Intermittent fasting has gained massive popularity over the years. That’s due to the benefits that it offers, including promoting weight loss, enhancing metabolism, promoting blood sugar level, boosting the immune system, and so much more.
Intermittent fasting, unlike a dietary plan, does not restrict what foods you should eat or avoid. It involves cycling between time of eating and fasting. This article shows you how you should start an intermittent fast.
1. Identify your personal goals
In most cases, people who start intermittent fasting have a goal that they want to achieve. The goal may be to shed off some weight, improve metabolic health, or improve your overall health. Having an ultimate goal can help you figure out an ideal fasting method and determine the number of calories you should consume.
2. Pick your ideal fasting method
There are four main methods that you may try when fasting for health purposes. Remember to choose a plan that suits your preferences and which you think you can stick with. These methods include; Eat stop Eat, Warrior Diet, Alternate Day Fasting, and Leangains.
Eat Sop Eat involves fasting for 24 hours twice a week. It doesn’t matter the days you choose to fast or even when you begin. What matters is ensuring that the fast last for 24 hours. Warrior Diet involves eating very little food for 20 hours every day. You then consume your typical intake for the remaining four hours. Alternate Day Fasting involves eating normally for five days, and then for the remaining two days, you eat below 600 calories each day. Leangains fast involves much shorter periods; you can check this diet here.
3. Determine your caloric needs
You don’t have to restrict your diet when fasting; however, this does not mean that calories do not count. If you are fasting to lose weight, you should create a diet with low calories. There are several tools that can help you determine your caloric needs and work out the number of calories you should consume every day. You can also speak to a health practitioner or a nutritionist to guide you on how many calories you need.
4. Come up with a meal plan
If you want to either lose or gain weight, it may be a good idea to plan what you are going to eat for the day or the entire week. You shouldn’t be too restrictive when making your meal plan; instead, consider calorie intake and incorporate proper nutrients into the meal plan. Meal planning is excellent due to the many benefits it offers, including helping you stick to your calorie intake and ensuring that you have the right food.
5. Make the calories count
All calories aren’t the same. Even though fasts don’t restrict you on the number of calories you should take when fasting, it is critical to consider the nutritional value of your food. Generally, you should ensure that you consume food with a high number of nutrients per calorie. This does not mean that you should entirely abandon junk food; you can still consume them in moderation and at the same time, focus on healthy foods that are beneficial to your body.
