Intermittent fasting is one of the safest and most effective ways to lose weight. An intermittent fasting diet involves eating within a specific window of the day and fasting for the remainder of the day. This schedule enables your digestive tract to fully rest for several consecutive hours of your time awake and time asleep.
Intermittent fasting focuses on your body’s hormone responsible for storing energy, insulin, controls the cells. Insulin tells the cells to take glucose from the bloodstream and store the excess energy as fat or glycogen. Insulin prevents the breakdown of body fat. The most effective way to lower insulin levels is to fast. When you fast, you’re not taking in any nutrients, which leads to lower insulin levels. This means your body is not storing anything; it’s pulling energy from the glycogen that the liver, kidneys and muscles store. When these stores empty, the body begins using fat reserves for its energy. Then, your weight loss begins.
Simply put, fasting restores the balance of hormones which, when unbalanced, leads to obesity. Different people can obtain various benefits from different plans. Therefore, it’s helpful to research the best intermittent fasting plan for menopause, diabetes or other health-related issues.
How To Choose Your Eating Window
Several intermittent fasting plans exist. Each program features unique benefits and intensity levels.
- Crescendo intermittent fasting is the best plan for beginners. It involves fasting for 12-16 hours, then eating during the next 8-12 hour window. Begin doing this schedule every other day, two or three days a week. If you need snacks or flexibility, this could be your ideal plan.
- Leangains (aka 16:8 intermittent fasting) requires fasting for 16 hours, so your eating window is 8 hours. Follow this plan daily or most days.
- One-day fasting involves fasting one full day per week.
- Alternate day fasting has you fast for 24 hours every other day.
- One meal a day requires fasting for 23 hours every day with a one-hour eating window each day.
Tips To Make It Through Your Fasting Window
- Remain Active– Physical activity helps increase your energy. This increase causes your body to begin burning body fat because you’ll burn through all of the glycogen. You may feel some fatigue, but this can mean your carbohydrate stores are diminishing, which is the objective. Then, you can begin burning fat. Avoid eating before your workout (eating produces insulin, which prevents fat burning).
- Keep Hydrated– It’s essential to keep your fluid intake steady. Staying hydrated can also reduce cravings. Green tea, mineral water and black coffee are best. Just check this article where Dr. Jarreau discusses fasting and drinking coffee. Also, try THCV for diabetes or use it simply to help limit cravings.
- Use Salt– Although salt has a negative reputation, salt is necessary, especially during your fasting windows. Burning carbohydrates flushes sodium and other electrolytes out of your system. Adding a little salt can help combat dizziness and headaches. It also promotes weight loss by heightening your body’s sensitivity to insulin.
When you’re ready to begin intermittent fasting, your diet can start as soon as your skip a meal. Research fasting products available from a reputable retailer. You’ll be burning that unwanted fat in no time.
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