Intermittent Fasting 16/8

What Is 16/8?

The 16:8 method is an intermittent fasting type, and it comprises of a cycle of fasting and eating normally. When following the 16:8 method, you are not told that you cannot eat certain foods, and you’re not told that you should eat specific foods either. The choice is yours, and that means you have the freedom to change up your eating habits according to what suits you. Of course, this does not mean that you can go around eating all the unhealthy foods simply because the diet doesn’t specify! Moderation is something you need to exercise at all times, and something which will become far easier as you start to notice weight loss.

Weight loss is a cumulative effect in so many ways. When you see changes in your body, and you see the scales start to change, you’ll want to keep up the good work and momentum. That means you’re far less likely to ‘fall off the wagon’ and opt for something unhealthy, and you will start to feel far better for kicking out the unhealthy foods too. You’ll notice that your body feels better when you eat healthy fruits and vegetables when you choose whole grains over white bread, white rice, etc., and you’ll feel far less sluggish for not eating chocolate, crisps, and carb-laden foods. Of course, you can treat yourself occasionally, but the chances are you won’t want to!

You see, healthy lifestyles actually become quite addictive!

There are two ways you can manage this, just to give you an example of what the 16:8 method looks like.

If you need breakfast, you can eat it as soon as you wake up, kickstarting your 8-hour eating period. So, if you wake up at 8 am, you have breakfast at 8.30 am, and that means you need to finish eating by 4.30 pm. You might go to bed at 10 pm, which means you’re only consciously fasting 5.5 hours. As you can see, it’s not as horrendous as it sounds, and you can drink water, non-calorie containing drinks, and unsweetened, black tea or coffee during your fasting times too. It’s actually highly recommended that you drink plenty of water anyway because dehydration is not something you want to play Russian roulette with!

The other scenario is that you are someone who doesn’t really want to eat when they wake up. In that case, you can get up, get dressed, have a black, unsweetened coffee, and you can skip breakfast, starting your eating window at lunchtime. So, for instance, you would begin eating at 12 pm. This means you can eat freely until 8 pm. You would then perhaps sleep at 10 pm, which means you’re effectively not consciously fasting too much! .

Is It The Best Type For Intermittent Fasting

The 16:8 method is one of the easiest to follow and most comfortable to understand, which is why many beginners choose it. Of course, it doesn’t suit everyone, and because one size doesn’t fit all, it might be that some people switch to a different method after a short amount of time. That’s fine, and that might be something you want to think about. We’re going to cover some alternative methods a little later in the book, so always bear in mind that if you find the 16:8 method isn’t working as well as you want it to, for you, then there are other alternatives.

For the most part, however, the 16:8 method, or Lean Gains, is very successful for many, and it is a method that encourages healthy eating without rules and regulations in terms of restriction. There are no massive changes to lifestyle, which is something which many people struggle with when they try a different eating routine, e.g., the Keto Diet, Atkins, Paleo, etc. These all come with a lot of rules and regulations, and there are lists of what you can and can’t eat, and how it should be prepared. This can overwhelm many a beginner and cause them to rebel against it and say: ‘no thanks!’ The 16:8 method and many other intermittent fasting methods don’t come with those rules attached. There is no weighing or counting required, simply making healthy decisions, which aren’t rocketing science. For example:

• Pizza is bad; brown bread is better
• Chocolate is bad; the fruit is better
• Cakes are bad, vegetables are good

Can you see how easy it is? It’s not rocket science to make healthy choices, and that doesn’t mean you have to be 100% healthy all the time! Want a burger? Have one, but only once a week, and make sure the rest of that day is packed with healthy foods.

The other plus point is that the 16:8 method doesn’t have to bother your social life. Most people want to head out with friends or their partner for dinner on occasion, or perhaps out for a few drinks, but this can be very difficult when following a low calorie or fad diet. With the 16:8 method, all you need to do is ensure that you schedule the get-together for your eating window. This might be more difficult if you’re starting your eating window early and finishing early, but you can always meet up for lunch instead of dinner! There aren’t restrictions on what you can eat, but in most restaurants, you can always make healthy choices on the regular menu. If your eating window closes a little later, that means you have more scope in terms of time.

Let’s sum up the main advantages of the 16:8 method:

• It’s easy to follow and doesn’t require any counting, weighing, or monitoring
• You can alter your eating time according to your needs
• You can set much of your fasting period into your sleeping period, so you don’t notice it quite so much
• The eating method doesn’t need to interfere with your social life too much at all
• You are not restricted on what you can eat, provided you make sensible, generally healthy choices
• It doesn’t feel like a diet, it feels more like a new lifestyle with timings, rather than food you can and can’t eat
• You can still have calorie-free drinks, water, and unsweetened, black tea or coffee
• You won’t notice hunger quite so much with this type of eating plan, as there are no extremely long fasts involved

Differences Between Men And Women

Men and women are different. There are subtle differences that are not only physical but emotional and mental between the two genders. Therefore, measuring them both with the same yardstick can become problematic.

The biggest thing that makes the treatment of women differently than men imperative is their ability to bear offsprings. This requires a special body and hormonal structuring and makes all the difference. Therefore, you can talk about all the equality, feminism, and all those things. Still, nothing should undermine the fact that women have a different physical and hormonal structure that needs special attention.

Women have been entrusted with the responsibility to bear kids. The whole process of bearing kids, making it, and providing the required nutrition is heavily fat dependent. A woman’s body gets prepared to bear a child as soon as it hits puberty. The body doesn’t understand the legal restraints, and it always tries to remain in a state of readiness to bear kids. Till you hit menopause, either you want to have kids or not, your body would always try to attract fat so that whenever conception takes place, it is able to bear a healthy child. This need for readiness makes a substantial difference in the feeding needs of men and women.

Physiologically speaking, a woman’s body has a higher body fat percentage than men. While a man may have an ideal essential body fat ratio of 3-5%, the women may have it anywhere between 10-13%.  Even in athletes, the male body fat ratio lies between 6-13%, whereas the female body fat ratio can be as high as 14-20%. In average body type men, the body fat ratio should fall between 18-24%. This ratio in women is between 25-31%. The reason for showing these stats is simple. Women need to understand that having a little higher body fat ratio is not only normal but natural. This is how their bodies have been designed. All those women who are obsessed with zero figures or other such dimensions may be putting their natural body cycle at risk. Therefore, whenever a woman thinks of losing weight, this fact should be kept in mind.

Another thing that mandates that women have a different fasting schedule than men is their hormonal system. The hormonal cycle of women is highly sensitive to hunger signals. They are more sensitive to starvation, and their bodies are designed to bear kids, and that cannot be possible when there is a shortage of food. Therefore, longer and difficult fasts would hurt your fertility and childbearing abilities.

• This makes it necessary that women always move ahead with fasting schedules very slowly.
• They should never start with longer food gaps without practice.
• They must always increase their fasting period in small progression.
• They should not be adamant about continuing fasting for the complete duration.
• Women shouldn’t keep fasts longer than 24 hours as that can seriously mess up their hormonal cycle.

If these things are followed, even women can follow intermittent fasting easily.

Effect of Fasting on the Hormonal System of Women

Fasting tells the body it isn’t a good time for fertility. When you fast for long, and your body starts having an energy deficit on a consistent level, it starts conserving the energy for necessary functions and fertility is not one among them. This has been proven through several studies that prolonged fasting can lead to shrinking of ovaries.

However, it is important to clarify here that these experiments have only been conducted on mice. The induced fasting time was only of a few days, but on the life scale of mice, it could have meant fasting for much longer.

However, besides everything else, it is an undisputed fact that fasting for long is a problem for women. There are several hormones that get affected. The estrogen levels get messed up if the fasting is not done carefully or calorie restriction is carried out.

