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The Complete Guide to Intermittent Fasting for BeginnersTHE PAUSE THAT REFRESHESWHEN IT COMES to weight loss, the advice to not eat or to stop eating sooner is much more easily said than done for most people. The chips beckon, the chocolate lures, your emotions conspire to prompt you to pour a second glass of wine or dip into the ice cream stash. Notwithstanding such difficult advice, the hottest trend in diets—intermittent fasting—involves going hours, sometimes a day or more, at a time without eating. Fasting is common in various religions: Seventh Day Adventists do it on certain days throughout the year so they can focus on prayer. Jews fast for 24 hours to cleanse themselves on Yom Kippur. Muslims fast from sunrise to sundown for an entire month during Ramadan. Others like to fast to bring clarity to their thoughts…6 min.
The Complete Guide to Intermittent Fasting for Beginners7 MYTHS BUSTED!AMERICANS HAVE BEEN trying different ways to shed pounds for decades, but only in recent years have they latched onto intermittent fasting. In fact, in 2020, intermittent fasting overtook “clean eating” as the most popular diet in this country, according to the International Food Information Council’s 2020 Food and Health Survey. There are several types of intermittent fasting. There’s the 5:2 approach, where you fast for two nonconsecutive days a week, say Monday and Wednesday. Then there’s alternate-day fasting—not super beginner friendly—where you flip-flop between eating normally one day and skipping meals the next. Another approach, and arguably the most popular, is called time-restricted eating, where you eat only during a specified time period, say noon to 8 p.m., and then fast the rest of the time. You might do…8 min.
The Complete Guide to Intermittent Fasting for BeginnersHOW TO DO ITTIME-RESTRICTED EATINGFASTING BRINGS UP images of starving yourself for days but in reality, it’s a well-researched approach to eating that has significant physiological benefits. The easiest type of fasting is known as time restricted eating (TRE). In this approach, you simply narrow the time you eat during the day from 16 or 18 hours or more to something more like eight to 12. “My preference for IF is the timed IF where you have a certain time period in the day, every day, in which to eat,” says Stephanie Clarke, MS, RDN, a Washington, D.C.-area dietitian. “That way you don’t have days where you have severe restriction. With most people’s lifestyles, that’s harder to do. A lot of people can go until noon and cut their eating off at 8 p.m.…6 min.
The Complete Guide to Intermittent Fasting for BeginnersREADY, SET, DON’T EAT!IT’S NORMAL TO feel a little daunted at the idea of purposely going without food. After all, it flies in the face of all typical recommendations about eating in a healthy way: Don’t skip meals! Turns out, it can be good to skip some meals here and there. Still, you don’t have to commit to a two-day fast first thing (or ever, for that matter). “One thing I tell people is you don’t have to be so religious about it,” says Kien Vuu, MD, an assistant professor of Health Sciences at UCLA in Los Angeles and author of Thrive State: Your Blueprint for Optimal Health, Longevity and Peak Performance. “That’s not how our Paleolithic ancestors used to do it. Most people now are eating throughout the day, like for 16…5 min.
The Complete Guide to Intermittent Fasting for BeginnersPUMP UP THE PROsONETHING YOU don’t want to do when you’re reducing calories—even if you’re not trying to eat less, it’s probable you will with intermittent fasting—is skimp on protein. It helps preserve muscle, keeping your metabolism humming along instead of plummeting as the number on the scale drops. But that’s not all. Protein also keeps you fuller longer, says Dana White, MS, RD, ATC, a sports dietitian and associate clinical faculty at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. “If you’re modifying your eating window with intermittent fasting, you have to eat meals that are satisfying so you’re not starving,” she explains. “The other piece is about sparing lean body mass. A lot of people opt for IF for weight loss, but you don’t want to lose muscle.” White is author of several cookbooks,…7 min.
The Complete Guide to Intermittent Fasting for Beginners5 TRICKS TO FEEL FULLER LONGERHUNGRY LIKE THEwolf during your fasting windows? That’s totally normal when you’re first diving into intermittent fasting. But after two to four weeks your body should ease into your new routine, according to research by Mark Mattson, PhD, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who has studied intermittent fasting for more than 25 years. To make it easier to get over that first-month hump—or even if it’s been longer and you still find yourself bingeing at your last meal of the day in anticipation of the foodless slog ahead—there are several science-backed ways to trick your body into feeling fuller longer. The tips below can help you stay on track. Pump Up the Volume Volumetrics is the concept of consuming food that contains a lot of water, like…5 min.
