Intermittent fasting schedules are a common way to lose weight and stay healthy. Lots of people have questions about when to start, how to do it, and how to be successful. We have broken down the basics of intermittent fasting so you can learn more.
Intermittent fasting is not a diet, but rather a lifestyle (and a great one at that!) that I’ve found to be incredibly effective in terms of weight loss, boosting my energy, and improving my overall health. It is a simple to follow dietary pattern that involves skipping breakfast, then eating within a window of time that is prescribed (usually 18-20 hours), then eating whatever you want until the next “meal” time.
Intermittent fasting (IF) is a diet strategy that involves restricting or limiting calorie intake during a specific time period, and then fasting for a period of time. This strategy has shown improvements in health and has also been proven to help people lose weight. Another advantage of IF is that you can eat normally during the time that you fast, because it is not necessary to go without food.. Read more about best intermittent fasting for weight loss and let us know what you think.
Chapter 6
Which is the best intermittent fasting schedule?
Determine the appropriate intermittent fasting plan for you (or a client) based on a number of variables, whether it’s 16:8, 20:4, 5:2, alternate day fasting, or something different. We’ll go through all of your scheduling choices and give you precise recommendations for each one.
Important ideas
- Is there a one “optimal” method to fast that works for everyone? Most likely not. (However, that’s OK.)
- Match the strategy to the individual. People vary from one another. So it’s all about figuring out which route is best for you.
- There are many IF schedules available. Feel free to try them all out or choose one that seems to be a good match for your physique, objectives, and way of life.
- Take a step back and look at the broader picture. It’s easy to get caught up in the minutiae of individual schedules. Instead, concentrate on the underlying concepts and behaviors that enable a fasting schedule to function.
Intermittent fasting seems to be effective for some individuals. But which fasting plan is the most effective?
We’ll look at that question in detail in this chapter. But first, we must make a cautionary statement.
There is no one-size-fits-all intermittent fasting (IF) plan that will work for everyone in every circumstance.
Sorry. We wish it were otherwise.
Everything would be so much simpler.
In fact, the success of any IF regimen is determined by the individual who adheres to it. Throughout this chapter, we’ll look at the ultimate IF fact.
We’ll not only go through the finest IF schedules, but we’ll also help you figure out which one would work best for you or a customer. We’ve provided specific recommendations for:
Intermittent fasting regimens that work best
You must first understand your choices before deciding on the ideal fasting plan for you. We’ve listed the most important ones below, beginning with the simplest and working our way up to the most complex.
Schedule #1: Occasionally skipping a meal
Meal-skipping is a simple method to ease into IF, but it may not provide all of the physiological advantages of genuine IF.
What it entails
This timetable may be tried in a few different ways.
Level 1: Eat just when you’re hungry. You may recall this as “IF Lite” from Chapter 4. If you’re not hungry for breakfast when you get up, for example, you might wait until 11 a.m. to have your first meal.
What’s the second level? Don’t eat a dinner that you usually would.
For example, if you’d usually eat supper but aren’t really hungry, don’t. Alternatively, you may skip lunch. Alternatively, breakfast. See how you feel if you miss a meal once or twice a week on purpose.
Those who gain from it
This is a simple method for newcomers to learn about how their bodies and brains react to hunger.
You’ll find out whether you’re the kind of person who can deal with hunger, ride it out, and then apply what you’ve learned to more rigorous fasting regimens. Or are regular meals and snacks more your style?
If you give it a go,
-
- Take into account the order in which you eat your meals. Consider if you want to eat lunch at your regular time or whether you would benefit from eating it an hour sooner if you miss breakfast.
- Make a plan for how you’ll end your fast. You’ll be less inclined to eat a whole pizza if you have meals prepared ahead of time.
- Pay close attention to your hunger pangs. Do they appear and disappear? Is it possible for you to just ignore them? Or are they a constant source of distraction for you?
- Keep an eye on how you consume your first meal following the fast. Do you eat the same quantity of food at the same time every day? Or do you consume twice as much food in the same amount of time and yet feel unsatisfied?
Schedule #2: As an experiment, fast for 12-24 hours.
We give customers a fasting experiment towards the conclusion of our year-long coaching program:
Allow yourself to go for a full 24 hours without eating.
