5 Intermittent Fasting Tips for a Successful Day
It has been 3 months since I started practicing intermittent fasting and I’ve finally grown to love it.
It has been 3 months since I started practicing intermittent fasting and I’ve finally grown to love it. So I decided to share a quick post about what has worked for me. I’m dishing out 5 intermittent fasting tips based on my experience so far for having a successful day on a intermittent fast.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting (IF) is when you extend the period of not eating after you wake up until later in the day (or fast 1-2 days a week). For instance, I stop eating every night at 7 pm and don’t eat again until 11 am.
I tried IF out because some studies have shown it has a ton of potential health benefits (lower insulin levels , cell regeneration , lower risk of type 2 diabetes , reduced inflammation , higher levels of human growth hormone , to name just a few). These benefits are again, just potential, but there doesn’t seem to be any negative effects from IF so I decided it was worth the experiment.
Why I love it
The main reason I have really come to love intermittent fasting is because it keeps me from that late night junk food snacking. This a problem for me. I eat dinner and 30 minutes later I want just a little ice cream. Or maybe a handful of some chips. And the cravings were strong. IF has made it easy for me to stick to normal, healthy eating habits. On top of that, I feel clearer headed and more energized throughout my day.
But getting started on IF isn’t a piece of cake. Here are 5 intermittent fasting tips I’ve learned in the last 3 months that help my day of IF be successful.
1. Pound water and a hot bevie first thing:
It’s so important in those morning hours before you start eating again to drink a ton. Otherwise you’ll be eating ice cream and candy at 11:02 like I did my first day. I mean, this sounds so common sense. But I didn’t normally drink two large bottles of water before breakfast before. So why would I when I am intermittent fasting? I also find a hot coffee with cream or a green tea also really helps curb those hunger pangs.
2. Make that first meal about fat and fiber:
What you eat when you break your fast is really important or you will find yourself eating constantly throughout the day. Something high in fat like eggs and avocado with a ton of veggies makes me feel satiated for hours. I also try to avoid too many carbohydrates for this first meal as I find they have the opposite effect. I am hungry within an hour and feel a bit sleepy and sluggish afterwards.
3. Eat normal portions:
My first assumption when I started IF was that I could eat whatever I wanted during my eating period of 11 am-7 pm. It’s really tempting to eat a massive burrito or a huge helping of food when you’ve skipped breakfast. But you still want to stick to a normal, healthy diet, around the same number of calories that is healthy for your body. Choose foods that are nutrient dense, whole foods that make you feel awesome but in normal portion sizes. My first meal is usually larger but I try to keep my portion sizes the same as I normally would.
4. Stay regular:
My digestive system kind of freaked out when I first started IF. To put it bluntly, I was a little backed up. To keep your bathroom visits regular take a probiotic and activated charcoal (a tip I received from my friend Marie from betterwithcayenne.com ) to keep your digestive organs flowing.
5. Don’t eat when it’s not meal time:
My first 2 weeks of IF I basically snacked and munched all day long. I mean, I was “allowed” to eat, right? But I found I was eating too much. It’s really important to give your digestive system a break and let your insulin levels drop. I plan on eating a larger lunch, a big snack, and a normal size dinner throughout the day. This helps to keep me in check when I just want to grab that bag of tortilla chips and go to town.
Giving IF a try? Tell me about it!
What about you? Have you tried intermittent fasting? What intermittent fasting tips worked for you? Leave me a comment below.
It’s important that you know that IF is not recommended for people with a history of disordered eating, are pregnant, breast feeding, or are underweight. I am not a health professional and all the opinions I share are only based on my experience, not scientific data. Always talk to your doctor before trying a new health regimen.
If you do try IF send me an email with how your experience is going.
Originally published on Pop Kitchen. Archived version:view on the Wayback Machine.