Intermittent Fasting For Fat Loss

There are always new diet trends that seem to come up every year like Paleo or a ketogenic diet. It seems like there is a new diet everyday. When I first heard about intermittent fasting I thought, “here we go again with another crazy diet”. Then as I dove into some research, I decided to give intermittent fasting for fat loss a try but first what exactly is intermittent fasting.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

    Intermittent fasting is a diet were you don’t eat or drink any calories during an alloted period of time, usually 12-18 hours. Intermittent fasting is more of an eating protocol then it is a diet because it is not about the foods you eat but when you eat those foods. You would pair this up with your current dieting style.

    There are a couple of ideas behind why intermittent fasting is great for fat loss. By limiting the time you can eat food will give you less opportunity to go over your calorie limit for the day. This makes it easier to stay in a caloric deficit. This can make the transition to lower calories per day much easier. It also, helps you regulate and control your hunger.

    While you are in your fasted state your body will rely more heavily on your stored body fat as fuel because you are not giving it any more fuel to use. This could potentially lead to greater fat loss. Some studies have even shown that being in a fasted state actually increase how many calories your body is burning. Thus further helping you in your goal towards fat loss

    There are additional benefits to intermittent fasting like helps you body repair, reduces inflammation in your body, and helps control your blood sugar.

I started by original fast from 8pm to 2pm and holy cow was it hard. I usually started my days at 6am and by 10am already had breakfast and second breakfast. Cutting out all of that was tough both mentally and physically. After about a week or so, my body grew accustomed to this new way of eating and I started seeing results. Intermittent allowed me to eat bigger meals and more of the foods that I enjoyed. After about 3 months, it helped me lose the 10lbs I wanted to for the summer. Even after my goal, intermittent fasting allowed me to maintain my weight much easier than before. Allowed me to splurge on days where I ate out or went drinking with friends.

How to Intermittent Fast?

To incorporate intermittent fasting into your life is quite simple. First pick a time period to which is easiest to not eat anything for 12 to 18 hours. The easiest time is to pick a time around when you sleep. That is an easy 6 to 8 hour period where you aren’t eating anyways (unless you sleep eat which is a whole nother issue). 

    The key to making intermittent fasting work is to still make healthy changes to your diet: eat more vegetables and proteins, limit processed foods, etc. Intermittent fasting is not meant to allow you to continue to eat poorly because you are limiting the time you eat. By making these healthy changes you will speed up the the process of fat loss.

Tips for Intermittent Fasting

    Starting out with Intermittent Fasting might seem scary but having been doing it for awhile I have some tips and tricks to help make the transition easier.

Caffeine in the morning is your friend
Use caffeine in the morning to curb your appetite and get your through your morning workout. Try to avoid any creamers or sugars to get the most benefits from the fast.

Be flexible
Don’t be super strict with your fasting period if things come up. Sometimes you will have to work late or you have a late night at the bar. Don’t get hung up with being perfect everyday

Stay hydrated
Water is your best friend during a fast. Keeping your body hydrated will help prevent any additional hunger cues. When you are thirsty your body will tell you it is hungry to get you to drink more fluids

Keep your mind and hands busy
If you are not busy during a fast, you are more likely to become hungry and give in to hunger. Find things to do like clean, paperwork, etc. to keep you mind and hands busy.

If your current diet is not getting you the results you are looking for, considering adding some intermittent fasting into it. Remember that intermittent fasting is a tool to aid fat loss and does not substitute for a healthy diet. If you need help implementing intermittent fasting into your current diet plan comment below or email me (john.stein@maximalu.com) and I will be more than happy to help!

Sources:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S193152441400200X
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10837292
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10837292