(Or as long as feasible within the framework of an ordinary day, up to 24 hours.)
It’s frightening, and it makes people feel uneasy. That is precisely why we do it.
What it entails
There are no “rules” or “protocols” to follow. People may, for example, get up, have breakfast, and then not eat again until the following day’s breakfast. Alternatively, they may have dinner on Monday and then skip supper till Tuesday. Or anything they want.
The idea is to just try not eating for a period of time and see what occurs.
After that, eat as usual.
Those who gain from it
For anybody who connects hunger with the word “emergency,” a one-day fast may be life-changing. People who learnt from their parents to eat three square meals a day and complete everything on their plate fall into this category.
It’s also excellent for individuals who are afraid of being denied or limited because they believe that once they start feeling hungry, things will become worse (which, by the way, isn’t true).
Finally, it’s a wonderful initial step that enables you to evaluate whether a more severe fasting schedule—such as once- or twice-weekly fasting—would be beneficial to them.
If you give it a go,
- Take note of how your bodily sensations alter. Pay attention to the difference between the bodily sensations of “empty” and “filled.” Or the ebb and flow of hunger. Or the way your energy levels fluctuate. Alternatively, you may experience shifts in your ability to focus. Or anything else your body is trying to tell you. Try to approach these emotions with a sense of wonder.
- Observe how your hunger changes thereafter. You may find that you’re hungrier than normal right after a fasting day or over the following several days. This may easily lead to overeating, so keep that in mind if you’re thinking of fasting on a regular basis.
- Take note of the negotiating and narrative techniques. It’s simple to play silly games like “rewarding” oneself for fasting. This, too, may lead to binge eating.
- Consider whether or not this experiment encourages you to push yourself farther, and whether or not it is healthy and acceptable for you. Fasting one or two days a week (see schedule #5) may be for you if you learnt a lot about hunger, didn’t dislike the experience, and ate regularly the next day. Full-day fasting, on the other hand, may not be for you if you spend the day gazing at the clock and the next day with your face buried in an apple pie.
#3: 16:8, 20:4, OMAD, and other time-restricted eating schedules
Time-restricted feeding (TRF), popularized and studied by Satchidananda Panda, PhD, combines a fasting window with an eating window. People either don’t eat at all or eat considerably less than normal during the fasting time. People may eat regularly or more than usual during the eating window.
This regimen, in principle, uses our natural circadian cycle to improve metabolic health.
What it entails
The following are three of the most common kinds of time-restricted eating:
- A 16-hour fast is followed by an 8-hour eating window in the 16:8 diet.
- Fasting during the first 20 hours of each day and then eating solely during a 4-hour “overfeeding” window is known as the 20:4 diet. Most individuals schedule their 4-hour overfeeding window towards the end of the day since it is more convenient for family meals and after-work workouts.
- OMAD stands for one meal a day, and it entails eating all of your calories in one hour and then doing nothing for the next 23 hours.
Some individuals emphasize highly satiating meals like colorful vegetables and lean protein in each method. These meals may help keep hunger at bay throughout the fasting period.
It could look like this for someone who follows 16:8:
Monday, 8 p.m.: Finish your day’s final supper.
Tuesday, 11 a.m.: Exercise.
Tuesday, 12 p.m.: Eat your first meal of the day, preferably the largest.
Tuesday, 12-8pm: “Feeding window,” when you consume your daily energy intake.
Tuesday, 8 p.m.: The day’s last meal is consumed, and the fasting period begins.
Those who gain from it
For anybody who misses a meal (see schedule #1) and thinks, “I could eat like that every day,” time-restricted eating is a wonderful next step.
It may also be useful when your lifestyle or personal preferences make things difficult, such as having breakfast every day. Waiting until 11 a.m. or later to eat may be a comfort for someone who has never liked breakfast. People who work at night may find that eating a large lunch around 3 or 4 p.m. and then doing nothing for the rest of the day helps them remain focused at work.
If you give it a go,
- Begin with a free trial period. Choose an eating window that you know you’ll be able to manage, such as 12 hours. If everything works well, you may continue to reduce the eating window. If you usually eat supper around 7 p.m., consider switching to a 6 p.m. meal. Try 5 p.m. the following day. And so on.
