Intermittent fasting is one of the most popular weight-loss methods, with various celebrities swearing by its effectiveness. Despite this, it’s essential that intermittent fasting is properly organised and scheduled; otherwise, you may do yourself more harm than good. This is because intermittent fasting refers to an eating plan in which you alternate between eating and fasting, and, as we all know, our bodies require food to function. There are various approaches that can be taken for intermittent fasting, and each works differently for different people. Although the idea of intermittent fasting worries some people, it’s by no means a new concept, with Muslims fasting through the Ramadan dates and Christians fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
Discover how to effectively schedule intermittent fasting below.
The 14:10 Diet
The 14:10 diet refers to a diet in which you fast for a 14-hour window and eat for 10. While those who engage in intermittent fasting typically take the approach that they can eat anything they wish during their eating hours, the 14:10 diet is most effective if regular exercise and nutritious food are incorporated. This is because the fasting window is relatively short and doesn’t differ too greatly from the typical way that people eat. As a result, it can be tricky to achieve a calorie deficit when opting for this method of intermittent fasting.
Eat-Stop-Eat Diet
The eat-stop-eat diet involves fasting for a full 24 hours once or twice a week; however, if you’re doing this twice a week, it shouldn’t be done consecutively. This is perhaps one the fasting methods that you need to be most careful with, as not eating for a whole day can be dangerous at times. If at any point in the day you feel faint or unwell, break your fast immediately and have something to eat to recharge your batteries. No matter how tempting the weight-loss potential may seem, you should never compromise your health in favour of it.
Alternate-Day Fasting
Alternate-day fasting is exactly how it sounds and involves fasting every other day. Despite this, this isn’t to say that you don’t eat at all on your fasting days. Instead, your fasting days will consist of you eating around 500 calories. With this being said, fasting this frequently can cause adverse behavioural changes if you’re not used to going without food for long periods of time. Therefore, it’s only recommended that you adopt this method of fasting if you’ve fasted previously. Similarly, it’s not recommended that you engage in intense workouts on fasting days, as this could lead to injury and sickness.
The 5:2 Method
The 5:2 diet refers to you eating normally for five days a week and only consuming around 500-600 calories on two fasting days. As with the eat-stop-eat diet, your fasting days shouldn’t follow one another and should be appropriately spaced. When adopting this method of fasting, you’ll want to eat slow-releasing energy foods on the days that precede your fasting. This way, you won’t suffer as badly from cravings and hunger pangs during your fasting days.
The 16:8 Diet
Last but not least is the 16:8 diet, which requires you to fast for 16 hours of the day and eat for eight. For instance, you might not eat after 8 pm up until noon the following day. This also provides you with a solid window to factor in workouts, and, as with any form of fasting, they’re most effective for weight loss when you eat nutritious food during your eating hours. Additionally, any form of fasting needs to be carried out safely, and you should never make yourself unwell in doing so.
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