Intermittent Fasting Is Easy If You Do It Right – Here’s How

Much has been said about the positive impact of fasting. Of course, like any healthcare regimen, it’s easy for proponents to promise the world, but in terms of fasting, it seems many of the health benefits are well-founded.

After all, fasting is nothing new to human beings. Once, most people had to question where their next meal was coming from, the regularity of eating three meals a day was far from the norm, and each meal had to be worked for diligently. Therefore, it makes sense our bodies are primed for large feeding periods and then fast periods, not out of planning, but out of necessity.

The logic goes that by intermittent fasting, you can replicate these hungry conditions without causing any damage, while also improving your general sense of wellness and capability. Managing this is easier than you think. In this post, we’ll discuss a few reasons as to why that is, and how to make the most of it:

Choose an Appropriate Fasting Window

Fasting, like anything, is about managing your hours around the clock. It’s not about going for as long as you can, but just being as consistent as you can. For example, the most common (and seemingly effective) fasting method is an 8/16 split. So putting it simply, you might eat your meals between 10am to 6pm, and then not eat at all until 10am the next day, having fasted for sixteen hours.

This means you have more than enough time to eat three mid-sized meals, or two large meals, and then feel satiated until the next time you eat. It’s really that simple. However, sticking to the window is most important, because your body will adapt to it if you do. That means you won’t have massive hunger pangs, because your body becomes used to eating at certain times. It can take a few days to get there, but overall you’ll thank yourself for the consistency. Moreover, if you’re fasting for autophagy (cell repair), this is a good place to start.

Non-Calorie Drinks Are Fine

While intermittent fasting, you only need to restrict your intake of calories. So for example, black coffee (without creams, sweeteners are generally okay), herbal teas, calorie-free drinks, most of these are fine. Just make sure you can stomach them when you’re not full – for some coffee on an empty stomach can be a little upsetting.

However, it also means you don’t have to give up your evening green tea, and can even promote switching to nicer alternatives to sugary drinks, such as enjoying a nice peppermint tea instead of black tea with milk and sugar. If you’re on a diet, then this isn’t a bad habit to work with.

You Can Shift When Needed

We’ve mentioned consistency, and overall it is important for this to be followed. However, intermittent fasting doesn’t have to be super strict. If you don’t fast over the weekend, for instance, that doesn’t overwrite the progress you made doing it from Monday to Friday.

Unless switching in and out of different diet types, such as balanced and keto, your body is pretty good at fasting when it needs to, and not doing so when you’re eating often. After all, not having food is something our bodies are prepared for, at least for a little while.

This also means that when you get used to intermittent fasting (with your doctor’s approval), you may decide to try other schedules. For example, the one-meal-a-day method (20 hours fasting, four eating) is quite popular among those that have been on the program for a while.

There’s No Dogma

There’s no need to start on that previous example,  and there’s no shame in starting a smaller effort, such as eighteen-six or whatever works for you. That’s the great thing about intermittent fasting, it’s not dictate you have to follow without ever veering away from the dogma, and it fits with a range of diets. Moreover, you don’t have to buy anything to do it, just eat what you had planned to eat anyway, at different times.

However, it’s also important to seek medical advice before you to partake in intermittent fasting. For example, those with low blood sugar might not be best equipped to go without eating even for a small amount of time, or if you work a hard job with physical labor, going without food is not a good idea. So, good preparation sets you up for a lifetime of success.

With this advice, you’ll be certain to intermittent fast in the best way, and even realize how easy it is.