- Be adaptable when it comes to the time you eat. Many individuals discover that after some trial and error, they have arrived at a fasting/feeding schedule that differs from the 16:8 and 20:4 approaches. For example, they may follow the 16:8 diet throughout the week yet snack all weekend. Alternatively, depending on their circumstances, they may rotate between 16:8 and 20:4.
- There’s more to this than simply time. No amount of fasting will compensate for a bad diet. The basics of nutrition are still important. Consume genuine food and do so gently. (See “The 5 Universal Principles of Good Nutrition” for additional information on the basics.)
- Experiment with doing your workouts on an empty stomach. Check out what happens if you work out before eating your first meal. (It’s worth noting that caffeine aids many people’s fasting workouts.) Then, immediately after your exercise, eat your largest meal.
When I attempted time-restricted feeding, this is what occurred.
The director of curriculum, Krista Scott-Dixon, PhD, is a morning person.
She explains, “I didn’t want to give up my large breakfasts, so I started with evening fasting.” “This worked for me since I usually exercise in the mornings.”
When she fasted in the afternoons and nights, she observed three things about her sleep.
She was considerably more fatigued at first. “I was done as soon as my battery died. “It was a fantastic experience getting up the stairs to bed,” she recalls.
Second, she didn’t sleep well, despite the fact that she fell asleep fast.
Third, she awoke at the same time every day, around 4 a.m.
She then tried missing breakfast and lunch for a while.
“At first, it seemed like a lot bigger sacrifice,” she admits.
She eventually grew to appreciate the convenience of waking up, having a cup of tea, and immediately going to work. She also slept better in the evenings after a big dinner.
Bottom line: When it comes to fasting, you should experiment, modify the strategy, and do what works best for you.
The 5:2 diet is the fourth schedule.
This method, popularized by Dr. Michael Mosley’s The Fast Diet, includes eating much less food two days a week and eating regularly the other five.
Perhaps you’re thinking to yourself, “That’s not fasting!” That’s what I call part-time dieting!” And you’re absolutely correct.
Intermittent energy restriction is the technical name for this kind of eating (or IER).
What it entails
On the two “fasting” days, what and how much a person consumes may range from approximately 20% to 70% of usual consumption. A fasting day for someone who consumes 2800 calories per day may vary from 560 to 1900 calories.
As you would expect, the lower end of that spectrum is much more difficult than the higher end.
Those who gain from it
5:2 fasting works best for those who have a lifestyle and/or exercise routine that coincides with it.
Consider the following scenario: Robin Beier, PN2, is a German nutritionist who follows the IF diet and teaches a number of clients who do as well. In Germany, most businesses, including food stores, are closed on Sundays. As a result, a 5:2 diet was born for one of his customers.
This customer would wake up on Sunday with almost no food in the house and no desire to dine out. As a result, he would have breakfast and then eat very little or nothing for the rest of the day. After going to the grocery store for dinner items, he broke the fast Monday evening.
If you give it a go, you may find that:
- Experiment with meals on fasting days. Many individuals find that modest meals consisting mostly of protein and colored vegetables are the most effective at staving off hunger.
- Don’t forget the dietary basics on non-fasting days. Slowly and deliberately consume your food. Most of the time, choose minimally processed, unprocessed foods. Also, eat a wide range of colorful fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and healthy fats.
- Experiment with increasing or decreasing the number of fasting days. A 6:1 diet, for example, involves drastically lowering one’s consumption one day a week while eating regularly the other six. Another individual may follow the 4:3 diet, which involves fasting three days out of every four.
Fasting 1-2 days per week (Schedule #5)
On this diet, you fast for a full 24 hours once or twice a week while eating wisely the rest of the week (more protein, less processed foods).
What it entails
It’s adaptable: you can choose any 24 hours you like.
Those who gain from it
This is a more advanced fasting plan.
It’s ideal for individuals who’ve attempted meal skipping (schedule #1) or a one-day fasting trial (schedule #3) and thought to themselves, “Wow, that was fascinating.” Let’s see what happens if I push this just a little bit harder.”
There’s a great half-step if you’re not ready to fast one or two days a week. You may just fast for 24 hours once a month as a refresher to remind yourself that hunger isn’t such a bad thing.
