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Intermittent Fasting: The Complete Beginner's Guide

Written by Resurchify | Updated on: March 08, 2022

Intermittent Fasting: The Complete Beginner's Guide

This article presents the complete guide to intermittent fasting and popular ways to do so.

What do we mean by Intermittent Fasting and How Does it Work?

Intermittent fasting isn't really a diet; rather, it is a way of eating. It's a method of planning daily meals, so individuals get the most out of them. Intermittent fasting does not alter what people eat; rather, it alters when people eat. It is presently one of the most popular health and fitness trends in the globe. It is being used to help people lose weight, enhance their health, and organize their lives. Many studies have shown that it has profound impacts on physical and mental health and may even increase longevity.

Intermittent fasting is also an effective technique to maintain muscular strength while losing fat. Having said that, the major reason individuals try intermittent fasting is to reduce weight. Typical intermittent fasting regimens include daily 16-hour fasts or twice-weekly 24-hour fasts. Eating has been conducted since the dawn of time. There were no stores, refrigerators, or foodstuffs accessible all year for primitive gatherers. They could not really find anything that they would be able to satisfy their hunger. As a result, humans developed to be able to survive for extended periods of time without nourishment. In reality, fasting sometimes is more natural than eating 2–3 (or even more) servings every day. 

To know how intermittent fasting leads to weight burning, we must first recognize the difference between the fed and fasted states. When our body digests and absorbs food, it is in a satiated or fed condition. It typically begins whenever people begin eating and seems to last four or five hours while the body processes and integrates the foodstuff one just ingested because human glucose concentrations are increased when they eat, and it is incredibly difficult for the body to burn calories.

When people fast, their bodies may burn fat that was previously unavailable during the fed state. Because people don't enter the fasting state until 12 hours after their previous meal, human bodies are rarely in this fat-burning mode. This is one of the reasons that many people who begin intermittent fasting lose fat without modifying anything they consume, how much they consume, or how frequently they workout. Fasting puts the system into a fat-burning condition that individuals seldom achieve on a balanced dietary schedule. 

10 Ways to do Intermittent Fasting

There are various ways of intermittent fasting. It is different from individual to individual, and also, the method varies in the number of fasting days along with the calorie allowance. The 10 of the most common ways to do intermittent fasting are as follows:

Fasting for 12 Hours a Day

This kind of intermittent fasting strategy may be a decent alternative for novices. This is because the fasting window is very limited. The majority of the fasting occurs throughout sleep, and the person can absorb the same calorie count on a daily basis. There are 12 hours of eating and 12 hours of fasting in this strategy. According to recent research, fasting for 10-16 hours can break down stored body fat and transform it into energy, releasing ketoses into the circulation and promoting weight reduction. It's a good idea to incorporate a 12-hour fasting schedule while falling asleep.

Fasting for Alternate Days

This approach of intermittent fasting involves fasting every other day and eating anything one wants on the non-fasting days. Some individuals believe that alternate-day fasting requires total abstinence from solid foods on fasting days, while others allow up to 500 calories. One can consume water, unsweetened coffee, and tea when fasting. According to research, alternate-day fasting does not enhance compensated hunger. Furthermore, when one adapts to this diet, hunger lessens. The health benefits of this strategy include not only weight loss, but also the preservation of muscular strength while losing weight. Alternate day fasting is a more intense form of intermittent fasting that may not be appropriate for novices or people with specific medical issues.

Eat Stop Eat

This intermittent fasting approach entails a 24-hour fast or fasting two times a week. It is a 24-hour fast, beginning with breakfast today and finishing with dinner the very next day. One can also fast from breakfast to breakfast or from lunch to lunch. People on this diet plan can drink water, tea, and other calorie-free beverages during fasting time. On non-fasting days, people should resume their usual eating habits. Eating in this manner decreases a person's total calorie consumption but does not limit the specific items consumed. The main disadvantage of this therapy is that a full 24-hour fast is extremely difficult to maintain. It can be difficult, and it might induce weariness, migraines, and frustration.

The Warrior Diet

The Warrior Diet is an intense type of intermittent fasting. It entails eating very little during a 20-hour fasting period, generally only a few portions of unprocessed fresh fruits and vegetables, and then eating one huge meal at night. The mealtime period is generally only 4 hours long. The name of this diet comes from the eating habits of heroic figures or warriors. These powerful forefathers of ours ate less during the day and more at night. According to this method, people should consume plenty of veggies, carbohydrates, and essential fats during the 4-hour meal period. Although some meals may be eaten during the period of fasting, it becomes very difficult as the diet may elevate the risk of developing unhealthy eating habits.

Skipping Meals Spontaneously

This is one of the most simple types of intermittent fasting. It entails missing meals occasionally. People can choose which meals to miss based on their hunger level or time constraints. However, it is critical to eat nutritious meals at each meal. Meal skipping is most likely to be successful when people monitor and respond to their bodies' hunger levels. People who follow this method of intermittent fasting will eat when they are hungry and skip meals when they are not. This may feel more natural for some people than the other fasting strategies. Since one tends to consume small amounts of calories in a week, one might not see any radical weight loss with this intermittent fasting method.  

