You are starting to lose a little weight, but it’s not fast enough.
What can you do to improve it?
Intermittent fasting and KETO. That’s what.
Intermittent fasting and keto are two separate strategies to lose weight. Both methods produce enough ketones to burn body fat.
Intermittent fasting and keto work towards the same goal which is achieving ketosis. So, the question many people ask is, “Why not stick to just one?”
The answer is quite simple.
The keto diet receives a long-term boost when combined with intermittent fasting. IF becomes a lot more effective when used in conjunction with the keto diet.
It’s a win-win situation.
You won’t feel as hungry when combining the two, and since you’re fasting there will be no crashes due to the lack of sugar.
Intermittent fasting while on the keto diet works!
How to Start Intermittent Fasting?
Embarking on the keto diet can be intimidating. There are cases where people are afraid to get started due to fear and mindset issues.
Before you start, you need to have clear and concise goals for yourself. Do you want to:
- Lose weight?
- Prevent diseases?
- Live longer?
You need to set aside worries and common misconceptions such as eating fatty foods will make you fat, or that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
These outdated beliefs are halting your weight loss progress. Give yourself a chance to try something new and amazing. You’ll never look back.
Here’s a quick challenge that you can try.
Day 1: Make you last dinner around 7pm and then drink water till you go to bed.
Day 2: You are awake at 7am, delay that breakfast till at least 10am then carry about your day.
Day 3: Same again don’t eat until 10am, eat lunch and don’t eat anything until dinner at around 7pm.
Day 4: Skip breakfast but have lunch at 11am so you will be going 16hrs without food. Don’t have any snacks and eat dinner at 7pm.
Day 5: Repeat day 4 again. Congratulations you have gone through a quick 5 day fast.
Use this 5-day challenge to get a feel for intermittent fasting. You may even see results in this short time
However, with intermittent fasting will come the downsides such as fatigue and brain fog which are similar to that of keto flu. Therefore, before you begin make sure:
- You seek medical advice before you start.
- Keep it simple and easy.
- Follow a schedule that suits you. You don’t have to have a last meal at 7pm.
Overall intermittent fasting will allow you to lose
weight and improve your health over the long run.
What is Allowed During Fasting?
Common sense says that you should not eat at all during your fasting window. While you are fasting…do not consume any calories. It’s as simple as that.
You are allowed something to drink as you need to stay hydrated throughout your fasting. However, your drinks should contain no calories.
Here are few options:
- Water – You can drink water all day long, but avoid adding any cordial to it. You can add a squeeze of lime to give it a bit of taste to make things a little different.
- Coffee – Black coffee is all you can drink. Adding a little cream or milk is a big no. Remember to drink it slowly as you may upset your stomach.
- Broths – Don’t buy any broths from your local market. Instead, make one at home. Nothing is better than homemade and stick to vegetable broths.
- Tea – Any tea is fine but green tea is the best as it helps suppress your appetite.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – It helps regulate your blood sugar levels and makes intermittent fasting work a lot better.
Again, just keep it stupidly simple. Don’t drink or eat anything with calories while you are in your fasting window and you are golden.
Getting Maximum Benefits
There are several ways you can get started with intermittent fasting, and we suggest that you get started with a fast that is easy for you.
Here are a few options to choose from:
- 12 hours fast – You need to decide when you want to start. The most popular is to fast between 7pm till 7am the next morning.
- 16 hours fast – Same as the 12 hours fast, but you may be skipping breakfast or lunch.
- 2 day fast – Eat for 5 days and reduce your calorie intake for 2 days. Don’t stop eating for 2 days. Simply consume less calories. Around 500 calories is safe.
- Alternate fasting – For a quick loss in weight, try alternate fasting and only consume around 500 calories during your fasting days. Don’t try alternative fasting if you are beginner.
- 24 fast once a week – You don’t consume anything during this fast for around 1 to 2 days. Be careful on this fast as it can cause you headaches.
Your experience and requirements are different from everyone else. Decide for yourself which is the best fast for you.
Make sure you stay hydrated throughout your fast by drinking plenty of water throughout the day and you can have the occasional green tea.
Relax as much as you can while enjoying light exercise or a gentle walk, just don’t become a coach potato.
Count your calories and don’t go over the recommended allowance during fasting days where you are consuming around 500 per day. This is based on your activity levels.
For the absolute best results on non-fasting days, eat a healthy meal.