If you give it a go,
- Begin by fasting for one day. Fasting for two days may be exhausting (see the box below for more info).
- Examine the remainder of your life with a critical eye. Fasting doesn’t mix well with the sleep deprivation that comes with being a new mom or the fatigue that comes with marathon training.
- On days when you aren’t fasting, you should exercise. This is particularly essential if you’re doing a lot of exercise.
- Eat actual meals on your non-fasting days. Plenty of lean protein, colorful vegetables, healthy fats, and minimally processed carbohydrates are all on the menu.
- Practice extreme self-care on your fasting days. Relax. Water or tea should be consumed in large quantities. Wrap yourself in a warm blanket and relax. Take a deep breath and find comfort in ways that suit you.
- Make a plan for how you’ll end your fast. Prepare meals that you feel comfortable about eating ahead of time. Before you take your first bite, take a few deep breathes. Slow down and take everything in.
Every week, we fasted for two days. Here’s how it went down.
Fasting only one day a week worked well for John Berardi, PhD, one of the company’s co-founders. Sure, on that first day when you didn’t have any food? He couldn’t stop thinking about food. He was also said to be grumpy by his relatives.
He did, however, adapt. Everything seemed manageable, especially since he had a “eat anything” day once a week to balance off his “eat nothing” day. “I was hardly uncomfortable at all” after five weeks of fasting, adds Dr. Berardi. “By the seventh or eighth day of my fast, I was enjoying fantastic days.”
During the first eight weeks on this diet, Dr. Berardi dropped 12 pounds of body weight.
Dr. Scott-Dixon, what’s up? Her experiences were identical to mine.
But what happened when they both attempted to add a second day of fasting? Everything went in the wrong direction.
Dr. Berardi’s morning weight dropped from 178 pounds to 171 pounds in only two weeks, with an estimated 4 pounds of fat loss… He did, however, lose 3 pounds of lean mass.
He felt tiny and feeble, and he was losing weight much too quickly.
People remarked on Dr. Berardi’s appearance, which they described as “drawn and exhausted.” He was also tired. Training had turned into a battle. It was a challenge just to get off the sofa.
A similar thing happened to Dr. Scott-Dixon.
“People really remarked on how bad my face looked,” she adds. “My family was concerned that I had a fatal illness.”
To attempt to turn things around, Dr. Berardi added a second “eat anything” day, which allowed him to consume up to 5000 calories of anything he chose. It helped a little, but he was still obsessed with food, and he eventually concluded that fasting twice a week wasn’t worth it.
The takeaway: When it comes to fasting, do just enough to achieve your objectives.
Perhaps even a little less than you believe you “need.”
Diets that imitate fasting (Schedule #6)
Fasting-mimicking diets (FMD) are comparable to the 5:2 diet, but with a longer time scale:
- The phase of low energy typically lasts 3-7 days.
- It’s done less often, once every 3-6 weeks on average.
What it entails
In reality, an FMD could consist of one week of reduced energy consumption (about 50% of typical requirements), followed by three to four weeks of regular calorie intake. Repeat.
Those who gain from it
This is a more advanced fasting schedule that is best suited for those who have mastered the 5:2 eating ratio or another less demanding regimen.
It’s excellent for individuals whose lives encourage them to fast. Consider the life of a long-distance trucker who works for a week and then returns home for a couple of weeks. While driving, such a person may opt to eat very little.
Why? For one thing, they’re sedentary, so their bodies don’t need as much energy. Two, they may be motivated to drive for as long as possible and avoid taking frequent rests.
They may eat more regularly when that trucker returns home.
If you give it a go,
- During your fasting week, take special care of yourself. Many individuals can survive a day or two without food. However, a week? That takes a lot of practice. Also, dedication. Pair activities that fill your cup with your low energy time as much as possible.
- Reduce the amount of food you consume. Experiment with gentler fasting regimens before attempting an FMD. For a day, try eating less. Then give it two days. Then three, then four, and so on.
- Be adaptable. Make a plan for what you’ll do if you make a mistake. Because you’re going to make a mistake. It’s OK if you only get through four days of your seven-day low-energy phase. It is, in fact. Instead of berating yourself, think on what you can gain from the experience.