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The Complete Guide to Intermittent Fasting for BeginnersHEALTH BENEFITS OF FASTINGWHETHER YOU CALL it time-restricted eating or intermittent fasting, the practice of going for a block of time without food, and doing that on a consistent basis for at least a few weeks, has inspired numerous researchers to investigate one big question: Does it really improve your health? According to a number of studies, the answer seems to be yes. Although more research is needed to pin down all the physiological mechanisms that make this strategy beneficial—and especially whether it works long-term, and if people can manage to maintain it long-term—here’s a sampling of what researchers have discovered so far. 1It May Help You Live Longer Restrict your eating, lengthen your life? The evidence for the fountain-of-youth effect is promising, according to researcher Mark Mattson, PhD, an adjunct professor of…8 min.
The Complete Guide to Intermittent Fasting for BeginnersWHEN TO OPT OUTALTHOUGH THE METABOLICchanges that intermittent fasting can spur are all healthy, going long periods without eating or strictly controlling your intake can be bad for some people. “There is no one-size-fits-all or blanket dietary recommendations that can be made for all people, and that includes intermittent fasting,” says Dana Ellis Hunnes, PhD, RD, senior dietitian at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles and author of Recipe for Survival. “What may be very helpful to one person may not work for another.” Although determining if fasting is a good fit often comes down to how it affects you on an individual level—through trial and error—there are some general categories of people who may want to think twice before jumping on the bandwagon. SKIP IT WHEN You Have a History of Eating…6 min.
The Complete Guide to Intermittent Fasting for BeginnersHOW TO DO IT THE 5:2 PLANOK, SO YOU’VE got your 16:8 format nailed down and you’re wondering, could I go longer? You might be ready for the 5:2 approach: Two days of fasting each week (not consecutive) and five days of eating normally. “The benefits of fasting change the longer you extend the fast,” says Kien Vuu, MD, an assistant professor of health sciences at UCLA in Los Angeles and author of Thrive State: Your Blueprint for Optimal Health, Longevity and Peak Performance. Your body releases more growth hormone and more of a compound called BDNF, or brain-derived neurotrophic factor, he says. “That’s one reason you may feel like you have all this clarity versus the standard post-carb coma,” says Dr. Vuu. “Autophagy, where the cells start cleaning out debris, really kicks in at 20…6 min.
The Complete Guide to Intermittent Fasting for BeginnersSTOCK YOURPANTRYYOU’RE WATCHING THEclock: Just an hour to go… 20 minutes to go…five minutes to go. Finally, you fling open the fridge or cabinet and start hungrily surveying your options, tempted to shove everything you can find in your mouth. “The last thing you want to do when breaking a fast is reach for junk,” says Dana White, MS, RD, ATC, a sports dietitian and associate clinical faculty at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. “You want to make those meals and snacks as nutrient dense as possible. If you break your fast with a pastry, you’re getting a bunch of sugar but no fiber or protein. Instead, aim for a balance of healthy carbs, protein, healthy fat and fiber.” Having balanced snacks and meals will help control blood sugar fluctuations and…8 min.
The Complete Guide to Intermittent Fasting for BeginnersMEALPREPFORTHEWINNO MATTER WHATversion of intermittent fasting you’re following, the time restrictions can make the plan challenging, especially if you’re used to eating whenever a craving hits. According to an October 2019 review in the journal Nutrients, which crunched the numbers from 11 studies lasting more than eight weeks, between 20% and 43% of participants dropped out before the study wrapped up. Just like your vacation would be impossible if you didn’t book your flights ahead of time, confirm a hotel and organize on-site transportation, sticking to a specific diet is impossible (or at least very tough) if you don’t take the time to plan ahead. Whether you’re following IF or any other diet, one major way to make it easier and boost adherence is meal prep, confirms Cynthia Thurlow, NP,…8 min.
The Complete Guide to Intermittent Fasting for BeginnersI TRIED IF FOR 30 DAYSLIKE MANY PEOPLE, I’m not very good at dieting. My fridge is always stocked with plenty of fruit, veggies and lean protein but I also enjoy a carb. Chips, crackers and sweets are my kryptonite, and willpower is not my strong suit. As a health journalist, I’m not a fan of restrictive diets in general (think: keto, Paleo or Whole 30) because I don’t think they’re sustainable in the long-term. I tried Atkins once for a week and had horrible brain fog. Keto? Never gonna do it. I’ll take the carbs and the belly fat, thank you. The lack of fiber would make me miserable. But intermittent fasting, and especially time-restricted eating, intrigued me. The idea of simply not eating during certain hours—the bulk of that time being overnight—seemed much…6 min.