Here, it is again important to clarify that this imbalance can happen with any calorie restriction followed by women. It means regardless of the method followed like diet, calorie restriction, or intermittent fasting, such problems can arise if due attention is not paid to the process.

Imbalance in the hormonal levels can have a wide impact. The practitioners may face metabolic disorders, weight loss ability, mood, bone density, energy, cognitive function, anxiety, and stress levels all may get affected.

Impact of starvation on various hormonal balances would be:

Impact of estrogen imbalance

✓       Low energy

✓       Poor heart health

✓       Infertility

✓       Poor glucose regulation

✓       Weight gain

✓       Reduced skin and hair health

✓       Poor cognitive function

✓       Decreased bone density

✓       Poor muscle tone

Imbalance can also trip the Cortisol levels in your body. It is the stress hormone. The impact would be:

✓       Sugar cravings

✓       Low energy

✓       Anxiety

✓       Fatigue

✓       Insomnia

Thyroid imbalance can also take place. It may lead to:

✓       Weight gain

✓       Brain fog

✓       Depression

✓       Anxiety

✓       Dry hair dry skin

✓       Irregular periods

✓       The feeling of cold or hot flashes

Fasting is a very healthy practice. Intermittent fasting is an even improvised version of fasting to eliminate the harmful things so that only beneficial things can be retained. However, incorrect observation of any procedure will lead to negative fallouts. Therefore, women must follow intermittent fasting in the right way and very carefully. They need to be more observant about the changes and never become lax in their approach.

Fasting tells the body it isn’t a good time for fertility. When you fast for long, and your body starts having an energy deficit on a consistent level, it starts conserving the energy for necessary functions and fertility is not one among them. This has been proven through several studies that prolonged fasting can lead to shrinking of ovaries. Although the same impact has been visible even in male subjects, however, it is important to clarify here that these experiments have only been conducted on mice. The induced fasting time was only of a few days, but on the life scale of mice, it could have meant fasting for much longer.

However, besides everything else, it is an undisputed fact that fasting for long is a problem for women. There are several hormones that get affected. The estrogen levels get messed up if the fasting is not done carefully or calorie restriction is carried out.

Here, it is again important to clarify that this imbalance can happen with any kind of calorie restriction followed by women. It means regardless of the method followed like diet, calorie restriction, or intermittent fasting, such problems can arise if due attention is not paid to the process.

Imbalance in the hormonal levels can have a wide impact. The practitioners may face metabolic disorders, weight loss ability, mood, bone density, energy, cognitive function, anxiety, and stress levels all may get affected.

Impact of starvation on various hormonal balances would be:

Impact of estrogen imbalance

✓       Low energy

✓       Poor heart health

✓       Infertility

✓       Poor glucose regulation

✓       Weight gain

✓       Reduced skin and hair health

✓       Poor cognitive function

✓       Decreased bone density

✓       Poor muscle tone

Imbalance can also trip the Cortisol levels in your body. It is the stress hormone. The impact would be:

✓       Sugar cravings

✓       Low energy

✓       Anxiety

✓       Fatigue

✓       Insomnia

Thyroid imbalance can also take place. It may lead to:

✓       Weight gain

✓       Brain fog

✓       Depression

✓       Anxiety

✓       Dry hair dry skin

✓       Irregular periods

✓       The feeling of cold or hot flashes

Fasting is a very healthy practice. Intermittent fasting is an even improvised version of fasting to eliminate the harmful things so that only beneficial things can be retained. However, incorrect observation of any procedure will lead to negative fallouts. Therefore, it is important that women should follow intermittent fasting in the right way and very carefully. They need to be more observant about the changes and never become lax in their approach.

Intermittent Fasting for Women Over 50

Clearly, women’s bodies and digestion change when they hit menopause. Perhaps the greatest change women over 50 experience is they have slower digestion and they begin to put on weight. Intermittent fasting might be a decent method to turn around and forestall this weight gain, however. Studies have demonstrated this fasting design controls hunger and individuals who follow it consistently don’t encounter similar longings that others do. In case you are over 50 and attempting to acclimate to your slower digestion, intermittent fasting can assist you with avoiding eating a lot every day.

At the point when you reach 50, your body additionally begins to build up some constants like elevated cholesterol and hypertension. Intermittent fasting has been reported to diminish both cholesterol and pulse, even without a lot of weight reduction. On the off chance you have begun to see your numbers rising at the doctor’s office every year, you might have the option to get them down with fasting, even without losing a lot of weight.

Intermittent fasting may not be an extraordinary thought for every woman. Anybody with a particular health condition or who will, in general, be hypoglycemic ought to consult with a doctor. In any case, this new dietary pattern has explicit advantages for women who naturally store more fat in their bodies and may experience difficulty disposing of these fat stores.

Getting Started

You should always remember that! Intermittent fasting is not a diet. It is more of a routine than a diet plan, thus once you decide to go for IMF the next step to make is what your fasting and eating time frames will be. Does this mean that you are restricted to a time window? Well, that’s where this becomes interesting.

The ideal part is that not only you get to choose the time window yourself, but you can also adjust it according to your comfort zone.

The only thing to be taken care of is that you need to complete your fasting hours. You need to see which meals you are comfortable skipping and how well you’ll be able to adjust with skipping them. You can take your routine into consideration with work timings, school timings, etc. This point is like an added bonus to the routine.

Let’s check your daily activities to fit in the 16/8-hour time period. Most people prefer starting their fast around bedtime so that half of their fast passes while they are sleeping. They can skip breakfast as part of the fast and have lunch and dinner during their eating window. You follow your time frame according to the routine every day, but what if you are employed and have to work all day, or maybe you are a late-night freak that wakes up late, or you have weekend plans to catch up with your squad?

It’s pretty simple! If skipping breakfast isn’t an option for you, you can adjust your eating window earlier in the day around 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you wake up late, you automatically skip breakfast and keep a night fast. If you have weekend plans such as late-night dinners with friends and family, you straight away shift your fasting window earlier or during the time you are free. These are just examples of how you can adjust your eating window to suit your own eating needs and habits. During your eating window, you must fill yourself up strategically so that you do not get hungry during your fast, and you can even change your eating window every day according to your workload. However, it’s best to keep a fixed window and only change it in cases of emergencies, because as a human being our urge for food comes with the daily pattern we set for ourselves and breaking the pattern every day will not only be confusing but will also be inconvenient. Anyways, ensure having a healthy diet.

Chapter 4: Other Types Of Intermittent Fasting

5:2 Method

5:2 method is popular among those who want to take things up a notch generally. Instead of fasting and eating within each day, these individuals take up a practice of fasting two whole days out of the week. The other 5 days are free to eat, exercise, or diet as desired, but those other two days (which can be consecutive or scattered throughout the week) must be strictly fasting days.

For those fasting days, it’s not as if the individual can’t eat anything altogether, however. In actuality, one is allowed to consume no more than 500 calories each day for this Intermittent Fasting method. I suppose these fasting days would be better referred to as “restricted-intake” days, for that is a more accurate description.

5:2 method is extremely rewarding, but it is also one of the more difficult ones to attempt. If you’re having issues with this method, don’t be afraid to experiment the next week with a method like 14:10 or 16:8, where you’re fasting and eating within each day. If that works better for you, don’t be ashamed to embrace it! However, if you’re dedicated to having days “on” and days “off” with fasting and eating, there are other alternatives, too.

Eat-Stop-Eat (24-Hour) Method

The eat-stop-eat or 24-hour method is another option for people who want to have days “on” and “off” between fasting and eating. It’s a little less intense than the 5:2 method, and it’s much more flexible for the person, depending on what he or she needs. For instance, if you need a literal 24-hour fast each week and that’s it, you can do that. Meanwhile, if you want a more flexible 5:2 method-type thing to happen, you can work with what you want and create a method surrounding those desires and goals.

