What is Intermittent Fasting?

Now that we have taken some time to look at how the American diet is making us unhealthy, let’s look an eating style that will make it easier to lose weight and become healthier. This chapter will discuss what intermittent fasting is all about so you can understand how it may work for you. Intermittent fasting consists of a dieter cycling between periods when they are allowed to eat and periods where they are supposed to fast.

This type of diet doesn’t necessarily say which foods you can eat but specifies when you should eat. Of course, if you want to lose weight or get a better health, it is better to eat foods that are good for you and nutritious. However, with intermittent fasting, it’s not going to specifically list out which foods you can and cannot have.

There are different types of intermittent fasting methods, but all of them split up your day or week into eating periods and fasting periods. What you may be surprised to know is that most of us already fast each day when we are sleeping. You could extend the natural fast time for a little bit longer. For example, you may decide to skip breakfast and have your first meal at noon and your last meal at 8 pm. This would be considered a form of intermittent fasting.

With this method, you technically fast for sixteen hours each day and then only eat during an eight-hour period of the day. This form of fasting, also known as the 16/8 method, is one of the popular options when it comes to intermittent fasting. Despite what you may be thinking right now, intermittent fasting is actually easier than you think. It doesn’t take much planning and countless people who have gone on this diet report that they feel better and have more energy when they are on a fast.

In the beginning, you may struggle a bit with hunger, but it won’t take long before your body adapts and gets used to it. The main thing to remember is that when you are in the fasting period, you are not allowed to eat. You can still drink beverages to keep you hydrated. Some of the options include tea, coffee, water, and other non-caloric beverages.

Some forms of this fast will allow for a bit of food during the fasting periods, but most don’t. And if you like, it is usually fine to take a supplement while you are on this fast, as long as it doesn’t contain calories.