How long should I fast for if I want to try intermittent fasting? Are there any foods or drinks that I can have, or just water? Should I be cutting my calories to reflect the time I’m not eating? Thanks! -Brian
Brian,
Intermittent fasting is a great way to kickstart your ketosis, and take care of your body. You have a lot of options when it comes to fasting, and all of them depend on what’s best for you.
The key is to start small so you can develop a lasting routine. If you jump straight into only 3 hours of eating, and 21 of fasting, you will end up with a hard struggle, and a higher chance of failure. I recommend starting by skipping breakfast and eating dinner an hour earlier. Once you body gets used to the shorter time of eating, it will be easier to expand the fasting time.
A common fast is 16/8. This means that you will fast for 16 hours, and eat for 8. This is just a guideline though, and the fasting time can be increased one you adjust. You can do 18/6, 20/4, 21/3… you get the picture!
Another option is to do alternate day fasting. This involves a full 24 hour fast, followed by a day of low-carb, high-fat, free eating. This is proven to have great results, but does take a lot of willpower.
While you are fasting, you can have as much tea and water as you would like. Unfortunately, you can’t add anything to either of these for taste. Make sure you drink plenty of water, as it will keep you feeling full. You can also have Black Coffee. Keep it black though. I cut my black coffee with extra water to help with the taste.
Unless you are doing the alternate day fast, you will still want to make sure you are consuming your full calorie count. You body actually goes into a starvation mode if you don’t feed it enough. This starvation mode not only stalls you weight loss, it also causes some nasty body side effects including hair loss.
Good luck!