The most successful approaches to the eat-stop-eat method have involved more strict dieting (or at the very least, cautious and healthy eating) during the 5 or 6 days when the individual engages in the week’s free-eating window. For the individual to truly see success with weight loss, there will have to be some caloric restriction (or high nutrition focus) those 5 or 6 days, too, so that the body will have a version of consistency in health and nutrition content.

On the one or two days each week the individual decides to fast, there can still be highly-restricted caloric intake. As with the 5:2 method, he or she can consume no more than 500 calories worth of food and drink during these fasting days so that the body can maintain energy flow and more.

If the individual engages in exercise, those workout days should absolutely be reserved for the 5 or 6 free-eating days. The same goes for the 5:2 method. Try not to exercise (at least not excessively) on those days that are chosen for fasting. Your body will not appreciate the added stress when you’re taking in so few calories. As always, you can choose to move up from eat-stop-eat to another method if this works easily and you’re interested in something more. Furthermore, you can start with a strict 24-hour method and then move up to a more flexible eat-stop-eat approach! Do what feels right, and never be afraid to troubleshoot one method for the sake of choosing another.

Alternate-Day Method

The alternate-day method is similar to eat-stop-eat and 5:2 methods because it focuses on individual days “on” and “off” for fasting and eating. The difference for this method, in particular, is that it ends up being at least 2 days a week fasting, and sometimes, it can be as many as 4.

Some people follow very strict approaches to alternate-day method and literally fast every other day, only consuming 500 calories or less on those days designated for fasting. Some people, on the other hand, are much more flexible, and they tend to go for two days eating, one day fasting, two days eating, one day fasting, etc. The alternate-day method is even more flexible than eat-stop-eat in that sense, for it allows the individual to choose how he or she alternates between eating and fasting, based on what works for the body and mind the best.

The alternate-day method is like a step up from eat-stop-eat and 24-hour methods, especially if the individual truly alternates one-day fasting and the next day eating, etc. This more intense style of fasting works particularly well for people who are working on equally intense fitness regimens, surprisingly. People who are eating more calories a day than 2000 (which is true for a lot of bodybuilders and fitness buffs) will have more to gain from the alternate-day method, for you only have to cut back your eating on fasting days to about 25% of your standard caloric intake. Therefore, those fasting days can still provide solid nutritional support for fitness experts while helping them sculpt their bodies and maintain a new level of health.

Spontaneous Skipping Method

Alternate-day method and eat-stop-eat method are certainly flexible in their approaches to when the individual fasts and when he or she eats. However, none of those mentioned above plans are quite as flexible as spontaneous skipping method. Spontaneous skipping method literally only requires that the individual skip meals within each day, whenever desired (and when it’s sensed that the body can handle it).

Many people with more sensitive digestive systems or who practice more intense fitness regimens will start their experiences with IF through the spontaneous skipping method before moving on to something more intensive. People who have very haphazard daily schedules or people who are around food a lot but forget to eat will benefit from this method, for it works well with chaotic schedules and unplanned energies.

Despite that chaotic and unorganized potential, the spontaneous skipping method can also be more structured and organized, depending on what you make of it! For instance, someone desiring more structure can choose which meal each day they’d like to skip. Let’s say he chooses to skip breakfast each day. Then, his spontaneous skipping method will be structured around making sure to skip breakfast (a.k.a.—not to eat until at least 12 pm) daily. Whatever you need to do to make this method work, try it! This method is made for experimentation and adventurousness.

Crescendo Method

The method is very well-suited for female practitioners (since their anatomies can be so detrimentally sensitive to high-intensity fasts). Essentially, this approach is made for internal awareness, gentle introductions, and gradual additions, depending on what works and what doesn’t. It’s a very active, trial-and-error type of method.

Through the crescendo method, the individual starts by only fasting 2 or 3 days a week, and on those fast days, it wouldn’t be a very intense fast at all. In fact, it wouldn’t even be so strict that the individual would have to consume no more than 500 calories, like with 5:2, eat-stop-eat, and others. Instead, these “fasting” days would be trial periods for methods like 12:12, 14:10, 16:8, or 20:4. The remaining 4 or 5 days out of the week would be open eating-window periods, but again, the practitioner is encouraged to maintain a healthy diet throughout the week.

Crescendo method works extremely well for female practitioners because it enables them to see how methods like 14:10 or 12:12 will affect their bodies without tying them to the method hook, line, and sinker. It allows them to see what each method does to their hormone levels, their menstruation tendencies, and their mood swings. Therefore, the crescendo method encourages these people to be more in touch with their bodies before moving too quickly into something that could do serious anatomical and hormonal damage.

Crescendo method will work extremely well for overweight or diabetic practitioners, too, for it will allow them to have these same “trial period” moments with all the methods before choosing what feels and works best, based on each individual situation.

Chapter 5: Is The Intermittent Fasting For Everyone?

Determining If It Is the Right For You

Intermittent fasting is a fascinating concept with great health benefits and lowest risk factors. But it still poses a risk for some individuals. People with high energy needs, eating disorders, and diabetes shouldn’t practice intermittent fasting.

People Falling in These Groups Shouldn’t Practice Intermittent Fasting

Pregnant Women

Some experts say that pregnant mothers can practice intermittent fasting till the first trimester or can tweak the process a bit to practice it. However, pregnant women should not practice intermittent fasting at all in any form until they have given birth to the child and stopped feeding the child their own milk. A pregnant woman has very high energy needs. She has to eat for two lives and even store continuously. Restricting diet at such a stage or remaining hungry for long can have serious repercussions on the mental and physical health of the mother and the child.

Breastfeeding Mothers 

If you are breastfeeding your child, then you should wait a little longer before you can begin intermittent fasting. It can cause severe energy crunch as your body needs a lot of calories. You would need to eat at frequent intervals at this stage, and hence, intermittent fasting can be a very bad idea for you.

People with History of Eating Disorders

For obvious reasons, if you have ever had eating disorders and you shouldn’t follow intermittent fasting as that can trigger the same problems once again if they have subsided at all. Intermittent fasting can cause a severe nutrient deficiency in such people.

People with Type 1 Diabetes

People with type 1 diabetes should never practice intermittent fasting or fasting of any type for that matter. You would need to eat at regular intervals to maintain a healthy blood sugar level, and hence, you should completely avoid intermittent fasting.

Chronically Stressed People

Chronic stress can be a problem for a person trying to practice intermittent fasting. Food is deeply connected to our emotions and our sense of security. Prolonged deprivation of food may lead to mood swings and other similar problems. People with such a condition should avoid intermittent fasting.

People with Sleep Disorders

The toughest phase of intermittent fasting passes away while you are sleeping. If you have any kind of sleep disorder, then the chances are that it may get intensified due to the extra load of hunger pangs and food cravings. It may also affect your satisfaction levels. People facing such disorders should avoid fasting.

Best foods to eat during the Eating Window

Intermittent fasting is one of the key solutions for your body to clean out and repair any cellular junk that you have accumulated for several years. This results in the improved function of your body organs and systems. However, you can’t expect this eating pattern to perform such an important role successfully if you do not support it with adequate amounts of nutritious foods. The right foods are essential in the process of replenishing and rebuilding your body.

You have to pick whole and good foods with high nutrient density. Eventually, your body will master the art of signaling when it already had enough foods. In return, you will also master the art of listening to your body cues. This will allow you to eat less than what you normally consume before without being too restrictive.

Another thing that you have to remember about intermittent fasting is that it will not work if you follow an extremely restrictive diet. It is because this might cause you to be extremely starved physically and emotionally. This might result in you overeating due to deprivation, so avoid making yourself feel too hungry unnecessarily for a long period.

Just make sure to avoid sticking to processed and unhealthy foods. You still need a well-balanced diet rich in whole and nutritious foods for intermittent fasting to help you in reaching your weight loss and health goals.