Time-Restricted Fasting

One can pick a lunch break every day with this sort of intermittent fasting, which should typically provide a 14 to 16 hour fast. For example, to make this work, it is necessary to set the lunch break from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is especially helpful for someone who has a family and eats supper at a reasonable hour. Then, most of the time spent fasting is really spent in bed, sleeping. However, this is based on one's ability to stay regular. If one's schedule is always fluctuating, or one needs or desires the flexibility to go out for brunch occasionally, it is better to go on a late dinner date or even go for a coffee break. Everyday fasting may not work for everyone.

The OMAD (One Meal A Day) Intermittent Fasting

The OMAD (One Meal a Day) diet is straightforward—but severe. This fasting method allows for one meal per day (within a one-hour interval) accompanied by a 23-hour fast. There are no dietary limits, and one may eat at any time of day or night, so people who keep the fast can eat whenever it is most convenient for them. Proponents of OMAD enjoy it because it is simple to implement. And, because it might be difficult to fit a whole day's worth of calories into an hour-long eating window, OMAD adherents tend to consume fewer calories overall. However, the approach has significant downsides, such as restricted food consumption, decreased energy reserves, and a drop in blood sugar levels in certain people. To experiment with the OMAD diet, one must attempt to intake close to the appropriate calorie allotment for one's gender, height, and weight during every single meal. To ensure one is reaching their nutritional needs, it is necessary that one incorporates a range of fruit and veggies, whole grains, essential fats (such as nuts, peanut butter, almonds, avocados etc. ), and lean proteins (such as chicken, fish, or tofu).

Fasting for 2 Days a Week

The 5:2 diet requires people to consume a set quantity of healthy food five days a week and limit their calorie consumption the other two days. This diet was popularized by British journalist Michael Mosley. Men typically consume 600 calories over the two fasting days, while women ingest 500 calories. People usually split their fasting days throughout the week. They may, for example, fast on Mondays and Thursdays and eat regularly on the other days. Between fasting days, there should be at least one non-fasting day. There has been little study on the 5:2 diet, often known as the Fast diet. A study of 107 overweight or obese women discovered that calorie restriction twice weekly, and continuous calorie restriction both resulted in equivalent weight reduction.

Choose-Your-Day Fasting

This is more of a choose-your-own-adventure type of game. One might undertake time-restricted fasting (for example, fast for 16 hours and eat for eight) every other day or once or twice a week. For instance, if Sunday is a regular eating day, one would stop eating at 8 p.m. and then begin eating at noon on Monday. It's essentially the same as missing breakfast a couple times a week. According to a December 2015 paper published in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, data on the impacts of missing breakfast is divided. Some data suggests that consuming it is related to a reduced Body fat percentage, but there is no consistent evidence in randomized studies that it causes weight reduction. Other studies have connected avoiding breakfast to lower heart health. This may be more adaptive to one's lifestyle and more go-with-the-flow, which means one can make it work even if their schedule varies from week to week. 

The Monk Fast

The Monk Fast is a type of alternate-day fasting in which one only drinks water for 36 hours once a week. Its absence of specific rules or limits makes it popular among dieters looking for a simple approach to reduce weight and improve their health. Although the time necessary to enter ketosis varies significantly depending on the individual, it normally occurs 12–36 hours after ingesting any carbohydrates. The Monk Fast, according to its developers, may also be useful for improvements in life expectancy, lowering malignant cells development, and boosting immune. On day one, individuals eat dinner, fast for the rest of the day, and then eat breakfast on day three. This sort of fast can assist jump-start the ketosis transformation or drive people deeper into ketosis. This can be done as frequently as once a week, month, or year. 36-hour fasting, on the other hand, is clearly more challenging than 16/8 intermittent fasting, Eat Stop Eat, the 5:2 Diet, and other kinds of fasting. Going without calories for an extended period of time might result in unpleasant side effects such as dizziness, nausea, and irritability. Dehydration can also develop if the typical fluid consumption (including liquids from meals) is not replaced with pure water.

Some Frequently Asked Questions on Intermittent Fasting

What Is Intermittent Fasting (IF), and How Is It Distinct From Starvation?

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, intermittent fasting (IF) is a strategy of eating that involves alternating between fasting (or significantly reducing calorie intake) and eating at particular intervals. It differs from other diets in that it does not need the consumption of certain foods. Intermittent Fasting isn't about deprivation, either. Rather, it is about eating your meals at specific times and fasting for the remainder of the day and night.

What are the benefits of intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting provides a number of advantages, many of which have been seen and confirmed in both animal and human randomized clinical trials. While most people fast to lose weight, everyone can benefit from intermittent fasting.

