Are you looking for an effective way to lose weight? Then why not try intermittent fasting weight loss? If you are still unfamiliar with this form of weight loss technique then take note that it is not actually a diet plan. Studies show that intermittent fasting is actually a pattern of eating. It requires you to schedule your meals a day, allowing you to take full advantage of them, especially their health benefits.
Before trying out intermittent fasting, note that it does not actually alter the foods you eat normally. What it does, instead is it alters the time when you eat. It is advantageous in the sense that it lets you get lean without significantly cutting down your calories or causing you to stick to a crazy and fad diet. In fact, in most cases, intermittent fasting requires you to maintain the amount of calories you take in. This means there is no need to undergo continuous calorie restriction.
Some of those who follow it even try to eat bigger meals within a shorter timeframe. Another advantage of intermittent fasting is that it maintains your muscle mass while still ensuring that you stay lean. It is a great way to keep your body weight in check.
How Does Intermittent Fasting (IF) Work?
If you wish to fully understand how intermittent fasting works in losing weight then you have to be fully aware of the common distinctions between the fasted and the fed state. Note that you are in a fed state each time your body digests and absorbs food. In most cases, the fed state begins right after you start eating.
You can also expect this state to last for around 3-5 hours as this is the period of time when your body works in digesting and absorbing your consumed foods. Your body will have a hard time burning fat in this state due to your high insulin levels. Once the 3 to 5 hours are up, you reach the post-absorptive state, the state wherein your body is not processing food.
Such state lasts for around 8-12 hours after you have last eaten your meal. With that in mind, it’s safe to assume that it’s the specific time when you’re entering the fasted state. When you are in this state, expect your body to have an easier time burning fat because it is also when you have low insulin level.
Once you’re in the fasted state, it is possible for your body to burn excess fat that is not accessible when you were in your fed state. Since you can’t reach the fasted state until 12 hours after your last meal, it would be rare for your body to get into this phase of fat burning.
That is the specific reason why intermittent fasting is so popular and allows you to lose and burn fats even if you don’t actually change the foods and quantity you eat as well as the frequency of their exercise. When you go into a fasted state, you are pushing your body into optimal fat burning. That’s something that rarely happens during your normal eating schedule.
Here is a great video on a video intermittent success story. Keep in mind, there are several different strategies to intermittent fasting. Everyone has a different hormone and genetic makeup. The video discusses a 36-hour fast. I personally think that is BANANAS and I would not be able to do it. But it worked for this woman. Check it out.
If you want to start intermittent fasting weight loss, then here are some of the fastest-acting strategies in this approach:
#1 – Leangains
This specific intermittent fasting weight loss strategy requires you to fast for either 14 or 16 hours daily. Fourteen hours is the ideal fasting hours for women while the 16 hours is for men. The remaining 8-10 hours should be dedicated for feeding. Once you are in the fasting period, it is necessary to avoid consuming any foods, especially those with calories. However, you can take in calorie-free sweeteners, sugar-free gum, diet soda, and black coffee.
Some of those who practice this noticed that it is easier to schedule the fasting period starting at night and continuing it in the morning. The fast will then end around 6 hours after they wake up. You can stick to such schedule, too because it is easy to adapt it based on most people’s lifestyles. Just make sure that you stick to a feeding window time consistently to prevent your body’s hormones from getting out of balance.
The foods you should eat as well as the time you should consume them during your feeding window should also be based on your workout schedule. During those days of the week when you exercise, take note that carbohydrates are more essential than fats. During your rest days, ensure that you take in more fats. Foods rich in protein, on the other hand, need to be fairly high on a daily basis.
Also, take note that whatever program you follow, it is necessary to ensure that most of the calories you take in are from unprocessed and whole foods.
#2 – Eat Stop Eat
This intermittent fasting weight loss strategy is also one of the most effective ways to lose weight. It works by fasting for strictly 24 hours one or two times weekly. The 24-hour fast requires you to stay away from any food. You need to skip meals during the fasting periods. However, you’re actually allowed to consume calorie-free drinks. Once the fasting period is over, it’s safe to return to your normal eating habits.
This form of eating is known to reduce your overall calorie consumption significantly without putting too much limitations on the foods that you can eat. What it does, instead, is putting a schedule on how often you should eat.
If you wish to follow the eat stop eat form of intermittent fasting then make it a point to do some regular exercises, too, especially resistance training. Exercising is helpful in attaining success in this strategy, especially if your goal is to improve your body composition or to lose weight.
#3 – The Warrior Diet
Another effective intermittent fasting weight loss strategy that you can follow is the warrior diet. It often works under the philosophy that you should fast for around 20 hours daily then eat one huge meal in the remaining 4 hours, which usually happens at night. The key to achieving success in this strategy is to eat the right foods at the right time during the period when you are already allowed to take in that huge meal.
The rationale used in this technique is to feed your body the specific nutrients it specifically needs while harmonizing it with your circadian rhythms. It should be noted that the fasting state of this intermittent fasting strategy focuses more on under-eating. This means that within your 20-hour fast, you can still consume some servings of fresh juice and raw fruits and veggies.
The 4-hour feeding window, on the other hand, is the time when you should overeat. It is mainly because you will need to take in a huge meal during this phase. Ensure that you strictly follow the order of eating certain food groups as it plays a major role in the success of this program. In this case, begin with vegetables then protein then fat. Once you finish the mentioned food groups, you should only allow yourself to indulge in some carbs if you still feel hungry.
Still a bit confused on how intermittent fasting works? Check out the graphic below to determine how your fat body’s fat burning mechanism varies over time. This will help you to understand how long you should try to fast.
Conclusion
Intermittent fasting for weight loss has really gained a great deal of popularity and for good reason…it just plain works. It is one of the most effective approaches to losing weight.
While intermittent fasting is great, women should have a slightly different approach to than what is generally presented in much of the articles and books available. Here at Libifit, we have performed the research and created an intermittent fasting program specifically designed for women to burn fat and ensure that all of the hormonal concerns of women are addressed.
Our guide provides specific techniques for intermittent fasting for women and we also provide a checklist to ensure fasting is working for you and maintaining your hormonal health. Check out our ebook now. https://www.libifit.com/fasting-book/
In addition to our downloadable ebook, we offer women the opportunity to recieve a printed daily intermittent fasting journal to log your weight loss and health progress, and also monitor your hormones so that you don’t experience the intermittent fasting side effects some women do.
Alright, the ball is in your court girl! Ready to get started? Click the link below.
