How to Start Intermittent Fasting Diet Plan for Easy Reaching Healthy Weight and Delay of Aging
What is Intermittent Fasting or, IF
Intermittent fasting (IF) is a simple eating pattern in which you alternate periods of fasting and periods of eating.
Fasting has been practice during all human evolution. Ancient hunter-gatherers didn’t have refrigerators, supermarkets, or particular food available year-round where sometimes they couldn’t find anything to eat.
So human beings have been evolved to be ready to live without food for extended periods.
Indeed, fasting from time to time is even more natural and healthy than always to eat, for instance, 3–4 (or more) meals a day.
Intermittent fasting is not the typical diet because it doesn’t define which foods you should eat but rather when you should eat them.
It’s not a diet in the general sense but, more precisely, in its essence, is an eating pattern.
Popular intermittent fasting practices involve daily 16-hour fasts or fasting for 24 hours, at least once or twice per week.
Most Popular Intermittent Fasting Methods
There are various ways of making intermittent fasting, and all of them involve dividing the day or week into eating and fasting periods of time(or eating and fasting windows).
During the fasting periods, you eat nothing at all or eat minimal (no more than 50 calories), depending on your goal.
Important to know that full fasting, with zero calories during the fasting windows, would bring you a complete list of benefits, but it is hard to sustain.
While fasting with some calories during fasting windows is also beneficial – not so much like in the full fast, but it is much easy to sustain.
These are the most popular methods:
The five and two - 5:2 diet
In five days of the week, you eat what you want, and for the other two days in a row, you perform a version of intermittent fasting.
But there are downsides if you are aiming weight loss, and let me explain why.
In these two days, what you will do is basically to reduce your calories down to 500 calories per day, so it is a kind of mimicking fasting.
But here’s the problem; it takes three to five days for a person to adapt to ketosis.
So if you’re going to eat what you want for five days and then for two days go down to 500 calories, you’re going to feel yourself so starving and craving.
Why? Although you have reduced calories to a minimum, your body will crave the fuel which is getting used to using and namely the carbs.
And that is because its permanent fuel is glucose, but not fat, no matter that currently you are fasting. It is not enough.
In that way, if you are trying to achieve weight loss, but you regularly have insulin spikes on these five days, the other two fasting days are going to be very inefficient and not enough to obtain ketosis state.
You will waste your time, and actually, the 5:2 model of IF is not appropriate for weight loss.
Alternate-Day Fasting
Then you have “alternate-day fasting,” where you’re not eating anything for one day and then one day you’re eating again.
And forth again, it’s going to be unfinished.
The reason is that it needs three to five days for a person to adapt to ketosis completely and to reach the point where you’re like nearly a hundred percent in it.
And this is particularly valuable if you are with insulin resistance.
To summarize, the main point here is that you need a longer time for reaching ketosis, and being in “alternate-day fasting,” it doesn’t allow you to make much adaptation.
The best way to achieve this adaptation is by intermittent daily fasting, and let see why.
Intermittent Fasting 16/8
You’re fasting for 16 hours, and then you have an eating window which is 8 hours.
Let’s say the time between your breakfast and your dinner or your lunch and your dinner is a total of 8 hours because it is not specified if you’re going to do two meals or three meals, you just have to obey an eight-hour eating window, and then you have sixteen hours of fasting.
16/8 intermittent fasting seems to be an excellent choice for the majority of people due to how easy it is to follow.
Now the one key here is not to snack between the meals in eating windows.
But also what might be good is if you were to do this with two meals and then not eat anything else.
In that way, you have your first meal, and then you wait 8 hours to have a second meal and then not eating for the next 16 hours.
Intermittent fasting 16/8 is incredibly sustainable and comfortable to follow pattern bringing a great bunch of benefits for someone’s health
Increases fat loss, can increase growth hormone (GH) levels five-fold, Anti-aging effects because it reduces oxidative stress and Increased autophagy, eliminating toxins and promoting cell viability, Improves cardiovascular health – improves risk factors like LDL cholesterol levels, blood pressure, triglyceride levels, inflammatory markers, and blood sugar levels, beneficial for brain health and cognitive functions, excellent for type 2 diabetics
IF is not recommended for: pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, Stress-sensitive people – if you’re already stressed for any reason, then adding intermittent fasting into your lifestyle could make things worse, People with eating disorders – people with anorexia, for example, should stay away from any diet which promotes caloric restriction.
Intermittent Fasting 20/4 Warrior Diet
Here you have 20 hours of fasting and 4 hours of eating windows with two meals or so-called from the dietitian’s Warrior Diet.
Its name is based on the diet of ancient warriors, who used to eat pretty little during the day, but they needed to eat at night.
If you want to take full control of your health and to start losing weight now, this is the right approach for you.
It’s undoubtedly not the most comfortable variety of intermittent fasting. It is easier than the OMAD, though, but it is reported to be very effective once your body gets used to the changes in your meal patterns.
What does an average day look like when you follow the Warrior Diet?
For example, your first meal is at 2:00 in the afternoon, and your second meal is at 6:00, which would be a 4-hour eating window with 20 hours of fasting.