The Complete Guide to Intermittent Fasting for BeginnersTHE EASY WAY TO A HEALTHIER GUTMANY PEOPLE TURN to intermittent fasting to lose their “gut,” but here’s something you may not know: It’s also a major win for the inner workings of your actual gut. Its population of good bacteria thrives during those breaks from digesting, enhancing your ability to process food. What’s even more surprising is that a happier gastrointestinal system triggers other positive changes throughout your body, including reduced inflammation, a balanced immune system and even an elevated mood. Scientists are still studying the hows and whys behind these substantial benefits, but what they know so far makes intermittent fasting seem like a smarter idea than ever. Constant Eating Causes Chaos in Your Body When you hear the term “circadian rhythm,” you probably think of the internal clock that controls when you feel…7 min.
The Complete Guide to Intermittent Fasting for BeginnersEXERCISING ON EMPTYWORKING OUT IN the morning has its advantages. For one thing, you’re more likely to log a sweat if you schedule it in the morning versus after work. Another advantage: It may help you become more consistent with your workouts. Trouble is, eating around morning workouts can be tricky, and because of that, you might be tempted to exercise on an empty stomach. Maybe you’re even intentionally exercising in a fasted state because you’ve heard it can burn more fat. But don’t buy into that urban myth. There’s more to exercising in a fasted state than you think, and if fat burning and fitness matter to you, you might want to reconsider. Exercising on empty is no doubt trendy, with many people believing that it can help them burn more…7 min.
The Complete Guide to Intermittent Fasting for BeginnersTHE NEXT LEVELYOU’LL NEED TO PLAN CAREFULLY TO ENSURE YOU GET ALL THE NUTRITION YOU NEED DURING YOUR FEEDING WINDOW. ONE THING THAToften starts to happen once you get into your groove with fasting is you start to realize you feel good with a little less food and your body doesn’t need as much food as frequently as you thought it did. You become more aware of your body’s (and brain’s) actual needs in a more tempered, less frantic way. That’s when you might decide to experiment and see how you’d feel if you fasted more often. “When you go beyond 24 hours without food, that’s what I call an extended fast,” says Shana Hussin, RDN, author of Fast to Heal and a dietitian in private practice in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. “There are…9 min.
The Complete Guide to Intermittent Fasting for BeginnersNOW EAT THISTHE BEST PART about intermittent fasting—whether you’re going 16 hours, 20 hours or 24 hours without food—is that when you do eat, you can pretty much eat whatever you want. You’re not fasting then restricting calories. (Although you can certainly take that approach, you then start treading into serious deprivation territory, which will make this style of eating much harder to stick with.) What every expert will tell you, though, is instead of reaching for junk with empty calories, fill your plate with nutritious foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber, (such as veggies, fruit and whole grains), healthy fat and protein. Besides giving you the nutrients you need to perform your best and stay energized, this mix will help ensure that your gut is functioning the…10 min.
The Complete Guide to Intermittent Fasting for BeginnersPAIR UP WITH OTHER DIETSBECAUSE INTERMITTENT FASTINGis about when you eat rather than what you eat, it can fit into nearly any type of eating style, says Toronto-based Jason Fung, MD, author of The Complete Guide to Fasting. In fact, it can often make a good complement to another new style of eating—such as Paleo, the Mediterranean diet or DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)—since it helps to create more awareness about the foods you’re choosing, he suggests. “If you’re trying to eat healthier and you’re looking to follow a new plan for that, the first step is often to pay more attention to how much and what you’re eating,” he says. “Limiting your eating time frame can make this easier because it can lead to more meal planning and food tracking.” Also, because…6 min.
The Complete Guide to Intermittent Fasting for BeginnersRESOURCESIT CAN BE hard to find in-person support for fasting but there are a myriad of books, apps and podcasts out there, delivering the latest info on fasting research, how to do it right, mistakes to avoid and more. Books Intermittent Fasting for Beginnersby Amanda Swaine You’ll learn all about the different types of fasts and how to find the one that works best for you. Swaine also walks you through common pitfalls to avoid so you can feel your best while fasting. Fast. Feast. Repeat. by Gin Stephens She emphasizes eating a healthy diet during your feeding window, and how the metabolic benefits of fasting are much more important than simply dropping pounds. Intermittent Fasting Transformation: The 45−Day Program for Women to Lose Stubborn Weight, Improve Hormonal Health, and…2 min.
