tool to figure out how many calories to consume on “low-calorie” days.
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