Different Types Of Fasting
Most people are not accustomed to go without food for a period of 16hrs. Let’s not even talk about the more severe fasts that last from 24 to 48 hours.
To remedy this small obstacle, there are many different types of ‘simpler’ fasting protocols that they can adopt to see which suits them best.
As they develop the ‘fasting muscle’ they’ll be able to progress to the more advanced styles of fasting.
In this short report, we’ll look at six popular fasting methods that are effective for weight loss:
16/8 fast
This the most popular option for those who have never experienced fasting before and want to take it slowly.
You’ll be fasting for 16 hours, and then eat within your allocated 8 hours (eating window). All you’ll be doing here is skipping one meal.
Most people prefer to skip breakfast, but this rule is not set in stone. If you MUST have breakfast to start your day, you may eat it. Just know that if you have breakfast at 8 am, your last meal of the day will have to be consumed by 4pm.
This will ensure that you’re fasting for 16 hours (from 4pm till 8am the following day).
For a person who works a 9 to 5 job, he/she will usually skip breakfast, eat lunch at 12 noon and finish his/her last meal just before 8pm.
Fasting Within a Daily Window
There are many people who don’t work from 9 to 5, and the fixed 16/8 example above is not a good fit for their schedule. If you are one of them, don’t panic.
Intermittent fasting can be flexible.
The timings are NOT set in stone. As long as your fasting duration is maintained, the times can vary.
Let’s assume you have breakfast at 10am and your last meal is just before 7pm – that means if you have breakfast at 10 am the following day, you’d only have fasted for 15hrs.
But what you’re aiming for is a 16-hour fast, to comply with the 16/8 fast.
In this case, all you’ll need to do is extend the fast by another hour and just have your first meal at 11am. Now you’d have fasted for 16 hours. Your last meal can be at 7pm.
Keep doing this until you get to an 18-hour fasting window and this will give you the building blocks to try other fasting options.
Alternate Fasting
This is an extremely simple protocol, that’s not necessarily easy. All you’ll be doing is eating on one day and fasting the next day. It will look something like this: -
Monday: Eat
Tuesday: Fast
Wednesday: Eat
Thursday: Fast
Friday: Eat
Saturday: Fast
Sunday: Eat
Fasting for a full 24 hours can be a Herculean task for some people and is best approached gradually. Aim for a few 18-hour fasts. Work your way up to 20-hour fasts.
When you’re used to fasting, you may try to go a full 24 hours. With this protocol you have two options:
If this is your first time doing this a 24-hour fast, aim for just two days per week in the first month. As you get better at it, you can go for more days or longer stretches.
Fat Fasting
If you’re either looking to get started in the Keto diet or have fallen out of ketosis then this is the perfect option for you. Even if you haven’t seen any weight loss since you started your Keto diet, this method can certainly help to get you on track.
To get started, you’ll need to follow this protocol:
Consume only 1200 calories a day (for 3 days). Around 80-90% of calories in your diet should be comprised of fat. Split your meals up into smaller meals and eat them throughout the day (in your eating window).
Some people stick to bacon only for those three days whilst others eat avocado and other foods that have good fat. After these 3 days, you’ll need to follow the rest of the keto diet principles while maintaining the intermittent fasting regimen.
The Warrior Diet
This was created by an ex-military professional called Ori Hofmekler, who eats as if he’s an ancient warrior…surviving on one meal a day, which back then was the hunt of the day.
There is no set dieting process to follow here apart from just going with your gut instinct and staying away from processed foods.
Your fasting window is all day until evening time where you can eat one large meal. That basically means that you’ll be on an empty stomach the whole day (drinking water is allowed) and only have one meal a day.
24-Hour Fast
The name says it all. You fast for 24 hours and all you’re allowed to consume is plain water. That’s it.
The time frame at which you start is completely up to you. You can eat lunch on Wednesday and then not anything until lunch on Thursday.
Always remember: zero calories consumed during fasting. No coffee. No sugarfree drinks. No energy drinks. ONLY WATER is allowed.
This type of fast will get you into ketosis quickly and is highly effective for weight loss. It does require discipline and battling the hunger pangs which come and go. However, if you can do it, you’ll be amazed at how much weight you can lose quickly.
Start off with the easier fasting protocols and work your way up to the 24-hour fasts.