- Don’t forget to stay hydrated. This is particularly essential if you just drink water with your meals.
- Enlist some assistance. You’ll need to carefully manage your food consumption to ensure that you’re getting enough micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, and so on), so working with a nutrition coach or other trained practitioner may assist.
Fasting on alternate days (Schedule #7)
You eat every other day with alternate day fasting (ADF).
What it entails
One day, you eat regularly. You don’t eat the following day. Repeat.
Those who gain from it
This is a more advanced fasting plan for individuals who have mastered fasting one or two days each week.
It’s excellent for individuals whose lives support the fasting schedule, much like schedule #6. Consider hospital medical staff who perform 12- to 24-hour shifts. It may be simpler and even desirable for them to skip meals throughout their shift.
If you give it a go, you may find that:
- Begin with fasting for shorter lengths of time. This is, once again, a sophisticated technique. Try fasting once or twice a week before attempting alternate day fasting.
- Make a schedule for when you’ll break your fast. Make certain you have food on hand.
- Be adaptable. You did not make a mistake by breaking the fast early. Make an effort to learn from your mistakes and move on. Also, avoid making up for errors by fasting even more. If you have supper on a fasting day, for example, don’t miss a meal on your eating day to compensate.
- When life becomes hectic, take a break from fasting. Hard exercise, severe life stress, or even a woman’s monthly menstrual cycle don’t mix well with ADF.
Keep an eye out for the negative consequences of intermittent fasting.
Side effects from IF, including as sleeplessness, tiredness, and slow recovery, may be exacerbated by your gender, stress level, and age. This is particularly true for fasting regimens that are more severe, such as alternate day fasting.
Side effect #1: Excessive fasting may cause sex hormone disruption.
If estrogen is your dominant sex hormone (for example, those born female), you may be more sensitive to energy consumption than someone whose dominant sex hormone is testosterone (for instance, those assigned male at birth). Excessive stress—for example, excessive exercise combined with extreme dieting—can result in a slew of issues, including:
- Mental health issues and mood disorders
- difficulties with memory and thinking
- bone density is poor
- Inflammation and joint injuries
- digestive issues
- a lackluster rehabilitation and repair
- issues with sleep
- disorders of the cardiovascular and metabolic systems
(Learn more about women’s intermittent fasting.)
Dr. Scott-estrogen, Dixon’s progesterone, DHEA, LH, FSH, and cortisol levels were essentially zero as a consequence of too-frequent fasting coupled with too-heavy exercise, as well as overall life stress and an anxious disposition. She claims she was in her mid-30s and menopausal at the time. “I’ve seen this in several of my female clients, some as young as their mid-twenties,” says the therapist.
As a consequence, most women will choose milder types of IF and be cautious about how they combine those choices with a fitness regimen.
Second, IF is a stressor, which may make you feel exhausted.
A milder type of fasting is generally preferable if someone is under a lot of stress. If you try an advanced fasting regimen like ADF, be sure to pamper your body on fasting days and workout on eating days.
Side effect #3: As you become older, your body will become less tolerant to fasting.
Your “reserve tank” of hormone production is already depleted as you become older. So, if you add fasting to the mix, particularly if you’re already thin, you’ll empty that tank even more quickly. Take it slow and steady.
Coaches should know: Determine which intermittent fasting regimen is ideal for your customers.
For nutritionists, the concept of intermittent fasting (IF) presents a number of difficulties. To begin with, some customers should not be fasting at all. (See Chapter 4 for a refresher.) Others may perform well with certain fasting methods but fail horribly with others.
Others, even though they’ve never fasted before, may come to you certain that the most severe fasting technique is appropriate for them.
How can you stay afloat in these choppy waters? You’ll discover recommendations from Robin Beier, PN2, a German nutrition coach who was discussed previously in this chapter in this section.
Consider the following questions when matching customers to an intermittent fasting regimen.
First and foremost, have they mastered the fundamentals?
All effective IF regimens are built on a foundation of basic dietary principles. Before attempting any fasting method, your client will want to master them. Is your typical customer…
- Do you just eat when you’re physically hungry?
- eating slowly till you’re full?
- eat whole, minimally processed foods?
