The 4 Best Intermittent Fasting Schedules

We live in a world where keeping fit and maintaining body balance is the order of the day. It is pertinent to say that there is an upsurge in the need to eat as many meals as we can while having a perfect body balance. This, we know, cannot be achieved without taking proper measures. It explains why many involve diets and exercises even though consistency has been known to be a significant setback in attaining the desired body balance. Recent research on how to achieve a better body fit gave rise to the birth of intermittent fasting.

Intermittent Fasting is a term for various meal timing schedules. They rotate between impulsive fasting and non-fasting over a given time. With this, we can control the amount of food we take in and still maintain a good body fit. Intermittent Fasting is a weight-loss tool that works for many people, though it does not work for everyone.

How often should I fast intermittently?

There are many ways of doing intermittent fasting. It is advisable to check in with your Doctor or Dietician first. Read up to see the various ways to fast intermittently below.

You can also Download our Fasting Schedule Cheat Sheet to find your best schedule:

1. Alternate-day fasting

As the word implies, alternate-day fasting in its most straightforward underlying tone interprets to fasting on a day while you eat whatever you so desire the following day. There are several variations of the alternate-day fasting plan, which involves fasting every other day of your choice. By this, we mean you can time and schedule your fasting. You restrict your calorie kind of meals to some selected days while fasting. There is a belief that on feeding days, people often choose to eat as much as they want.

As flexible as alternate-day fasting seems in terms of operation, it is quite a radical form of intermittent fasting, which may not be convenient for starters or those with specific health issues. It may also be challenging to maintain this fasting in the long term.

Check the video ‘Alternate Day Fasting – The Basics’ from Thomas DeLauer

2. Periodic Fasting

Periodic Fasting entails any length of continuous fasting, which is usually more than 24 hours. Its success lies in the number of hours spent on food denial and also, the number of fast days per week. During these fasting days, a certain level of calorie consumption of approximately 500 to 700 calories may be allowed instead of complete fasting.

There are deviations to this fasting. The significant differences have to do with the period allocated between eating and fasting. Some people also include some dietary restraints during eating intervals.

3. Daily time-restricted Fasting

Daily time-restricted fasting means following a time-restricted diet. It involves eating only during a certain number of hours each day and skipping a meal for a couple of hours. An example is the 16:8 diet (sixteen fasting hours cycled by eight non-fasting hours). With this, you can eat any type of food you want with the clause of eating it within certain hours of the day.

Limiting the hours you eat in a day will in consuming fewer calories, promote weight loss, and improve the blood sugar levels.

4. The warrior diet

The Warrior Diet is a somewhat harsh form of intermittent fasting. It involves taking in tiny servings of fruit and vegetables during a 20-hour fasting window, after which one takes a large meal at night. This means that the eating period is only for about 4 hours. During the 4-hour eating period, we should ensure the consumption of vegetables, proteins, and healthful fats with little carbohydrates in large tons.

This form of fasting may be best for people who have tried other forms of intermittent fasting already with no visible results. There is also a belief that people on this diet will most likely not eat enough nutrients, which can increase the risk of cancer and have an adverse effect on digestive and immune health.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are several ways to do intermittent fasting, but bear it in mind that there is no single plan that will work for everyone. The human body varies, so is the metabolic process. It is why individuals are strongly advised to experience the best results if they try out the various styles to see what suits their lifestyle and preferences.

For the best results, it is essential to eat a healthy and balanced diet on non-fasting days. If mandatory, a person can pursue skilled personnel assistance in personalizing an intermittent fasting plan and avoid pitfalls.

Should you choose to try intermittent fasting, remember that diet quality is an important factor to note. It is not possible to romp on junk foods during the eating periods while hoping to lose weight and boost your health. Discipline comes into play as it serves as it should serve as the watchword.