Intermittent fasting has become a popular trend in the last few years. The eating plan involves modifying your diet plan and eating habits for a healthier lifestyle. It’s also particularly useful for weight loss.
Here are a few common intermittent fasting approaches you should know about.
Overnight Fasting
Overnight fasting is the simplest approach to intermittent fasting. It requires you to refrain from eating anything for a 12-hour period that starts at night, breaking the fast in the morning. For instance, you may have dinner at 6 p.m. and then have the next meal at 6 a.m.
This is an easier approach as most people already practice a similar routine after dinner, i.e., they don’t eat anything until breakfast the next morning. The fasting period is typically utilized for sleeping and resting, so you don’t need to miss any meals or distract yourself from eating. You may have to stretch the fasting period to 12 hours if you’re used to having a late dinner and an early breakfast, but this is fairly easy to manage.
While this fasting method provides mild cellular benefits, it’s not ideal if you want to lose weight because the fasting window is relatively shorter and doesn’t typically help you lower your calorie intake.
Alternate-Day Fasting
In this method, people fast every other day and significantly reduce their calorie intake on the fasting days. Alternate-day fasting is considered a popular weight loss approach as it helps reduce your body mass index, fat mass, cholesterol level, and, ultimately, weight.
Individuals who follow this approach consume approximately 25% of their normal calorie intake on fasting days. They may feel hungry initially, but this feeling subsides as they start practicing the method regularly. However, the downside to continuing alternate-day fasting long-term without monitoring your meals on normal days is that it can elevate your LDL levels.
Time-Restricted Fasting
Time-restricted fasting is an effective intermittent fasting approach. In this method, you set an eating window for each day, dedicating around 14-16 hours for fasting. For example, you can choose to eat between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., dedicating the rest of the day to fasting. This helps promote autophagy, allowing your body to clear debris, optimize insulin function, and maximize fat cell metabolism.
The approach is ideal if you’re looking to lose weight and are used to eating meals early. However, if you have changing schedules, time-restricted fasting may not be the best option for you.
Other Options
- 5:2 Fasting: You eat normally for five days and lower your calorie intake on the two days you fast.
- 24-Hour Fasting: You fast for 24 hours once or twice a week.
- Choose-Your-Day Fasting: You decide when you’ll fast and for how long.
Whichever fasting method you follow, make sure you reach out to a renowned online health coach in Kansas City to learn more about the diet plans needed for intermittent fasting. Love This Diet helps individuals make healthier eating choices. Get started today!