So, what are the best foods to eat during your eating window? Here are some of the most nutritious ones:

Whole Grains – Carbs are actually vital for your health. In fact, you can’t consider them as your mortal enemy when trying to lose weight. Note that since you are practicing intermittent fasting, a huge chunk of your daily routine will be spent on the fasted state.

With that in mind, you need to look for a strategic solution to obtain enough calories without overeating. Yes, you will need to minimize processed foods but you can also include some from time to time, like whole grain breads, crackers, and bagels.

It is because your body can quickly digest these foods, giving you a good supply of fuel in an instant. They also serve as excellent sources of energy if you are training or exercising regularly while doing the fast. What is good about whole grains is that they also have high amounts of protein and fiber. This means that you do not have to eat too much of it to keep yourself full.

It is also advisable to eat whole grains instead of the refined ones as the former can improve your metabolism. Among the healthiest whole grains that you can include in your diet to further improve the results of IF are amaranth, sorghum, millet, spelt, and bulgur.

• Lentil – This is a highly nutritious food, which is rich in fiber. In fact, one-half cup of it can already provide up to 32% of the total amount of fiber you need every day. Aside from fiber, lentil is also rich in iron, which is good if you are an active female who is also trying to stick to intermittent fasting.
• Potatoes – Just like bread, potatoes can also be digested by your body with the least amount of effort. Pairing it with a good source of protein can turn it into a great post-workout snack designed to refuel your hungry and tired muscles.

Another advantage of including potatoes in your regular diet if you are following the intermittent fasting approach is that they are effective in forming a resistant starch, which can fuel the good bacteria present in your gut.

• Nuts – While the calorie content of nuts is higher compared to other snacks, they are still good for your body because they have an important component not present in the majority of junk foods – that is good fat. In fact, you can take advantage of the polyunsaturated fat present in walnut to change the physiological markers linked to both satiety and hunger, making this snack really beneficial for intermittent fasters.
• Eggs – Even one piece of large egg already contains up to 6 grams of protein, which is helpful in making yourself feel full as well as in the muscle-building process. Another advantage of eggs is that they are easy and quick to prepare. They are ready within just a few minutes. Hard-boiled eggs are also both filling and nutritious, making them perfect additions to your eating window.
• Berries – Different kinds of berries can also help fill you up while providing your body with essential nutrients. Strawberries, for instance, are excellent sources of Vitamin C, which can boost your immunity. You can also eat blueberries that have high flavonoid content.

There are also fiber-rich raspberries that are great additions to your diet. Note that each cup of raspberries already contains 8 grams of fiber, keeping you full and regular even during your shortened eating window.

• Fish – Intermittent fasting can produce even better results for you if you include fish in your eating schedule. Aside from having high protein and healthy fat content, different kinds of fish are also rich in Vitamin D. It provides sufficient amount of nutrients, which is great if your food intake will be limited only to your eating window. What’s good about fish is that it is also considered as a brain food, which is great during the times when you are restricting your calorie intake that might affect your cognition.
• Cruciferous Vegetables – These include cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli – all of which have high fiber content. Note that erratic eating caused by adapting the intermittent fasting approach to weight loss requires you to consume more fiber-rich foods to avoid constipation and keep you regular. What is great about fiber is that it also leads to fullness, which is beneficial, especially if you are planning to go through the day with most hours spent on fasting.
• Legumes and beans – Adapting the IF lifestyle might prompt you to fall in love with legumes and beans that are rich in low-calorie carbs that can supply you with enough energy for your daily activities. This makes them vital additions to your eating plan. Also, foods that belong to the legume and bean family, including black beans, lentils, peas, and chickpeas, can significantly reduce your body weight even if you do not restrict your calorie intake.

Following the intermittent fasting lifestyle can indeed give you desirable results, but you have to make sure that you are also helping yourself by eating the right foods. Make sure that when you break the fast, your focus is on foods rich in essential vitamins and protein.

These nutrients are necessary for boosting your immunity. It also helps to add fiber-rich foods into your eating plan to ensure that your digestive system continues to work properly. Go for olive oil, tomatoes, oily fish, and nuts.

You should also know what foods to stay away from. Avoid refined carbs, including chips, cakes, biscuits, and sugar as your body might convert these foods to fat quickly. If you wish to eat foods with a lower calorie content than usual, then ensure that the calories are as nutritious and as good for your body as possible.

Note that just because you need to eat calories does not mean that you should get these calories from low-quality and unhealthy sources.

Can You Do Intermittent Fasting While On The Keto Diet?

Intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet are two different dietary strategies that have a lot of things in common. Both the dietary strategies put one into ketosis metabolic state and boost ketones. When the two are combined; they have the potential of yielding tremendous results such as boosting weight loss, tackling plateaus, increasing levels of energy, and longevity. The ketogenic diet is a strictly low carb, medium protein, and high-fat diet, and the main reason for being on a diet is to enable the body attain ketosis metabolic state.

In the absence of a high carb diet, which is the main source of glucose that the body uses as energy, the body shifts to burning fats for fuel. The body then produces ketones, which are water-soluble molecules that replace the utilization of glucose whenever there is low intake of carbs. Low carb diets have been proven through various studies to be quite effective for weight loss in comparison to calorie reduction or low-fat diets. Being on a ketogenic diet means you don’t have to experience sugar crashes and comes with plenty of fat then enhances feelings of being full.

Intermittent fasting, on the other hand, is a dietary strategy that focuses on the timing of food intake instead of the type of foods being consumed. During intermittent fasting, one is expected to fast and eat within the specified window of time. One is free to skip any meal that they want to whether breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Food intake can also be restricted during the eating windows. The main purpose of doing intermittent fasting is to be able to reduce the amount of food that’s consumed within a day.

When you restrict the feeding windows, you will end up eating much less food than you would when eating three meals plus a snack.

When you are on the standard high cab diet, failure to eat over a long period of time is likely to cause sharp drops in the levels of blood sugar and a rise in hunger hormones. Such can lead to feelings of weakness and irritability. It’s also impossible to work effectively when you are feeling hungry most times of the day. Combining intermittent fasting with ketogenic diet therefore stabilizes the blood sugar levels and also enhances energy levels alongside other benefits.

What Is Keto Diet

Scientifically, the term “keto” is derived from the fact that the diet aids the body in producing “ketones.” These are small fuel molecules in the body and they are at times utilized as the body’s fuel source, more so when glucose supply has diminished. The body produces ketones when one consumes a low carb and a low protein diet. It is worth noting that the carbs consumed are rapidly broken down by the body into the blood sugar.

Being on keto diet makes fasting to be easier and effective since it’s a high fat and low carb diet and one is more likely to feel satisfied and feel full with less food. When combining ketogenic diet with intermittent fasting; it’s advisable that one gets to eat to satisfaction during the eating window. Even when fasting; you should still be able to get sufficient calories alongside macronutrients during the eating period.

Sustaining and maximizing ketosis metabolic state is the key factor as most of the benefits are realized when the ketosis state is sustained. Fasting helps with depleting the glycogen stores much faster and that’s not quite easy when one is on ketogenic diet alone. Apart from limiting the intake of fats, ketosis state is maximized when fasting periods are well observed. The difference between keto diet and fasting unlike fasting while on any other diet is that you will still sustain the state of ketosis even when you get to the fed state.

Substantial reduction in intake of carbohydrates forces the body to enter ketosis, a state that gets stimulated whenever intake of carbohydrates is highly restricted. The body then becomes fat-fueled and generates ketones instead of glucose as the main source of energy. Since the brain operates on glucose, some may feel that they still need some element of glucose, but that isn’t important as the body through a process known as gluconeogenesis gets to synthesize the necessary fuel for the brain.