The main point is not to eat anything during that period, but you can drink water, coffee maybe with a little cream, you can take your vitamins, drink tea and even you can sweeten with stevia.
But you don’t have any meals because an actual meal will trigger insulin.
However, after 20 hours, you have a four-hour eating window during which you can eat, but if you aim to achieve the best results, you should focus on healthy, unprocessed, organic food. Because If you eat unhealthily during the eating window, your results will be less significant.
When you have just a four-hour eating window, your body uses the other twenty hours to get rid of excess fat.
Important: This isn’t a diet that you are meant to use from day to day. Instead, you need to give your body the time to get used to it and making this a constant healthier lifestyle.
This type of fasting would bring you the same benefits as its “brother ” pattern with a regime of 16/8 hours
It is an effective method of weight loss that also can help you at improving blood sugar control, lower blood pressure, improves the health of your brain, reduces inflammation, and it is easier to endure compared to the other diets. The Warrior Diet meal plan is said to not only decrease fat but also aid in building muscle.
In short, this diet plan is a great natural means for healthily and sustainably weight loss, as long as you can handle it
The Warrior Diet is not for everyone compared to milder forms such as 16:8, which are much easier to follow, and less troublesome on your body.
Point to Consider!
The Warrior Diet is not the easiest one, and as such, it is not recommended for the following groups of people:
× Children – because children need extra nutrition for growth and development.
× People with diseases – if you suffer from a condition, you must first consult your doctor before you start dieting.
× People with eating disorders
× Extreme athletes
× Pregnant women
You may undergo adverse side effects, especially at the beginning. You may expect increased fatigue, low energy, dizziness, and extreme hunger. If you find that you are feeling not suitable, please consult a doctor.
To pass smoothly and efficiently through the cycles(the windows) of eating and fasting, you can rely on online services – high qualified people who are experts in this area and would help you to achieve results fast and easy.
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Intermittent Fasting 23/1 OMAD or simple One Meal A Day
OMAD is a widespread pattern of eating that many are using to lose weight and improve their metabolic and overall health.
It is a great tool when a person is not losing weight as expected, and the temporary use of OMAD will help for a kick-start weight loss.
It saves money and time.
Think about how much time you spend if you eat three meals per day, and what time could you save by reducing that by two-thirds?
For this, the OMAD pattern can be especially helpful for those who travel frequently, those with hectic and busy schedules, and those who perform shift work.
Many experts show that OMAD can help to improve metabolic conditions related to insulin resistance like hyperinsulinemia, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome
Although OMAD has some pretty great benefits, yet obviously, it is a more extreme model of intermittent fasting and not proper for everyone.
Who should avoid OMAD?
OMAD is quite extreme on its own, and it is not proper for everyone, especially in the long term.
Thus are mandatory the same precautions as on Warrior diet apply related to groups of people who should not use it: pregnant women, thin people with neurodegenerative states, people who are with a history of eating disorders, diabetic patients who are taking oral hypoglycemics.
The Great Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
The shorter patterns of fasting, such as 12/12, 14/10, will bring you fewer benefits, and especially if they are not full fast(zero calories).
More extended patterns such as 16/8, 20/4, 23/1 can give you more benefits(including autophagy), primarily if they are performed as a full fast, but if not, they also are a great option.
At all patterns, if combined with keto diet will lead in much better results regarding your overall life quality.
The main benefits of being in a fast are these four things right here: ketosis, autophagy, decreasing insulin, and fat burning and each one individually is from a huge benefit.
Ketosis
First of all, burning fat during ketosis does not have the same insulin and blood sugar response that in burning sugar, which drastically improves your insulin sensitivity
Just being in ketosis will help you lose weight, will help your brain to regenerate, and boost your energy.
Ketones are antioxidants there is why it’s going to reduce oxidation in your body, and actually, it counters a lot of disease processes.
Being in ketosis will help you keep blood pressure in check and lowers triglyceride levels, which will prevent your heart from diseases. It will help you also to decrease body inflammation, to feel less hungry, control over cravings.
When your diet is rich in healthy fat, that has a regenerative effect over your nerves and brain, which enhances your cognitive function and helps you to become more stable emotionally.
Autophagy
The benefits of autophagy from going on a fast are huge.
As we get older, our cells become damaged at an increased rate, but this is where autophagy comes in help.
⇒ Autophagy encourages clearing of the damaged cells from your body. – senescent cells that trigger inflammations and contribute to any kind of various diseases such as neurodegenerative disease, cancer, and other illnesses.
⇒ Autophagy is a potent anti-aging means and acts by using the waste inside cells to create new compounds that aid in repair and regeneration.
⇒ Autophagy protects the nervous system and improves cognitive function because it promotes the growth of new brain and nerve cells.
⇒ It prevents heart disease by supporting the growth of heart cells and enhance the immune system by eliminating the pathogens inside our cells.
⇒ You get to recycle old damaged proteins and cleaning up your body from microbes and Candida viruses.
In short, autophagy has a potent anti-aging and regenerating impact, but it is occurring and develops mainly in the state of nutrient deprivation or fasting mode.
And as soon as you start consuming carbs to any degree, you’re going to slow or down autophagy.