  • Loss of weight: While individual outcomes vary, a thorough evaluation of 40 researches on intermittent fasting discovered that participants in a fasting programme may lose 7 to 11 pounds over a 10-week period. Most doctors believe that a moderate weight reduction of less than 2 pounds per week is healthy and more likely to continue in the long run.
  • Cardiovascular Health: In most nations, heart disease and concerns connected to heart health cause more deaths than any other reason. Intermittent fasting can help with metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that contribute to heart disease.
  • Insulin Sensitivity: It is a term that refers to a person's ability to Insulin resistance which has become a global epidemic as type 2 diabetes, in particular, has become more prevalent. Intermittent fasting helps lower blood sugar levels by lowering sugar consumption, encouraging weight reduction, and reducing body fat.
  • Health of the mind:  Intermittent fasting benefits brain health by lowering systemic inflammation, balancing blood sugar, and eliminating free radicals. It supports autophagy, a natural process in which the body breaks down and destroys old or damaged cells, and it boosts the creation of a crucial brain protein called BDNF.

Who should not try intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting can be modified to fit individual lifestyles, although it is not suitable for certain groups, such as children under the age of 18. Their metabolism and hunger signals are still developing.

  • People who have a history of the eating problem or are prone to restricted eating practices. 
  • Fasting can cause or increase bingeing and starvation, excessive food restriction, or eating/food anxiety.
  • Those who must take medicine at specified times with eating.
  • Those who are expecting a child or are nursing. Low blood sugar can be caused by fasting. Furthermore, developing and nourishing a newborn need adequate, not restricted, calorie consumption.
  • Anyone who gets angry, unsteady, or worried after a period of time without eating.
  • Constipation-prone individuals

Intermittent Fasting: What Are the Consequences?

When you start IF, the drop in circulating insulin levels and glucose consumption, similar to when you start a keto diet, might cause water and electrolyte loss. Some persons get flu-like symptoms, headaches, or low blood pressure/dizziness as a result of this. If you are not habitual of Intermittent Fasting or are on blood sugar reducing drugs, you may encounter low blood sugar levels. Intermittent Fasting isn't suitable for everyone. If you have diabetes, you should have your medication closely checked by a doctor since you are at risk of becoming hypoglycemia, which can be deadly. If you have ever suffered with an eating issue or are pregnant, Intermittent Fasting is not for you.

What can I eat while intermittent fasting?

Water and zero-calorie liquids like black coffee and tea are allowed at periods when you aren't eating. And "eating normally" during your periods does not imply going insane. If you fill your meals with high-calorie junk food, super-sized fried foods, and desserts, you're not going to lose weight or get healthy. Intermittent Fasting, on the other hand, allows for a wide variety of meals to be consumed – and enjoyed. Eating with people and sharing the mealtime experience increases happiness and promotes excellent health. Whether you're following intermittent fasting or not, most nutrition experts consider the Mediterranean diet to be a solid pattern for what to consume. You can't go wrong with complex, unprocessed carbs like whole grains and leafy greens.

Is one method of Intermittent Fasting effective than he other?

Some people limit their food to an 8-hour window, while others alternate between fasting for a whole day and eating regularly the next day. On the overall, no one form of intermittent fasting has been shown to be more beneficial than the others. Fasting, like regular eating habits, should be tailored to the individual and their lifestyle. Some people can manage complete fasting during the day, while others do best when they eat more often.

Isn't fasting supposed to make me hungry?

No, that is not the case. The majority of your fast occurs when you are asleep. And, contrary to common opinion, fasting has a hunger-suppressing impact. When you do eventually break your fast, you get to eat huge meals that help you feel full (appetite satisfaction). You may believe you are hungry when, in reality, you are only thirsty. The hypothalamus regulates both hunger and thirst. That explains why you frequently confuse hunger with thirst. Drink a glass of water whenever you're hungry. During your fasting period, you can drink as much calorie-free liquids as you desire.

Is there anything wrong with fasting?

When people initially begin fasting, they may experience headaches and nausea. The majority of people's symptoms subside after two weeks. When you fast, extra blood rushes to your body fat, ostensibly to assist it go to your muscles, where it may be burnt as fuel. Your veins in your fingers and toes vasoconstrict to compensate for the increased blood flow to your body fat. So, if you're chilly, rejoice because you're losing weight! Caffeine should be consumed only in the morning and early afternoon hours, as fasting can increase your energy levels and make it difficult to fall asleep.

The Bottom Line

Intermittent fasting is a weight-loss strategy that works for some but not all people. It is not suggested for anyone who have had or are currently dealing with an eating disorder. It's also not recommended for youngsters, those with existing health issues, or women who are pregnant or nursing. To get the most out of intermittent fasting, consuming a range of nutrient-dense natural foods and avoiding ultra-processed items throughout one's meal window is very important. Additionally, consulting a competent healthcare practitioner before beginning an intermittent fast to confirm that it is safe for oneself is also a necessary precaution that should be taken beforehand. Also, fasting for long periods of time when the body is unprepared, regardless of the form of intermittent fasting, might sometimes be harmful. 

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