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Many of you have probably heard of the weight-loss method known as Intermittent Fasting, but what is it really? In this post, I will go over what I’ve learned about intermittent fasting and how it accelerated my weight loss when I decided to lose 35 pounds.
Using Intermittent Fasting also helped me save money since not only did I know when to eat but what I would eat more which saved me money.
Table of Contents
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Simply put, Intermittent Fasting is when you decide to go without food (fast) for a certain period of time. The duration of the fast can vary which makes it quite flexible to fit most schedules.
During the fasting period, drinking water, black coffee, or other zero-calorie beverages is okay. Having lots of liquids is essential for weight loss in general but also helps keep you full while fasting.
Although counting calories is not required during eating, you’ll see the best results by consuming ‘good’ or healthy calories that are nutrition dense. Many foods out there are healthy, delicious, and can fill you up.
How Does Intermittent Fasting Accelerate Fat Loss
- Ketosis: When fasting, it is common to enter a state called ketosis much faster than when not fasting. Ketosis is when the body burns stored fat rapidly and primarily burns fat for energy.
- Food Awareness: Sometimes it is very easy to just eat, eat, eat. Snacking tends to happen less are paying more attention to when you can and cannot consume calories.
- Healthy Liquids: Intermittent Fasting reminds me of the importance of getting enough liquids each day which aids in weight loss.
- Longer Fat Burning: The fasting period allows your body to fully digest any food to start burning fat and keep burning it for a longer period of time.
Common Intermittent Fasting Schedules
There are many different Intermittent Fasting schedules out there. After testing out a couple of different schedules, I found one that works great with my family and work schedule.
I’ve included a brief summary below of some of the most common types of intermittent fasting schedules.
- 16:8 – The fast period lasts 16 hours with an 8-hour eating window. This type of intermittent fasting schedule is the one I am currently doing, and it seems to be one of the more popular schedules.
- 20:4 – The fast period lasts 20 hours with a 4-hour eating window. This type of intermittent fasting schedule may be more challenging to maintain.
- ADF – Alternate-day fasting, where you eat one day and then fast the next.
- 5:2 – For five days you can normally eat then on two days of the same week you can consume much fewer calories. This type of intermittent fasting schedule may be a good option for beginners.
- Skip a Meal – This one is pretty straightforward. Skipping a meal or two once in a while is one form of intermittent fasting.
- OMAD – This stands for one meal a day with no limit to calories or what can be eaten for one meal. For best results, eating whole, healthy foods is still best.
I know there are many options out there so try not to be overwhelmed!
The most important thing in my opinion is to start small and find a schedule that works for your schedule and can be maintained over time.
Benefits and Success I’ve Seen from Intermittent Fasting
Fasting, in general, has a wide range of benefits for the body and mind. Me personally, I’ve noticed an enormous increase in clarity and self-control.
I’ve also felt loads of natural energy and don’t feel weighed down by constantly having tons of food being digested.
My weight loss has been accelerated by intermittent fasting! I started a HealthyWage earlier in 2021 and made a bet to lose 35 pounds in 6 months (270 to 235 lbs).
If you’re looking for something to keep you motivated and accountable, I highly recommend starting a HealthyWage challenge! To see how you could win money to lose weight click here – Start your HealthyWager today and get paid to lose weight! If you sign up with the link above you’ll get an additional $40 automatically added to your prize money!
When I first started the HealthyWage challenge my weight had many ups and downs for weeks. A large part of this was my inability to control my eating and snacking.
I then implemented a 16:8 intermittent fasting schedule where I ate between 10 am to 6 pm and fasted the rest of the time (I’m doing this again now to get down to 200 lbs).
I finally started to see a more consistent drop in weight. By controlling when I ate, I became more aware of what I was eating which allowed me to eat healthier and lose weight faster!
Snacking all the time became a thing of the past. I had an incredible feeling of control over WHEN and WHAT I ate.
By utilizing intermittent fasting I was able to smoothly reach my goal of 235 lbs!
Now I would like to share with you some success tips I’ve used while Intermittent Fasting.
Tip #1 – Don’t go too long without food
When first starting intermittent fasting for one reason or another I would sometimes go too long without eating food.
Going too long without eating would leave me in a cranky mood with intense cravings. Once I finally ate I would not feel satisfied and would often look for more unhealthy snacks to fill me up and boost my energy levels.
Being prepared is key.
I would have healthy and yummy food ready to eat once I broke my fast. That way I would not put off eating. This could be as simple as your favorite fruit or a granola bar.
I would also carefully plan to ensure I could eat a healthy snack or meal when I broke my fast. Sometimes meetings would arise but I would make sure to have a healthy snack ready to go.
Tip #2 – Be flexible
I found incredible success through intermittent fasting, but I was definitely not 100% perfect!
Being consistent most of the time is key.
I also made little adjustments to my fasting strategy; in other words, I wasn’t too strict!
For example, in addition to liquids, I would also allow myself to eat fruit during my fasting period. I am not a big breakfast person so I would be fine in the mornings but after 6 pm I would sometimes eat fruit which would go a long way to combat cravings. Additionally, many fruits are mostly water and thus easier to digest.
Tip #3 – Stay hydrated!
Staying hydrated during both fasting and eating windows is very important.
Drinking a lot of water helped me stay full and coffee in the mornings also worked amazing for me.
Coffee has many benefits and would help me feel full with a nice energy boost. I wouldn’t drink it every day but a few days a week.
Another fantastic drink I enjoy is hot honey lemon water. It’s both refreshing and great tasting.
I enjoy zero-sugar sodas and artificially sweetened drinks like Crystal Light. I tried to drink these types of drinks less often though.
Tip #4 – Stay Active!
Staying active and moving helps a ton when losing weight, especially when combined with intermittent fasting.
Everyone is different, but I didn’t seem to have any problems exercising during my fasting period. Some may find it easier however to exercise during the eating window.
In conclusion, I hope that some of my experiences can help those wanting to better understand intermittent fasting or those who want to see someone who has found success with it.
Everyone is different, and consulting a health professional is a good idea before jumping into a new diet or weight loss strategy.
Please comment below with your thoughts and/or experiences with intermittent fasting!
Disclaimer
The content on this blog includes our personal experiences and opinions in regard to pursuing a healthier lifestyle. We hope the information provides valuable insights to every reader but we are not health advisors. When making your health choices, we recommend researching multiple sources and/or receiving advice from a doctor or licensed health professional.
