Divide Time Into Fasting and Feeding Windows

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Intermittent fasting involves dividing your day into specific eating and fasting windows. During your eating window, focus on nourishing your body with healthy foods. When you fast, your body switches from burning sugar for energy to burning fat.

Normally, our bodies rely on sugar for energy. But if you constantly eat and don't exercise, you gain weight. When you go without food for hours, your body eventually runs out of stored sugar and starts burning fat for energy instead.

Looking back through history, breakfast was not a common meal for most people. Our ancestors typically ate one substantial meal each day, supplemented with nuts and fruits as snacks. Eating when hungry was an intuitive approach to mealtime.

Whether you're looking to shake up your eating routine, improve your metabolism, or simply try something new, intermittent fasting is worth considering. After all, it's a natural approach that aligns with our evolutionary history.

Select the Times for Your Eating Plan

When starting intermittent fasting, take it slow and gradually increase your fasting periods. When transitioning back to an eating plan, make sure to include protein-rich foods to prevent overeating. Discussed below are some of the responsible fasting techniques used today, including:

ALTERNATE DAY FASTING: Alternating between days of regular eating and days of significant calorie restriction, allows this fasting approach to help improve metabolism, boost heart health, reduce chronic inflammation, and promote cell repair. To practice alternate-day fasting, you simply alternate between days of no food restriction and days that consist of one meal. However, it's important to note that fasting every other day can be challenging for some people, so there may be a more suitable fasting period.

WHOLE DAY FASTING: An option to the strict 24-hour or 36-hour approach to whole day fasting is the 5:2 Method, where you eat normally for five days and limit yourself to about one-fourth of the calories needed on two non-consecutive days. The 5:2 approach can be done with consuming 1800 to 2000 calories on non-fasting days. It is a more flexible option that still allows for healthy weight loss and metabolic benefits like burning stored fat.

INTERMITTENT FASTING: The circadian rhythm approach to intermittent fasting limits food consumption to an eight-hour (16:8) to ten-hour (14:10) daytime period. During the fasting period, your body undergoes autophagy, a process that eliminates old or damaged cells to reduce inflammation. To break your fast, opt for a protein-packed salad, eggs with avocado, wholesome veggies, or a homemade protein shake.

The three-prong Golden Rule for Fasting is no calories, no nutrients, and no food consumed while you’re in a fasting zone. When transitioning back to a regular diet, focus on incorporating protein-rich foods to avoid overindulgence and maintain control over your eating habits.

Fasting Has a Long History of Benefits

Responsible fasting is a popular dietary method among people who need help managing their appetite, weight, and overall health. However, it's not suitable for everyone and not recommended for individuals under 18 years of age. While the overall benefits of fasting may not surpass the benefits of reducing total calorie intake alone, some people find it easier to consume fewer calories by simply restricting when they eat rather than what they eat.

Intermittent fasting has a rich history and has been scientifically proven to be effective. In fact, longer fasts have shown to maximize autophagy, boost the immune system, and potentially enhance brain reward circuits. But, you may need to experiment and make adjustments. It's common to experience side effects when fasting, such as dizziness, headaches, fatigue, and irritability. Additionally, some individuals may end up overeating on non-fasting days, which defeats the purpose of intermittent fasting.

Whether you’re interested in jump starting your journey using the latest compounded weight loss medication or would like to implement a responsible fasting method to shed pounds, Metabolic Research Center has over three decades of experiencing in helping clients meet their goal for healthy living.