Intermittent fasting (or IT) can be a really great way to form new healthy habits, consume fewer calories, and can help with sustainable, healthy weight loss.
But only if you do it right!
There are so many people giving their own advice on how to intermittent fast for weight management, and not all of it is safe for your health. In fact, some advice is more than a bit extreme and completely unneccesary.
So if you’d like to learn how to do intermittent fasting right, then here are a few simple to-do’s and things not to do while on a fasting diet.
In This article:
Things You Should Do While Intermittent Fasting
Start With Smaller Fasting Time Windows
Start with a smaller intermittent fasting schedule and then slowly increase it.
If you’re just starting intermittent fasting, then a 12-hour fasting window a great place to begin. This is usually pretty easy since you’ll probably be asleep for 8 of those 12 hours. Also, you’re not eating for multiple hours before bed.
That just means you’ll be waiting to eat for a lot less longer depending on what time you wake up in the morning.
And once you’ve grown comfortable with a smaller fasting window, you can slowly start to increase the window as long as you can stick to it. Between 14 and 16 hours are the most common fasting periods.
Break Your Fast Gently
Enter your eating window and break your fast gently with something healthy and easy to digest.
So try eating a small snack first, like a handful of nuts, and then wait 15-30 minutes before eating a full meal. This can potentially help with not over eating and lower your calorie intake.
Follow a Nutritious Diet on Non-Fast Days
Follow a nutritious diet on non-fast days, and aim to eat healthy foods high in fiber, protein, and healthy fats.
Intermittent fasting is not your get out of jail free card for eating unhealthy for the rest of the day. It’s your extra help to get you to your weight loss goals faster.
All the food you eat is highly important when it comes to fat loss, so plan your meals so you can make sure you’re living a healthy lifestyle when not intermittent fasting.
Drink Plenty of Fluids
You’re only fasting from food, so it’s very important that you stay hydrated, and especially when fasting. Drink plenty of water to take care of your health, and you can also have other drinks such as green tea and coffee.
Stay Busy
Do stay busy and don’t worry about the hunger, it’ll most likely come and go in waves. Staying busy can help keep you focused on your goals and keep your mind off of cravings.
And pretty soon, your structure IF plan will come to an end for the day and you’ll be able to eat a tasty but healthy meal!
Things You Shouldn’t Do While Intermittent Fasting
Starting an IF Diet Without Talking to Your Doctor
Intermittent fasting is great for getting rid of extra body fat, but it might not be suitable for you. So don’t decide on your own whether you can start this diet or not, and especially if you’re underweight or have other health issues such as diabetes.
Overeating
Don’t overcompensate or binge in between fasts. One of the goals of intermittent fasting is to reduce your overall calories for the day or for the week. So, binging and eating extra-large meals when you do eat will obviously not accomplish this.
Instead, eat normal sized portions and healthy recipes that will support your weight loss goals.
Overdoing Workouts
When fasted, you can exercise, but don’t overdo it!
Working out is essential for every weight loss program, but you shouldn’t go overboard when intermittent fasting. Workouts should be kept simple. Do very easy exercises like walking during the time of day you’re not fasting, and don’t push it until you feel you’re ready.
Starting an IF Plan That’s Too Intense
Losing weight needs patience. Just because you want to lose weight as fast as possible, doesn’t mean you should choose the hardest diet program.
And the same goes for IF. Starting with a 18/6 fast wouldn’t be the best move, so do what’s best for your lifestyle and as a beginner, and choose the simplest fast.
Grace Moser is the author and founder of Chasing Foxes, where she writes articles to help women create a life they love in big and small ways. She's been a full-time traveler since 2016 and loves sharing her experiences and exploring the world with her husband, Silas. Her lifestyle and travel advice can also be seen on sites such as Business Insider, Glamour, Newsweek, Huffpost, & Apartment Therapy.