Effective ways to do intermittent fasting for an improved lifestyle and better metabolism

Learn various ways how to do intermittent fasting for weight loss and the benefits it has for your overall health.
Ways to do intermittent fasting
Here's how you can do intermittent fasting! Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Purvi Kalra Published: 17 Aug 2022, 09:01 am IST
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With the craze around new dieting fads, the name intermittent fasting still comes in one of the most popular health trends. The hype is real as so many people still swear by this eating pattern, claiming its major role in weight loss and appetite management.

How do you define intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting is that kind of eating pattern in which you abstain from consuming calories for a prolonged period. In normal cases, this period can last anywhere between 12 to 40 hours.

One can only consume water, coffee, and other calorie-free beverages. However, any form of solid foods or drinks containing calories is permitted.

For instance, if you have your dinner at 8 p.m. Tuesday and continue to fast until 8 p.m. Wednesday, you end up completing a 24-hour fast.
Either someone can fast from breakfast to breakfast or lunch to lunch. The ideal time frame varies from person to person depending on the body type and metabolism.

For any beginner, a full 24-hour fast every alternative day can seem daunting and difficult to maintain. So, it’s normally not advisable for newbies. That’s why people don’t have to dive right in, and most people start intermittent fasting with a shorter time duration.

In fact, it may be good to keep your body type in mind before pursuing intermittent fasting.

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intermittent fasting types
Choose your fasting hours as per convenience. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

5 popular eating patterns to help incorporate intermittent fasting into your diet

There are many ways of indulging in this type of fasting for the best results. If one way doesn’t seem the right fit for your body, you can always switch to other.

1. Time-restricted eating

This includes fasting daily for 12 hours or more and eating in the existing hours. The 16/8 method is the best example of this. In this method, one fasts straight for 16 hours and keeps an 8-hour window where one can incorporate 2, 3, or more meals.

2. The 5:2 diet

This is simpler in comparison where you eat normally 5 days a week and limit your intake of calories to 500-600 on the remaining 2 days.

3. Eat Stop Eat

In this type, one can indulge in a 24-hour fast once or twice a week.

4. Alternative-day fasting

This method, as the name suggests, involves fasting every other day.

5. The Warrior diet

The warrior diet was the first popular diet to gain popularity in other forms of intermittent fasting. In this method, one can eat minimal portions of raw fruits and veggies during the day and consume a heavier meal at night.

Benefits of intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting boosts numerous health benefits, some of which are:

* Aids in weight loss while improving metabolic health

By limiting your calorie intake during intermittent fasting, the weight loss process fastens by regulating your appetite to give a fuller feeling. It has been shown to deliver other health benefits such as:

Bringing down blood pressure
Regulating blood sugar
Renew damaged cells
Better brain health

Also Read: These celebs reached their weight-loss goals with intermittent fasting

weight loss benefits of intermittent fasting
A lot of people do intermittent fasting to lose weight. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

* Can prove to be a long-term lifestyle change

Intermittent fasting can seem intimidating at first, but it is less complicated than it seems. This method simplifies your day since, unlike other diet plans, you don’t have to plan a lot of meals.

Alongside, it doesn’t require you to keep a close check on the macros or calorie intake, eating or eliminating certain foods that you otherwise gorge on.

* Shows effective results with nutritious, whole foods diet

Since intermittent fasting is more about when you eat rather than what you eat, it is normally seamless to implement it. There is no need to splurge on special food items or diverge from your routine typical diet.

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About the Author

After testing her skill-set in the field of management and marketing, Purvi Kalra is exploring the world of turning thoughts to words. Her penchant for writing stems for being an avid reader all her life. Her work drives her to be better every day. ...Read More

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