To sustain and maximize ketosis, you should consider accelerated fat burning during the fasting periods. Once the body has depleted the glycogen stores in the liver, it then taps into the glycogen that’s stored in the muscles, which then get broken down into fats. The more the time that you spend away from food, the more the stored fat gets broken down for energy. Longer fasting periods, therefore, enhances fat loss. The levels of insulin in the body also get decreased, and in-turn fat burning process gets facilitated.

The levels of human growth hormones also get to increase in the process, and that in turn, facilitates muscle gain and fat burning.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of The Combination With Intermittent Fasting

Benefits of the combination with intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting and the keto diet are compatible and complement each other quite well. When on both ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting, it’s important to note that the eating window can be shrunk or expanded depending on one’s preferences and needs. Typically, the eating window can be between 4 – 8 hours of feeding within the day. Intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet are normally great for weight loss, digestion, and health benefits; however, the results get maximized when both are combined.

Here are some of the benefits of being on combining ketogenic diet and fasting;

Ability to enter ketosis faster

The goal of combining the ketogenic diet and intermittent is to help the body enter ketosis much faster. When one is fasting, the body gets to run burn fat for fuel instead of glucose. Eating low carb, medium protein, and high-fat foods helps with sustaining the process of burning fats for fuel as the amount of carbs that get consumed are never sufficient for utilization as energy. Ketogenic diet makes intermittent fasting to be doable since the body is already adapted to being on ketones.

The fact that ketogenic foods have high levels of fat also helps in addressing hunger issues as one is likely to stay on ketosis without feeling cravings for sugary foods. Combining the two is the fastest way to get the body to ketosis metabolic state. Fasting is the easiest and fastest way if entering ketosis nutritional state, but since you can’t fast forever, continuing on ketogenic diet helps with maintaining the nutritional state for most of the time.

If in case you get out of ketogenic diet, then fasting is the fastest and surest way for fat adaptation.

Faster weight loss

One of the major reasons why people combine ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting is for weight lost. Fasting enables people to break through the weight loss plateaus in diverse ways;

• Human bodies can only take a given amount of calories at once so limiting the eating window automatically limits the daily caloric intake.
• The smaller eating window also enables one to eliminate unnecessary snacking and binging. Since the eating period is small’; emphasis is given to consuming only foods that are nutritious and healthy.
• Consumption of high fat foods that happens when on ketogenic diet increases levels of satiety while also reduces appetite. It’s much easier to engage in intermittent fasting when on ketogenic diet than when on other high carb diets which normally heightens cravings for sugar and snacking.

Stabilizes levels of blood sugar

When one is alternating between ketones and glucose for energy, the levels of blood sugar is likely to spike which eventually leads to brain fog, low energy, and mood swings alongside other side effects. A person who has combined intermittent fasting with some standard dieting is likely to experience these conditions however, when fasting is combined with ketogenic diet; you will be operating on ketosis all through even when you are eating.

Creates self-healing within the body

Intermittent fasting activates a condition known as autophagy within the body, a state where the body eats its cells and body tissues but in a good way. The process enables the body to remove some of the harmful and toxic compounds while the damaged proteins get recycled. There are two processes that should take place for autophagy to occur; the body should be in a starved state and the intake of carbohydrates and proteins should be restricted.

Both of the conditions happen when one is on both ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting. It takes over 16 hours for autophagy to start working and sustaining the state for several days when on ketogenic diet helps in increasing its effect which is great. If in case autophagy is never activated then mitochondria and proteins remains damaged and the body cells then begins to die which eventually leads to loss of strength and muscle.

As much as we assume that the nutrients that we consume repair the damaged cells; it also makes sense when cleaning is undertaken for healthy operations of the body cells. If the cells are left with the toxic wastes then there are chances of the cells becoming cancerous.

Fights Cancer

There are studies that have proven that cancer patients that undergo fasting for about 2 days to a week are more likely to report less side effects and improved life quality regardless of the number of days fasted. Fasting has been proven to be effective as chemotherapeutic agents and helps in delaying the progression of different tumors while also increasing the effectiveness of chemotherapeutic drugs against cancer cells. Intermittent fasting and ketogenic diet can therefore help with supporting the body when undergoing toxic stress.

Elimination of ketosis side effects

If in case you are getting started with intermittent fasting and keogenic diet; being on both can help you in avoiding some of the common side effects such as keto flu that happens when the glucose stores are completely depleted as the body switches to using ketones. Eating ketogenic foods helps in making the fasting periods to be quite manageable. A person on high carb diet s likely to have a lot of discomfort with intermittent fasting since the body constantly switches from using ketones for fuel to using glucose for fuel. By being on ketogenic die the body gets to constantly run on ketones.

Boosts mental and brain health

The brain is known as the biggest consumers of the energy that gets produced by the body and fat has been proven to be quite energy-efficient source of fuel. Since being on ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting trains the body into burning fat for fuel; the brain gets to benefit from the combination greatly. There is always fat to burn in the body and as long as the body can tap into the fat reserves; the brain then gets constant supply of energy.

Those who are on nutritional ketosis state have been proven to experience mental focus, metal clarity and several neurological benefits. Conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke and other neurogenerative disorders can be effectively addressed when the body is operating on ketosis. The enhanced neuronal energy reserves helps in improving the ability of the neurons to resist metabolic challenges including anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects.

Fasting has also been proven through various studies to boost production of a protein that feeds the brain stem cells and also promotes neural health. Over the centuries; ketogenic diet has been used to reverse cognitive impairments, epilepsy and other neurological disorders.

Enhances workout performance

Many people wonder whether they can still exercise when they are on ketogenic diet and fasting programs; the truth is that it’s fine. A number of studies have shown that following ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting has the potential of enhancing long-term benefits of exercising. Both keto and fasting train the body to burn the stored fat for energy which in turn triggers several metabolic adaptations that eventually increases workout performance while one is fasting.

There are those who could be worried about losing muscles however it’s possible to maximize muscle gain when you train while fasting. When you engage in strength training while in a fasted state; the nutrients that you get to consume afterwards gets utilized in a better way by the body unlike when you engage in workouts when not fasting. If you decide to work out while fasting then it’s advisable that you do the workout before you begin the eating window for the day.

People often say that when you fail to utilize per and post workout meals then you are more likely to lose muscles whenever you work out; that may not be true and the chances are quite narrow when your body is well adapted to ketosis. Fasting while training has several benefits that can be experienced in the long run such as;

Higher metabolic adaptations means that your training performance is more likely to increase when exercising while in a fasted state. Another benefit is improved muscle synthesis which means that muscle gain gets heightened when you train while in a fasted state as you also get to utilize proper nutrient intake. One is also more likely to experience post-workout meals and studies have shown that there is speedy absorption of nutrients after engaging in a fasted workout.

Makes both the diets easier

One of the reasons why many people shy away from fasting is due to the fact that it leaves people feeling so hungry. Being on keto diet helps with reducing cravings and hunger due to the high fat content that’s found in keto eating plans.

Reduces the risk for chronic diseases

Being on ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting results into reduced intake of processed foods. High intake of high carb and sugary foods normally feeds cancerous cells. Cancerous cells actually raise the uptake of sugar to about 10 -12 times higher than that of the normal cells. Most people who are following intermittent fasting and ketogenic diet as a lifestyle end to realize long-term results with a healthy body weight management. They also experience decreased risk of chronic diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, obesity and cancer amongst others.

Notes on Meal Planning

This combined program of ketogenic diet meal plan and intermittent fasting are quite suitable for anyone who intends to maximize fat burning and be able to realize great results. The meal plan equips users with valuable information that they need to follow if they are to succeed with being on Ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting. Intake of protein and carbohydrates are restricted accordingly in the meals and more fat is added to enhance being in ketosis state. The addition of fat also makes the food to not only be delicious but quite satisfying as well.

