Drink Water or Other Low Calorie Liquids When Fasting

On fasting days, you will drink plenty of water and eat little to no food. If your goal is to lose weight, you should stick to healthy foods that provide the nutrients your body needs and limit treats as well as processed foods. To effectively skip food intake a few days each week, you need to follow a balanced menu plan that is eaten in moderation on your feasting days, but avoid over-feasting, make healthy food choices and manage your portion sizes. You can help suppress hunger during intermittent fasting by eating high-fiber foods, such as nuts, beans, fruits and vegetables, as well as high protein foods, including meat, fish or tofu during your window for dietary intake.

• The 5:2 Fast - With this fasting protocol, people eat normally five days a week but only consume 500 calories for women or 600 calories for men on the two non-consecutive days of fasting.
• Skip-a-Day Fast - Alternating between days of one meal that provides about 25% of person's daily calorie requirement and days of no food restriction is a simple approach to intermittent fasting.
• The 16:8 Fast - When you fast for sixteen hours, you can skip breakfast, eat an early dinner and simply avoid all late night snacking, then repeat the process the next day.
• Skipping a Meal Fast - When you decide to say no to a meal, you should not drink anything with high caloric values such as juices or sodas. Instead, you should only be drinking low calorie options such as coffee, tea and water while fasting.

Fasting can be a great tool for maintaining good health but it is a stressor due to extreme calorie restrictions. If you are brand new to fasting and see a decrease in performance, or have failed expectations, your body will adapt over time as it adjusts to tapping into stored body fat for fuel. Nonetheless, be patient and stay well hydrated. Regardless of the approach you choose, it is important to have a balanced menu plan if you want to lose weight and maintain it. By making smart choices, you can essentially eat more and still lose weight. For personalized menus to support your fasts, contact the Metabolic Research Center.

*NOTE: Due to a difference in hormonal makeup, women have special considerations when fasting. Intermittent fasting is not a good idea for women under 18 years of age, those with a lean body profile, or those with medical conditions, such as hypothyroidism or a history of eating disorders. Ask your physician about an appropriate fasting protocol for you.