Popular Ways to Do Intermittent Fasting

Health and wellness trends have recently embraced intermittent fasting. It is said to help manage weight, improve metabolic health, and potentially even prolong life. It is possible to approach this pattern of eating in a variety of ways.

It’s worth noting that intermittent fasting is not suitable for everyone, and consulting with a healthcare professional is recommended, especially if you have underlying health conditions or are on certain medications. It’s crucial to ensure that nutritional needs are met during eating periods, focusing on a balanced diet with nutrient-rich foods.

Here are 6 popular ways to do intermittent fasting.

1. The 16/8 method

The method involves daily fasting of 16 hours for men and 14–15 hours for women. Your daily eating window will be 8-10 hours, during which you can fit in 2, 3, or more meals. As an example, if you finish your last meal at 8 p.m. the previous night, you wouldn’t eat until noon the following day. When you are eating, you should focus primarily on eating healthy foods. If you eat a lot of junk food or excessive calories, this method won’t work.

During this method, men fast between 16 and 17 hours a day, and women fast between 14 and 15 hours a day. It is suggested that you limit your eating to eight to ten hours a day, during which you eat two, three, or more dishes. In other words, if you eat your last dish at 8 p.m. and don’t eat until midday the next day, you are virtually fasting for 16 hours. A healthy diet is very important during your entire eating period. If you consume a lot of junk food or calories from a variety of sources, this approach will not work.

2. The 5:2 diet, or the Fast Diet

The method involves eating 500 – 600 calories two days a week and also consuming normally the rest of the week. For instance, you might consume most days of the week except Mondays and Thursdays. You consume two small dishes with 250 calories each for men and 250 calories each for women on those two days.

3. Eat Stop Eat

There are a couple of 24-hour fasts each week in this intermittent fasting program. If you finish dinner at 7 p.m. Monday and do not consume until dinner at 7 p.m. Tuesday, you have completed a 24-hour fast. The outcome of fasting from breakfast to breakfast or lunch to lunch is the same. It may be difficult for many people to complete a full 24-hour fast using this technique. However, you don’t need to finish as soon as possible. You should start with 14 – 16 hours, then work your way up.

4. Alternate-day fasting

Using this method, you fast every other day, either by not eating anything or only eating a few hundred calories. For beginners, it is not recommended to do a complete fast every other day. It is not pleasant and also likely unsustainable long-term to go to sleep starving several times a week with this approach.

5. The Warrior Diet

One of the very first popular diet plans to include intermittent fasting was this one. A portion of vegetables, as well as fruits, are consumed throughout the day, then a large meal is consumed at night. Food options on this diet plan are similar to those on the paleo diet plan – primarily whole, unprocessed foods.

6. Spontaneous meal skipping

A few of the benefits of periodic fasting can be enjoyed without adhering to a structured program. You could also skip meals occasionally when you aren’t hungry or too busy to prepare and eat. You are well equipped to handle extended periods of famine, not to mention missing a few dishes here and there. Thus, skip the morning meal if you’re not hungry and just eat a healthy and balanced lunch and dinner. If you’re traveling and can’t find anything you want to eat, do a short fast. All the other meals should be balanced and healthy.

Final Thoughts

Fasting can be practiced in several ways, making it very easy to find one that suits your lifestyle. Discover what works best for you by trying out different kinds.

While intermittent fasting has gained popularity and shows promise in various health aspects, it’s important to approach it with caution, personalized consideration, and professional guidance to ensure it aligns with individual needs and goals.