Eating protein will also slow down autophagy.
Only the real fast with zero calories is the ultimate way for autophagy.
So, we always have to look at and consider the number and quality of calories while fasting.
Whether those calories are more carbohydrate, whether they are protein, or they’re fat?
But if you’re taking supplements, for example, it’s going to have a minor impact on this.
It’s going to inhibit the top of autophagy only a tiny bit because there are just a few calories.
Improved Insulin Sensitivity
The benefit of lowering insulin is enormous.
In general, it helps in diabetes and will improve your insulin sensitivity, which in that way will affect all body systems positively.
It will help you to achieve hormonal balance, to reverse a fatty liver, to improve your cholesterol and lipid profile, against acne, it will improve brain functions as well, and the list can go on and on.
Healthy Weight loss
Weight loss and the burning of excess fat have both a significant impact on your health as well as self-esteem.
You are now with more energy, your hunger goes down, and your food cravings go away, making you easily handle your day-to-day responsibility.
And this is critical in today’s world, where we need to adapt and get control over many factors that require mental strength and emotional balance.
Things and foods That Would Break YOUR Fast State
Although it is beneficial, strict fasting might be hard to sustain, and that is especially true if we speak for forms of intermittent fasting such as “water fast” and “dry fast.”
It is a great strategy that requires discipline and dedication, but only in that way, you can obtain the full range of advantages.
Fortunately, there are smoother ways that require less struggle from our side, but at the same time are also very beneficial too.
Fasting becomes a bit easier if you know what kind of food and to what degree will break your fasting state if you eat during fasting windows.
What calorie amount will break your fast, and to what degree?
One critical point to understand is the degrees of breaking a fast.
Many things will, in a minor way, possibly break your fast but only temporary, maybe for only 20 minutes to a half-hour.
You can add small amounts of things like healthy fat, heavy cream, or stevia to your tea, and you can get your vitamins as well.
Those are very tiny things, and that will only break your fast a little and for a short time.
The key here is not to overdo it with them, as only in that way you have valid fasting windows.
But on the other hand, this will help you to obtain only the required and exact nutrients, which will guarantee you that you don’t go through nutrient deprivation.
But REMEMBER!
If your main goal is to obtain the full range of benefits, including autophagy, then you shouldn’t consume any calories during your fasting windows
It means zero calories – you can allow yourself only water, black coffee, and unsweetened tea.
Any other forms of food or drink will raise your insulin levels and thereby will PUT YOU OUT of your fasted state.
Yes, it is a great option, but it is harder to make it part of your lifestyle.
However, the better option is to incorporate separate days with a full fast(like the examples above) in your weekly and monthly eating plans, helping you to get the advantages that bring the autophagy.
Foods tha will break the fast
When we’re looking to find out about what breaking the fasting state, we just need to know what food will produce the smallest effect on insulin.
Because the more insulin you have in your body, the more quickly this is going to knock you out of being in a state of fasting and fewer benefits you’re going to have.
CALORIES
Calories usually trigger insulin spikes, and no matter what those calories are, they will provoke insulin spikes.
But if adding a few calories will help you pull through a fast that seems otherwise difficult or impossible. It might be an option, especially if your goal is losing weight.
CARBOHYDRATES
Carbs are in the first place. The more refined are the carbs, or as much as higher is, their glycemic index much worse would be their influence over the insulin levels.
PROTEINS
Protein consumption will increase insulin and also will lead to stop your fast state. Not as much as that carbohydrates will, but in no small degree, especially if you’re consuming more substantial quantities of protein.
FIBRE
Fibre and fat have a zero effect on insulin, but if you’re consuming large amounts of them together with calories, it could influence insulin. A small amount is OK
Fiber helps with blood sugar problems and reducing insulin.
When you consume fibre, you should know that the microbes in your gut eat and digest them, it is not your digestion.
As a result, they release this thing called butyrate. It is an organic compound that belongs to the group of “short-chain fatty acids,” which is ketone like and indirectly, it helps to lower blood sugar and reduce insulin.
FAT
If you consume a small amount of fat, it is going to raise insulin insignificantly, but the same time will help you to maintain ketosis state.
For weight loss purposes, small amounts of calories are allowed during fasting windows – no more than 50, and best would be these calories to come from healthy fat instead of carbs or proteins.
How to get started IF
If you are a beginner, and if you do not fit into the groups as mentioned above for which it is inappropriate fasting then you can start to follow these steps to get used smoothly with your new eating patterns.
• You can begin with three meals a day with no snacking and always add fat to the meal
• Try to go as long as you can without eating and don’t eat unless you’re hungry
• During the time slowly let your body to adapt to 2 meals and then if you feel comfortable you can go to 1 meal a day
• Always listen to your body, it will give you signals when to eat,
• Be sure that you’re getting the nutrients you need
• It’s easiest to perform intermittent fasting daily
• Look at the purpose of doing it, and whether is for weight loss or health improvement, although in most cases is both
The best way to start Intermittent Fasting
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The information presented in this article, although it is very informative and useful, is not intended to treat or cure any disease or health problem. If you concern about your health, the best would be to meet your doctor first.
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