Five Things To Know Before You Start Intermittent Fasting

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Intermittent fasting is one of the most popular trends in the health and fitness industry right now. And it’s for good reason! People who follow an intermittent fasting eating schedule have reported benefits such as decreased appetite and cravings, fat loss, and increased energy. For me, it has helped me to improve my relationship with food and feel fabulous!

RELATED: The Complete Guide to Intermittent Fasting For Women

If you have been thinking of giving intermittent fasting a try I wanted to share FIVE THINGS that are important to know before you start.

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1. It is important to eat a whole foods diet

Intermittent fasting is a not a diet but rather a eating schedule. You are eating within a certain time window (your feeding window) and the rest of the time you that you are not eating would be considered your “fasting period”.

If you are not already fueling your body with whole, unprocessed foods then you need to focus on that first. Intermittent fasting is not a pass to eat whatever you want during your eating window and expect to see results. It is to be used in addition to healthy diet, not instead of one.

 

2. Stay hydrated

Being that you will be going longer periods of the day without eating, it is important to stay hydrated. Especially during your fasting period.

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You can drink all the water you want but it is recommended not to consume more than 50 calories during your fasting window. So it gives you a little wiggle room for beverages. Coffee and tea are zero calories so they are fine. I will usually add some collagen peptides and almond milk creamer to my coffee. And on occasion, I will have bone broth,  BCAAs, or kombucha as well. These things really make a difference in holding me over during my fasting period. I just aim to keep everything under 50 calories combined.

RELATED: The Complete Guide to Intermittent Fasting For Women

3. Start Slowly

Intermittent Fasting can be a big change for a lot of people. If you have never fasted before I  DO NOT recommend jumping right into a 16/8 fast. What I did was start with 12 hours and then each day I added an extra 15 minutes or so. It worked great! I also didn’t start with fasted workouts right away and waited until my body adjusted.

4. Be Flexible

As with any lifestyle change, I think it is important to offer yourself some flexibility. If your too rigid then you may find it too hard to stick with and just end up giving up altogether.

I allow myself flexibility and listen to my body. If I am super hungry one morning, I will break fast early. Some days I will go a little longer than 16 hours if I am not hungry yet. Some nights I will have a glass of wine at 9 pm. This is a lifestyle for me…and with that comes flexibility so I can keep up with it long term.

5. It’s Not For Everyone

Bio-individuality is a real thing and just because something works great for somebody doesn’t mean that it is going to work great for you. If you find yourself obsessing over food more or binging during your eating window then intermittent fasting is probably not for you.

Intermittent Fasting is NOT RECOMMEND if you suffer from any type of eating disorder or are pregnant. And you should always check with your doc first.

DON’T FORGET TO PIN FOR LATER!

5 things to know before you start intermittent fasting! Great tips for beginners and weight loss.




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