Before you get started with the process of ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting; you should be able to ascertain the fasting window that works well for you. You need to pay more attention to how you feel, your energy levels, cognitive function and hunger levels alongside the quality of your sleep. If in case you find that you starve a lot during the day and can hardly make it through a workout when you are fasting then you can consider shortening the fasting window.

You can then increase the fasting window gradually as you as you adapt to the process. Alternatively; you can still reduce the fasting days and just ensure that you are consuming sufficient amount of calories during the feeding window. If in case you are not well versed with the amount of calories that you should be consuming per day then you can consider involving a nutritionist or dietician to help with determining what could be suitable for you.

For great results, you can choose to have two per day during the eating window but just ensure then you consume the required calorie intake within the period. You can choose the following eating patterns;

• Eat between 12pm and 8 pm then begin fasting from 8 pm to the following day 12 pm.
• You can also eat between 1 pm and 7 pm and ten begin fasting from 7pm to 1 pm the next day.
• You can also begin from 2 pm and 7 pm then start fasting from 7 m to 2 pm the next day.

As you consistently follow the eating time as required; you will be allowing your body to get used to eating at a given time and that is more likely to make the process easier. This ketogenic meal plan is combined with 16:8 intermittent fasting. It has two filling meals for each day with the daily intake meant to keep one below intake of 20 grams of carbohydrates. You can start with a 16-hour fast and only consume foods within the 8-hour window all through the day. It therefore means that you will either be skipping breakfast or dinner.

You can still have all the three meals within the 8-hour eating window. If you intend to reap all the benefits that come with being on ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting then consider working your way through to a 5 – 6 hour eating window. If you are on any medications then it’s vital that you inform health professionals. Improvements in your health may happen quite faster and your doctor might even opt cut back on your medications as your status improves.

Disadvantages of the combination with intermittent fasting

After a couple days on the intermittent fasting and ketogenic lifestyle, you may begin to notice you are feeling weak and fatigued. Most people describe this as the keto ‘flu’, as it can make it difficult to move and cause headaches, as well. Thankfully, there are ways in which you can counteract this ‘flu’, which we will discuss later on in this chapter.

After the first week and during the second week of the ketogenic diet, you may develop bad smelling breath. This is normal and completely temporary, and it will go away on its own as you are further along on the ketogenic diet. During this time, ketone urine strip test samples will also detect higher levels of ketones being excreted from your body.

Once you have finished the second or third week on the ketogenic diet, your breath should return to normal and you will notice you are gradually becoming less hungry and more energized. This is due to your body learning to better use fat and ketones for fuel in place of carbohydrates.

After the first month on the ketogenic diet, you should notice that your energy levels have not only returned to normal but that they are beginning to increase. Your cholesterol and insulin should improve, you have most likely lost a lot of water weight along with some fat loss, and you may experience improvement in other health symptoms. At this point, your body should be nearly fully adjusted to thriving off of fats, protein, and ketones.

Now that you understand what you can generally expect on the ketogenic diet, let’s look into some of the more negative effects and what you can do to counteract them.

The Keto Flu

When you begin to experience symptoms of the dreaded keto ‘flu,’ allow yourself to rest as much as possible. Many people will begin the ketogenic diet over the weekend so that they are over the worst of the symptoms when they go back to work. However, in order to cope and lessen the symptoms, you can allow yourself to rest, stay hydrated, practice minimal exercise, and eat regularly.

Your body is trying to adapt to a natural process that it rarely makes use of therefore, it takes some time for you to feel back to normal. Give your body a break and allow yourself to rest or nap as needed.

Along with this, most of the symptoms of keto ‘flu’ are frequently caused by dehydration. Due to losing water weight, people become depleted of water and electrolyte molecules. Try to refuel not only on water but also on the vital minerals. Aim to drink half of your body’s weight in ounces at the very least. This means that if you weigh one-hundred and fifty pounds, you need to drink a minimum of seventy-five ounces of water every day.

While you will be eating fat, your body is used to burning glucose for fuel first and will believe it needs more. Therefore, try to fuel yourself with quicker fuel sources that will provide energy. This includes proteins and medium-chain triglycerides found within coconut oil.

You will want to avoid strenuous exercise on the ketogenic diet. But, some mild exercise such as yoga or a light walk can help to lessen the symptoms of fatigue and sore muscles. Allow yourself to rest while still moving your muscles from time to time.

Bad Breath

Everyone hates having bad breath and knowing that it is inevitable on the ketogenic diet can be an annoyance. Thankfully, this side effect usually only lasts for a couple of days, or up to a week. This side effect is caused as your body learns to produce three different types of ketone bodies. During the beginning of the ketogenic diet, your body will produce a type of ketone that is not very effective, which will eventually be excreted through your urine and breath as your body begins to create more effective ketones. This is what causes the smell. Thankfully, this is a sign that your journey into ketosis is going well and that you will soon begin to experience an increase in energy and health.

Dry Mouth

Dry mouth occurs due to dehydration. As we have said, you will lose a lot of water weight during the first couple of weeks on the ketogenic diet, which leads to a loss in overall hydration and electrolyte levels. Along with drinking plenty of water, be sure to consume the electrolytes sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. You can consume these naturally by finding foods rich in these minerals, or you can choose to drink ketogenic electrolyte drinks that are free of sugars and artificial sweeteners. These drinks usually come in powder form and can easily be added to a glass of water for increased hydration and flavoring!

When staying hydrated, be sure that you don’t drink too much water in one sitting. The adult human body is unable to process more than a liter of water within the span of an hour without resulting in liver damage. Therefore, be sure to space out your glasses of water throughout the day.

Upset Stomach

The ketogenic diet doesn’t tend to cause severe symptoms in people, although one of the most common complaints on this lifestyle is that of stomach distress. People most frequently develop diarrhea and nausea, sending them to the toilet throughout the day.

This can be difficult, but with a little adjustment to your diet, you can experience relief. If you are experiencing diarrhea, then try to limit the amount of coconut oil and MCT oil you are consuming. Since these are digested more quickly than other sources of fat, they can cause you to go to the bathroom more frequently if you are not used to eating them regularly.

You may also experience constipation. This one is easy to fix, as it is not caused by the ketogenic diet itself, but rather dehydration. If you follow our previously mentioned tips for avoiding dehydration, then you should be able to avoid constipation. Of course, you can also increase your coconut oil and MCT oil intake to lessen constipation.

Lastly, people may develop trouble digesting food due to low fiber. After removing grains and other high-carb foods from your diet, you may be limiting your fiber intake. However, fiber is incredibly important. Be sure to consume plenty of low-carb vegetables and nuts in order to increase your fiber intake.

Insomnia

The ketogenic diet can temporarily cause insomnia. This is most often caused during the ketogenic flu period and will go away on its own. Although in the meantime, you may decrease insomnia by lowering lifestyle stress, practicing yoga and meditation, and attempting to stick to a regular nightly routine. If all else fails, you may try some non-prescription sleep aids. Don’t fear—this is completely temporary and will pass as your body adjusts to the change.

Side Effects/Risks Of Intermittent Fasting (Talk About 16/8 Predominately)

Within a week or two, your body would have adjusted to your new eating schedule and any negative effects will gradually subside until things feel back to normal. So it is important to allow your body some time to adjust instead of trying intermittent fasting for one or two days and throwing in the towel.

Here is how to deal with some of the common negative side effects you will likely encounter as you start your new eating habits.

