Intermittent fasting does not specify what types of food you should eat, but rather when you should eat them. This plan focuses on limiting your eating window while increasing your fasting window each day. After your body has burned through the calories you consumed in your last meal, it begins to burn stored fat for energy. When fasting, we prolong the time spent in this fat burning state.Intermittent fasting has many other benefits, including that it helps manage hormones and is easy to implement.
There are several ways of doing intermittent fasting, all of which involve splitting your day into eating and fasting periods. Below are some of the different fasting schedules you can follow:
- 12 to 16 hours of fasting: for example, you might eat between 9 AM and 8 PM and fast for 13 hours
- 16 to 18 hours of fasting: for example, you might eat between 11 AM and 7 PM and fast for 16 hours
If you are interested in fasting on a daily rather than hourly basis (ex. an Alternate Day Fast, or a 5:2 Intermittent Fast), reach out to your Program Analyst and they can help you get started.
There are several ways of doing intermittent fasting, all of which involve splitting your day into eating and fasting periods. Below are some of the different fasting schedules you can follow:
- 12 to 16 hours of fasting: for example, you might eat between 9 AM and 8 PM and fast for 13 hours
- 16 to 18 hours of fasting: for example, you might eat between 11 AM and 7 PM and fast for 16 hours
If you are interested in fasting on a daily rather than hourly basis (ex. an Alternate Day Fast, or a 5:2 Intermittent Fast), reach out to your Program Analyst and they can help you get started.
Before you fast
- Stay hydrated.
- Take your vitamins
- Eat full, balanced meals during your eating window to make sure you stay satiated during your fast
- Make sure you feel full at dinner
- Consume healthy fats to help with satiety during your fast
During your fast
- Stay hydrated!
- If you are feeling fatigued, drink bone broth or electrolyte water
- Black coffee and tea are permitted to drink during your fast, however we recommend that you limit your caffeine intake. Drinks should be less than 50 calories to remain in a fasting state
- Complete your breath test right before breaking your fast to see the highest fat burn score
- Exercise immediately before breaking fast to increase your fat burn even further
- If you are feeling unwell, break your fast
- Try to keep veggies handy in case you need to break your fast
After your fast
- When you break your fast, eat a filling, nutritious meal that will satisfy your hunger.
If you are feeling unwell, break your fast and talk to your analyst before continuing with your current fasting routine.
There are three main ways intermittent fasting can help you reach your wellness goals:
Depletes Glycogen Stores
With intermittent fasting, the time-restricted eating gives our body more time to burn fat. When we eat, the carbohydrates in our diet are broken down into glucose and used for energy. If we do not need those carbohydrates right away, they are stored in the liver as glycogen or converted into fat. After we have finished our meals for the day, our body runs on glucose from the carbohydrates that we have just eaten for a few hours before tapping into stored carbohydrates, or glycogen, in the liver. This glycogen lasts for roughly eight hours after we have stopped eating, which is when our body begins to tap into its stored fat. By extending the time between meals, we increase the amount of time your body spends burning fat.
Manages Hormones
Intermittent fasting can also help you time your meals to better align with your natural release of the hormones cortisol, melatonin, and insulin. The hormone cortisol controls your body’s response to stress. About 45 minutes after you wake up, cortisol levels spike, which can impede your glucose regulation. In addition, the hormone melatonin helps prepare your body for sleep about two hours before you go to bed and only wears off about two hours after you wake up. As a result, your pancreas is spending the first two hours of the day “waking up” before producing the insulin needed to use sugar for energy. To better match your meals to this hormone cycle, wait to have breakfast for a couple hours after waking up to give your pancreas time to start making insulin, and finish your last meal about 2-3 hours before bedtime so your body can begin making melatonin.
Easy to Follow
Time-restricted eating has practical advantages over other dieting options: it is easy and accessible. If following set food guidelines can be tricky, intermittent fasting is a good option since it doesn't require macros tracking or too much meal planning. The only thing to watch for is limiting eating to specific periods in the day. It is a simple change in our eating habits and behavior that can have a big impact on our health.