How To Properly Do Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is becoming increasingly popular as a means to stave off illness, reduce weight, and improve one’s longevity. Proponents claim that this diet is the best way to achieve lasting weight loss, improved metabolic health, and improved life. That’s why many people are opting for this method due to the various benefits that it offers.

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

A type of timed food abstinence, intermittent fasting pertains to a type of eating pattern wherein
food consumption is restricted in certain times in a 24-hour period. There are different stages of
fasting that you’ll learn here, helping you understand how it works. You can opt for a diet plan
that allows you to eat your normal diet but at different times during the day.

Intermittent fasting can help you lose weight by cutting out food on a regular basis. This diet also
eliminates the need to consume fat and sugary foods because both are high in calories.

Intermittent fasting is usually combined with exercise, which increases your body metabolism.
Since the intake of calories is restricted to very low levels, your body can burn the excess energy
and store it for later use.

Steps On How To Properly Do Intermittent Fasting

Now that you know what intermittent fasting is, along with some of its benefits. Now, it’s time to know how to properly do intermittent fasting. Here’s how:

Step One: Know Your Nutrient Needs

Before you fast intermittently, just like any other diet plan, it’s important to know your nutrient
needs. To ensure that this eating pattern is suitable for you, talk to a nutritionist and your doctor.
For instance, to avoid hypoglycemia or extremely low blood sugar, diabetic patients may not be
advised to undergo several hours of fasting.

Step Two: Choose A Diet That Works For You

When deciding what type of foods and beverages you’ll follow during intermittent fasting, you
should choose a diet that works for you. You shouldn’t follow a diet plan that you’re not
comfortable with.

Step Three: Modify Your Fasting Diet

Remember that there’s no standard rule when it comes to fasting. Hence, you can always modify
your fasting diet in any way that works for you.

Check out some of the most commonly practiced fasting patterns:

Intermittent Fasting:

This is a daily four, eight, or 12-hour feeding window.

Here are the following ways to implement intermittent fasting:

1. The 16/8 Fasting Method: It involves 16-hour daily fasting for men and 14 to 15 hours for women. Eating is restricted for eight to 10 hours wherein you can fit two or more meals.
2. The Fast Diet: It’s also known as the 5:2 diet, wherein it involves eating 500 to 600 calories for two days out of the week and then eating normally the other five days.
3. Eat-Stop-Eat: This fasting involves fasting for 24 hours, a fitness expert.
4. One Meal Daily: This fasting involves eating only once a day.
5. Extended Fasting: This fasting method involves fasting for 24 hours or more.
6. Alternate Day Fasting: This involves eating every other day.
7. 5:2 Fast Diet: This involves eating normally for five days at 500 to 600 calories for two days.

Step Four: Keep The Following Things In Mind

1. It’s important to remember that although this method can help you to lose weight relatively fast, it’s not a solution to your weight problem. If you want to be healthy and slim, it’s important that you adopt a balanced diet and make sure that you maintain a healthy lifestyle.
2. Although the method of fasting may seem easy, some people find that it requires a lot of patience and discipline, which are the key qualities for successful outcomes.
3. You should try to consume plenty of foods that contain a lot of vitamins and minerals.
4. You may want to include plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and nuts and seeds in your diet.
5. The diet is designed to eliminate fats, so if you take part in it, you’ll be able to reduce the number of fat deposits in your body and increase muscle mass. The best part is that you’ll be able to lose weight even when you’re sleeping and resting.

Conclusion

It’s crucial to know your nutrient needs and choose an intermittent fasting method that’s
comfortable and flexible for you. Make sure to eat a balanced diet or variety of foods during the
feeding window and abstain from eating during the fasting window for successful outcomes.