Hunger

One of the first not-so-fun and most obvious results of fasting is hunger. This side effect is difficult because going without food longer than your body is conditioned to will result in an uncomfortable desire for anything to eat. All your life, you have programmed your body to expect food at certain times throughout the day. It would be weird if you suddenly change your eating pattern, and your body accepts the change without putting up at least a little resistance. If your body doesn’t get food at the time it normally does, a hormone called ghrelin – the hunger hormone – will start acting up to remind you that you should supply your body with food. This “acting up” or reminder to eat at your usual time will continue until your brain convinces ghrelin to accept your new eating schedule. But until then, you will likely feel intense hunger but don’t worry it will pass. You will need to tap into your reserve of mental strength to stay committed to your course.

To effectively handle hunger pangs, drink more water, or any qualifying beverage on intermittent fasting. Doing so will help to suppress hunger pangs. Quite often, the feeling of hunger is not necessarily an indication that you are hungry; it might be a slight dip in your blood sugar level – something that water or other non-calorie liquids can take care of.

To help delay hunger on your fasting days or during the fasting window (depending on the type of fasting regimen you choose to follow), ensure that you include adequate amounts of healthy fats, carbs, and proteins in your meals before commencing your fast. Also, during your fast, try to keep your mind off food. Combining low-impact exercises with fasting can help give you the boost you need to go through your day without feeling too uncomfortable. Getting enough sleep will also help you throughout the day; there is nothing that will upset your day more than lack of sleep at night and having to fast. That is an open invitation for fatigue and hunger!

Frequent Urination

As with hunger, it is also expected to experience an increase in the number of times you urinate. There is no mystery here as intermittent fasting requires that you increase your intake of water and other liquids to stay hydrated. This will in turn increase the frequency of urination. Keep drinking your water and don’t avoid bathroom visits. Holding it for too long can weaken your bladder muscles and trying not to drink water will soon make you dehydrated and provide the next side effect – both bad!

Headaches

Intermittent fasting can make your blood sugar to take a nosedive. This introduces stress on your body, your brain will release stress hormones, and you will likely experience some degree of headache. Dehydration can lead to headaches during intermittent fasting as your body it is telling you it lacks adequate water.

To reduce the occurrence of headaches, try to minimize stress on your body. It is okay to exercise during fasting, but excessive exercise can trigger a large amount of stress. Also, try to keep your body hydrated at all times by drinking enough water. But don’t chug water in a rush and don’t drink water excessively. Too much water can result in an imbalance in your mineral and body water ratio.

Cravings

It is normal to experience more than usual cravings for food during your fasting window. This is a biological and psychological response to the feeling of deprivation that is often associated with going without food. And because your body is all out to get glucose, you might notice that you crave for more sugar or carbohydrates. These cravings don’t mean that you are less committed to your goals. Rather, cravings happen to remind you that you are human. Even ardent practitioners of intermittent fasting experience cravings from time to time.

When you start craving for something, remind yourself of your goal and distract yourself from food-related topics. Keep your mind engrossed with other non-food related activities such as hobbies, talking a walk in nature, or going to sleep for a while. During your eating window, you can treat yourself to a healthy bite of what you crave to minimize the intensity of the craving or longing. Remind yourself during your fasting window that you will soon eat what you long for, so there’s no need dwelling on it or giving it too much thought when it is not yet time to eat. Remind your body that you are no longer a teenager or a young adult. You have had lots of experience in curbing your cravings, and this case is not an exception.

Heartburn, Bloating, and Constipation

Occasionally, heartburn can occur when your stomach produces acids for digestion of your food, but there is no food present in the stomach to be digested. Bloating and constipation usually go hand in hand and can also occur in some cases. Together, these two can make you feel very uncomfortable.

Drinking adequate amounts of water can reduce the risk of heartburn, bloating, and constipation. Heartburns can also be minimized by cutting down on spicy foods during your eating window. If you experience heartburn during intermittent fasting, here’s something you can try before going to sleep. Prop yourself up when you lie down to sleep. But don’t use pillows to prop yourself as that will put more pressure on your stomach and increase the discomfort. Use a specially designed wedge or use a 6-inch block or something similar to elevate your head as you lie down. Doing this will make gravity minimize the backward flow of your stomach contents into your gullet. Propping yourself this way should bring you relief from heartburn. However, if heartburn, bloating, and constipation persist, consult your doctor immediately.

Binging

Eating a large amount as soon as the fasting window is over is usually associated with first-timers to fasting. The intense hunger of fasting can drive you to eat in a hurry when breaking, and you can end up overeating. In some cases, binging can be a result of a simple misunderstanding of the basics of intermittent fasting. They assume that they can eat as much as they want in the eating window since the no-eating window will take care of calories. This misunderstanding can deprive you of gaining any significant benefits that come with fasting intermittently, especially if you are looking to shed some weight. Binging or overeating in your eating window will reverse all the hard work you put in during the fast.

To avoid binging, ensure that the size and type of meal is planned well ahead of the eating window. Don’t start fasting without knowing what portion you are going to consume at the end. Waiting until you can eat to decide what to eat and how much to eat can lead to overeating because your food choices will be largely influenced by how hungry you feel.

Low Energy

Feeling exhausted is a normal part of fasting. Until your body gets used to sourcing its fuel from fat storage, you are likely to experience some decline in your energy levels. Usually, they get back up within a couple of days.

To help stay energized, tailor your activities to remain low-key, at least at first. There is no need to push yourself to prove that you are a strong woman. Deciding to practice intermittent fasting is enough proof that you are mentally, emotionally, and physically strong. Since you are not in competition with anyone, it is in your best interest to conserve energy as much as possible. Get a massage, spend time relaxing in bed, or sleeping in if you have to. These little activities can go a long way in keeping you energized.

Feeling Cold

Some people experience an extra feeling of cold during fasting. If you experience this, there is no cause for alarm. It might be a result of the drop in your blood sugar level. Usually, blood flow to your internal fat storage is increased during fasting. As a result of this increase, your fat is moved to parts of your body where it needs to be used as energy. This can make other parts of your body that have less fat storage to experience cold. So if you feel cold in your fingers or toes, it is your body doing its fat burning process for your own good.

To help reduce the cold, put on layers, stay in warm places, drink hot coffee or tea (with no calories), or take a hot shower. It is important to keep in mind that feeling cold is just a result of intermittent fasting and does not mean you are ill. So avoid the urge to self-medicate. If the cold feeling persists even in your non-fasting days or in your eating window, consult your doctor.

Mood Swing

Imagine the following combinations. Stress on your body caused by the dip in your blood sugar. Your hormones are going berserk from the various reactions going on in your body as a result of not eating normally, or on schedule. The lethargic feeling from lack of food, hunger, and cravings constantly telling you to eat. Not being able to socialize with others freely because of your new eating pattern you can’t wine and dine at social events if it is outside your eating window! All of these can lead to a psychological state of feeling annoyed or irritated.

The surest way to minimize mood swings resulting from intermittent fasting is to deliberately keep your attention off issues that set you on edge and focus on what you are doing and what makes you happy. The more you keep your mind wrapped up in gratitude and appreciation, the better you will feel. So, during your fasting window, be deliberate about engaging in things that lift your spirits and keep your mind on happy and productive thoughts.

Bottom Line

Intermittent fasting is a lifestyle regimen that is safe for older practitioners. It is a medical intervention that can bring about improvements in many aspects of a woman’s health. However, it is not suitable for every person. If you notice that you have severe negative reactions to intermittent fasting, it is in your best interest to desist at once and consult your doctor. No rule makes it compulsory to complete a fast once you begin. You can absolutely break in the middle of your fasting window (even if it is just that day) if you can no longer endure unpleasant side effects and try again at a later time.

While it is okay to give your body a few weeks to get used to your new eating pattern, it is also crucial to pay close attention to what your body is telling you. Thankfully, as an older woman with experience, you can tell when something works for you or not. You know when you can commit to something and when you can’t find the motivation to follow through. I believe that, as a woman with a tremendous wealth of experience, you will find the strength to stick to your resolve within reason.

