Guide to Intermittent Fasting for Beginners

So with the days getting shorter, and the temps dropping outside, I am constantly looking for that next fix. The sugar fix that is. Yikes, right?!

And then the dreaded holiday season is right around the corner. I love the holidays! But for me or anyone watchful of their diets, this beautiful season is bound to add to the already high level of stress. And we all know that stress is literally a silent killer.

Last year, I decided to do something different. Instead of constantly losing weight for the summer only to gain the pounds back in the winter, I committed myself to get off the proverbial bandwagon.

There were a few changes that I had made. But one of the biggest changes I implemented was adding Intermittent Fasting into my daily routine. You may or may not have heard of Intermittent Fasting (aka IF) in the past.  So let’s start with the basics.

What’s Intermittent Fasting or IF?

Intermittent Fasting is really a lifestyle choice where you eat during specific periods of time and fast for the rest of the time. There are many variations of IF and different people tend to choose what works best for their lifestyle.

One of the goals of Intermittent Fasting is to limit your calorie intake by temporarily putting your body into a fasted state. This in turns invokes various healing and regenerating processes in the body {*}.

16 Hour Intermittent Fasting Method

The most standard approach is called the 16/8 method. Under this system, you choose a 16-hour fast window during which time you do not consume anything other than water, tea, or black coffee. The other 8 hours are for consuming food.

What Are Some Other Types of Intermittent Fasting?

5:2 Intermittent Fasting – The 5:2 diet basically calls for only eating 500 calories or less on your fasting days for 2 days out of the week and eating normally the other 5.

24 Hour Fast – Some people practice fasting for a full 24 hours once or twice a week. This is also called the “Eat-Stop-Eat” method.

Alternate Day Fasting is another method that is on the rise and is considered a bit more extreme. Following this protocol, you would alternate not eating for 36 hours with 12 hours of eating normally.

What IF Method Worked for Me?

While I might do an occasional 24 hour fast once or twice a year, I have a preference for the 16/8 method in which you fast for 16 hours. I include a slight change into my own routine (coffee!) I expand on that and coffee, in general, more at the bottom of the post.

My reasons for choosing this way are pretty simple really. It works out to be the best option for my schedule. I typically either don’t eat breakfast or eat breakfast late in the day. I am an early riser and love my morning workouts.

Since I generally can’t eat before a workout, I tend to complete my runs and strength training on an empty stomach. Looking at my schedule, it made the most sense to start my fast around 8 pm or slightly earlier and end it by lunchtime or slightly after the next day.

How I like to practice Intermittent Fasting

As I already mentioned, I like to start my fast overnight because that’s just the easiest way to get the first 8 hours out of 16.  So this is how my day typically plays out with some variations 🙂

When I get up in the morning, I typically have a cup of coffee before going to the gym or out on a run. When I come back, I feed my kids breakfast and pack lunches, while I have another cup of joe, and get ready for work.

Once I get to work, and by the time I am through checking emails and getting some quick tasks off my list, it’s easily lunchtime at which time I would break my fast with something fairly light.

I’m personally a fan of greek yogurt and a protein bar combo or protein smoothies loaded with all sorts of stuff if I’m at home.

Intermittent Fasting and Coffee

And while we are on the subject, many want to know… can you drink coffee while Intermittent Fasting? And the answer from the IF community is mixed.

On the one hand, having black coffee won’t mess with your insulin levels and won’t kick you out of ketosis (if you are also following a ketogenic diet). And coffee has actually been shown to stimulate your metabolism and improve athletic performance {*} which is great for those working out in the morning.

However, the purpose of a fast is to let all your systems rest. Drinking caffeine for the extra boost of energy will likely impact your adrenal system which is responsible for numerous hormonal functions in your body.

So in conclusion, if you want to do Intermittent Fasting for fat loss, then you are likely just fine having that cup of coffee during a fast. Just don’t make it a double mocha something with whipped cream, and sprinkles.

How to Start Intermittent Fasting (Intermittent Fasting for Beginners)

I don’t think there is a hard and fast rule here. Ultimately, you have to do what works for you. If you tend to be an all or nothing person, maybe just pick a method and bite the bullet.

If you decide to follow the 16/8 method, skipping breakfast for the first week might be tough, but you will adjust sooner than you think. It’s important to keep yourself busy and hydrated during this time.

If you don’t do well with big changes and feel you won’t be able to stick to less than 3 meals a day, then I would definitely suggest a phased and gradual approach to IF. Perhaps instead of doing a full 16 hour fast, you start out with 10 hours. You can then gradually increase it every few days until you get to that 16-hour window.

I basically started out with fasting until 10 am at first. Then I gradually kept pushing that window out until closer to 1-2 pm. Now, I’m not tracking my fasting hours every day at all. But I do try to keep away from food until after lunch. Do what works for you.

Is Intermittent Fasting Good for You?

Fasting, in general, is good for most healthy adults. There is lots of peer-reviewed research out there to suggest that improved overall health and even longevity are some of the health benefits of Intermittent Fasting {*}. As always, it’s important to discuss any major lifestyle changes with your doctor first.

Intermittent Fasting Pros and Cons:

Pros:

IF can boost weight loss if followed as prescribed. It is known to increase energy, boosts focus and brain function. As another benefit, it promotes cellular repair and other body cleaning processes. It can lower body-wide inflammation, reduce the risk of certain illnesses, and stabilize blood sugar levels. It may even improve sleep, your mood, and can promote longevity.

Cons:

While there are a ton of positive outcomes to Intermittent Fasting, there certainly can be some negatives as well. For instance, Intermittent Fasting can negatively impact your social life. It might even affect your family life if it puts a strain on family dinner time and schedules.

Intermittent Fasting may also lead to overeating during the non-fasting hours especially for those who are prone to binging. It does require a good deal of self-control and self-awareness.

This schedule might be very stressful and lead to increased cortisol levels. This might even cause your body to hold on to more body fat and lead to other unpleasant outcomes.

Finally, Intermittent Fasting may reduce focus when adjusting to fasting. This may interfere with your general productivity and even work. In retrospect, these are all fairly minor risks if you can be aware of them, but something to definitely keep in mind.

Intermittent Fasting Tips

Here are some tips that help me get the most Intermittent Fasting:

• Drink plenty of fluids, including water, lemon water, unsweetened teas, and black coffee
• Eat plenty of vegetables during eating hours
• Choose healthy and whole foods
• Avoid sugar and all processed foods
• Keep busy during fasts

I love IF as it has truly been one of the biggest game-changers for me personally in maintaining my weight during the holidays and minimizing the sugar intake (if not avoiding it altogether).

In the end, Intermittent Fasting works to reduce body fat through regimented calorie restriction. I particularly enjoy the simplicity of this method. It’s simple to implement and easy to follow and can fit a wide variety of day and night schedules.

If you are worried about working out while implementing IF, fear not. I have a whole other post dedicated to it.