Intermittent fasting is a timed approach to eating which involves cycling between periods of eating/fasting and does not specify what foods you should eat or avoid. It helps in weight loss and improve the overall health and well-being, such as minimizing the effects of aging.

The peculiarity of intermittent fasting is the fact that, you can still enjoy all your favourite meals and loose weight at the same time.

Meaning, intermittent fasting is not dieting, it is a pattern of eating (It doesn’t change what you eat, but when you eat it).

Just as fasting is safe for most healthy and well-nourished people, it may not be appropriate for individuals who have any medical conditions.

Are you healthy and ready to fast your way through your weight loss journey? Then, these 5 tips below would help make the experience as easy and successful as possible because it may be difficult to eat during a short period of time each day or alternate between days of eating and not eating.

1. Identify personal goals
Before a person starts intermittent fasting, he/she would have specific goals in mind. It could be to lose weight, improve overall health, or improve metabolic health. A person’s ultimate goal will help them determine the most suitable fasting method and work out how many calories and nutrients they need to consume.

2. Figure out caloric needs
There are no dietary restrictions when fasting, but this does not mean calories do not count.

People who are looking to lose weight need to create a calorie deficit for themselves  this means that they consume less energy than they use. People who are looking to gain weight need to consume more calories than they use.

There are many tools available to help a person work out their caloric needs and determine how many calories they need to consume each day to either gain or lose weight. A person could also speak to their healthcare provider or dietitian for guidance on how many calories they need.

3. Figure out a meal plan
A person interested in losing or gaining weight may find it helps to plan what they are going to eat during the day or week.

Meal planning does not need to be overly restrictive. It considers calorie intake and incorporating proper nutrients into the diet.

Meal planning offers many benefits, such as helping a person stick to their calorie count, and ensuring they have the necessary food on hand for cooking recipes, quick meals, and snacks.

4. Make the calories count
Not all calories are the same. Although these fasting methods do not set restrictions on how many calories a person should consume when fasting, it is essential to consider the nutritional value of the food.

In general, a person should aim to consume nutrient-dense food, or food with a high number of nutrients per calorie. Though a person may not have to abandon junk food entirely, they should still practice moderation and focus on more healthful options to gain the most benefits.

5. Pick the method
There are four potential methods that a person may try when fasting for health reasons.

A person should pick the plan that suits their preferences and which they think they can stick with.

These include: Eat Stop Eat, Warrior Diet, Leangains and Alternate Day Fasting.

METHODS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING

Eat Stop Eat: Brad Pilon developed Eat Stop Eat, which is a fasting method that involves eating nothing for 24 hours twice a week. It does not matter what days a person fasts or even when they begin. The only restriction is fasting must last for 24 hours and on non-consecutive days.

People who do not eat for 24 hours will likely become very hungry. Eat Stop Eat may not be the best method for people who are unfamiliar with fasting to start with.

Warrior Diet: Ori Hofmekler is the creator of the Warrior Diet, which entails eating very little for 20 hours each day. A person fasting in this way consumes all their typical food intake in the remaining 4 hours.

Eating a whole day’s worth of food in such a short time can make a person’s stomach quite uncomfortable. This is the most extreme fasting method, and similarly to Eat Stop Eat, a person new to fasting may not want to start with this method.

Leangains: Martin Berkhan created Leangains for weightlifters, but it has gained popularity among other people who are interested in fasting. Unlike Eat Stop Eat and the Warrior Diet, fasting for Leangains involves much shorter periods.

For example, males who choose the Leangains method will fast for 16 hours and then eat what they want for the remaining 8 hours of the day. Females fast for 14 hours and eat what they want for the remaining 10 hours of the day.

During the fast, a person must avoid eating any food but can drink as many no-calorie beverages as they like.

Alternate Day Fasting, 5:2 method: Some people fast on alternate days to improve blood sugar, cholesterol, and weight loss. A person on the 5:2 method eats 500 to 600 calories on two non-consecutive days each week.

Some alternate-day fasting regimens add in a third day of fasting each week. For the rest of the week, a person eats only the number of calories they burn during the day. Over time, this creates a calorie deficit that allows the person to lose weight.

Conclusively, a person should stick with one fasting method for a month or longer to see if it works for them before trying a different method.

Anyone who has a medical condition should talk to their healthcare provider before beginning any fasting method.

When deciding on a method, you should remember that they do not need to eat a certain amount or type of food or avoid foods altogether. You can eat what you want.

However, to reach your health and weight loss goals, it is a good idea to follow a healthful, high-fiber, vegetable-rich diet during the eating periods and drink plenty water.