Chapter 6: Shopping List And 14 Day Meal Plans For 16/8

This shopping list is for about fourteen days of food. The ingredients recorded are sufficient to make the full two weeks and a few remains.

This food list depends on the above feast plan. Be that as it may, remember that you should know that relying upon your required calories, you should make pretty much food. I give a round gauge of the amount I for one make.

The more significant part of the plans I list is quite savable. You can freeze scraps and use them in the next week when we transform the fasting into an increasingly extraordinary methodology. On the other hand, you can refrigerate them for a few days and have them later in the week.

Meat

• 3 lb. Ground Beef
• 5 Chorizo Sausages
• 2 Italian Sausages
• 2 lbs. Boneless and Skinless Chicken Thighs
• 2 lbs. Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 12 Slices Bacon
• 22 Large Eggs

Fats

• 15 Tbsp. Substantial Cream
• 2 Tbsp. Harsh Cream
• 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 15 Tbsp. Natural Coconut Oil
• 18 Tbsp. Grass-Fed Unsalted Butter
• 2 Tbsp. Sesame Oil

Cheddar

• 2 Cups Shredded Whole Milk Mozzarella Cheese
• 4 Cups Cheddar Cheese
• 4 Ounces Cream Cheese
• 6 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese
• 1/2 Cup Full-Fat Ricotta

Vegetables

• 1 Medium Green Pepper
• 1 Medium Onion
• 1 Head asparagus
• 10 Ounces Frozen Spinach
• 2 Cups Tomato Sauce
• 2 Small Scallions
• 2 Stalks (12 g) of Green Onion
• 2 Stalks of Celery
• 4-6 Servings of Your Favorite Low-Carb Vegetable(s)

Additional items

• 1/2 Cup Almond Flour
• 1/2 cup Erythritol
• 1/2 Cup Rice Vinegar
• 14 Cups Coffee
• 1 Bag of Pork Rinds
• 4 Tbsp. Sugar-Free Ketchup
• 6 Tbsp. Straight forward’s Red Hot Original
• 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Fish Sauce

Go for the pork skins that are light and breezy. We’ll be crushing these, and you need decent light consistency, not hard and thick. Granulating your own espresso beans as a rule yields a superior mug of espresso, so attempt to get some decent natural espresso in your eating routine.

Flavors

• 3 Tbsp. Genuine Salt
• 5 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 2 tsp. Bean stew Powder
• 2 tsp. Cumin
• 1 tsp. Ginger
• 2 tsp. Dried Oregano
• ½ tsp. Dark Pepper

14-Day Meal Plan

When you are following a 16/8 intermittent fasting lifestyle, you can eat two, or three meals per day. Do what your body tells you to do. As long as you consume your meals within the eight-hour window you can eat as many meals as you’d like. We have a suggested four-week meal plan to help jumpstart ketosis that will readily fit well with 16/8 intermittent fasting to produce the best results. The meal choices have been selected to maintain daily carb intake between 20- 50 grams per day.

Week One

Monday

Breakfast – Classic bacon and eggs.

Lunch – Bun-free burger with a slice of provolone cheese, topped with avocado on a bed of arugula.

Dinner – Grilled lamb steaks and asparagus.

Tuesday

Breakfast – Smoked salmon and cream cheese.

Lunch – Can of sardines with ½ avocado, cut into cubes.

Dinner – Ribeye steak with salad, use olive oil for dressing.

Wednesday

Breakfast – 3 slices of bacon with ½ avocado.

Lunch – Tuna salad with celery, tomatoes, and arugula. Use olive oil-based mayo.

Dinner – Pork chops with green beans.

Thursday

Breakfast – Cheese omelet.

Lunch – Diced roast chicken with halved cherry tomatoes, on top of a bed of greens. Use olive oil dressing and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Dinner – Grilled tuna steaks on a bed of arugula, drizzle with olive oil and juice from one lemon.

Friday

Breakfast – Mushroom omelet.

Lunch – Deli turkey plate. Three slices of fresh deli turkey, ½ cubed avocado, 3 ounces of cubed mozzarella cheese, and a bed of greens, with mayo for dipping the turkey. Use low carb dressing of your choice on greens.

Dinner – Bell peppers stuffed with seasoned ground beef.

Saturday

Breakfast – Smoked salmon with ½ avocado.

Lunch – Keto BLT – 3 strips of thick sliced bacon on top of sliced tomatoes and a bed of greens.

Dinner – Roast chicken with stir fried broccoli and spinach.

Sunday

Breakfast – Sausage breakfast sandwich. Over easy egg, topped with a slice of cheese, using spicy pork sausage patties in place of bread.

Lunch – Cesar salad with chicken.

Dinner – Grilled salmon and asparagus.

Week Two

Monday

Breakfast – Cheddar cheese omelet.

Lunch – Steak salad. Sliced sirloin steak, sliced cherry tomatoes, and baby bell peppers, on a bed of greens, topped with shredded mozzarella cheese and low carb dressing of your choice.

Dinner – Roast chicken salad. Cubed roast chicken, sliced radish, tomatoes, cubed avocado, and greens. Low carb dressing of your choice.

Tuesday

Breakfast – Pulled pork hash. Mixed pulled pork, Brussels sprouts, red onion, and kale with 2 eggs and stir-fry in a skillet. Season to taste.

Lunch – 3 slices of deli roast beef with mayo for dipping, and one avocado, cubed.

Dinner – New York strip steak with asparagus.

Wednesday

Breakfast – Scrambled eggs with 2 slices pork sausage.

Lunch – Cobb salad. Use diced chicken, avocado, one hard-boiled egg, shredded cheese, and greens. Low carb dressing of your choice.

Dinner – Grilled pork sirloin steaks marinated in teriyaki sauce.

Thursday

Breakfast – Classic bacon and eggs.

Lunch – Deli turkey plate. Three slices of deli turkey, a handful of almonds, 1/3 cup blueberries, ½ sliced avocado, and six slices of cucumber.

Dinner – Meatballs with zucchini noodles, topped with melted mozzarella cheese.

Friday

Breakfast – Baked sausage skilled. Sliced hot Italian sausage, chopped red and green bell peppers, mozzarella cheese.

Lunch – Mackerel salad. Bed of greens topped with halved cherry tomatoes, chopped bell peppers, chopped celery, and canned mackerel. Use dressing of your choice.

Dinner – Chicken coconut curry.

Saturday

Breakfast – Pork chop with 2 eggs, cooked as desired.

Lunch – Deli ham plate – 3 rolled slices of deli ham, cheddar cheese cubes, sliced avocado, and mayo for dipping.

Dinner – Halibut steaks in cream sauce with asparagus.

Sunday

Breakfast – Ground pork avocado sandwich. Cook two patties of seasoned ground pork to use in place of bread. In between place 2 slices of tomato, sliced avocado, white onion, and romaine lettuce.

Lunch – Chicken sausage plate. One cooked and sliced chicken sausage, a handful of walnuts, guacamole and diced radishes.

Dinner – Lamb steaks in cream sauce with broccoli.

Conclusion

Thank you for making it through to the end of this book.

16/8 intermittent fasting is an easy to follow method of losing weight. It takes you on a clear-cut path to not only lose weight, but also helps you in burning a lot of fat in the body.

This intermittent fasting technique is specifically designed to provide holistic health benefits, and would ensure that you lead a healthy and active life.

This biggest advantage of this intermittent fasting technique is that it is very simple and easy to follow. You can practice it irrespective of the life you live or work you do. It will be suitable for you if you have a desk job, and equally helpful even if your line of business requires a lot of traveling.

It would work seamlessly for a stay at home mom, and would work wonders for a working woman with a hectic work life. With a little bit of dedication and discipline, anyone can make this plan work for himself/herself.

You can also get all the benefits of the process by following the simple steps given in the book. I hope that this book is really able to help you in achieving your health goals.