- consuming lean protein, healthy fats, smart carbohydrates, and colorful vegetables in a well-balanced diet?
If at all feasible, devote some time to these activities before beginning any of the fasting regimens described in this chapter.
Factor #2: Have they ever fasted? If that’s the case, how did it go?
“What experiences have you had with fasting regimens or meal skipping?” is a good question to ask.
“Yes, I occasionally skip breakfast, particularly when I run out of morning cereal,” your customer may admit. That’s an excellent chance to ask another question: “How did supper go?”
If your client shrugs and replies, “Like usual,” they may be able to tolerate more sophisticated fasting, but you should ease them into it. If your customer, on the other hand, replies, “Oh, supper was terrible.” You should start with the gentlest methods. I filled my face!”
Factor #3: What kind of workout do they perform? And how often do they do it?
Milder fasting regimens, such as missing a meal, 16:8 time limited eating, or fasting once (but not twice) a week, are recommended for clients who exercise hard.
Factor #4: What is their way of life?
You want a timetable that enhances rather than complicates someone’s life.
For example, busy medical professionals working long hours may find that 20:4 or ADF helps them remain productive at work, while someone working at a desk may find that the same schedules obstruct their ability to get things done.
You may ask questions like these to obtain a feel of how a timetable could fit into someone’s life and personal preferences.
- “Would it be simpler for you to eat a little less in the morning or to eat a little more in the evening? Or do you want to eat a little less in the evening?”
- “Would it be simpler for you to eat much less than normal on one or two days each week? Or to go a whole day without eating?”
- “Is it simpler for you to eat at certain times of the day? Is it okay to skip meals? Or to go a whole day without eating?
Factor #5: What are their feelings regarding different fasting schedules?
“How confident do you feel about your ability to follow this strategy on a scale of one to ten?” ask your customer. You’re in good shape if your customer gives you a 9 or above. However, if their response is 8 or less, you should take measures to reduce the change. For different fasting regimens, here’s how it could look:
- Instead of skipping meals, eat light (two apples or a small salad) or postpone your supper by an hour.
- Rather than 16:8, start with a 12:12 schedule and work your way up.
- Rather than a full-day fast, try fasting for breakfast, a light lunch, and a regular supper. Alternatively, start your day with a late breakfast and then fast for lunch and supper.
Two words that may put a stop to enthusiastic customers.
What should you do if your client insists on following through with a fasting schedule that is possibly too demanding for them?
Coach Robin loves to use two words in these situations: “Show me.”
“You want to undertake two weekly fasting days?” for example. Cool! Okay, first show me you can fast for one. I want to make sure we don’t have any issues, and we can always make it more difficult.”
And be aware that, no matter how well you guide the discussion, your client may push back, stating, “Well, I believe alternate day fasting is precisely what I need, so that’s what I’ll do.”
Because that occurs from time to time.
In such scenario, advise that you attempt it as a test.
Don’t get caught up in the details. Simply assist your client in grasping the fundamental concepts of any schedule they wish to attempt. Then assist them in gaining knowledge from the encounter. Chapter 8 will demonstrate how to do so.
But first, let’s talk about… We’ll look at how intermittent fasting affects exercises and how to improve your performance when fasting in the following chapter.
As long as people have been eating, they have been fasting. But fasting is not a modern concept. Since the dawn of time, people have practiced a form of intermittent fasting (IF), more commonly known today as fasting to lose weight. Fasting has a long history. It is found in many cultures and has been practiced by some of the world’s most revered leaders and philosophers. Fasting offers a number of health benefits, but also comes with a number of risks. Some of the most common fasting risks include: hunger, fatigue and irritability. Understanding the risks of fasting is important, so you can make the right decisions when using fasting in your diet.. Read more about intermittent fasting 16/8 and let us know what you think.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best hours for intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a diet plan that involves periods of fasting and eating. It can be done by skipping breakfast and lunch, or by not eating for a certain period of time in the day. The best hours to do intermittent fasting are between 11 am and 3 pm.
How often should you do 16 8 intermittent fasting?
16 hours of fasting, 8 hours of eating.
Is 12 hours between meals considered intermittent fasting?
Yes, 12 hours between meals is considered intermittent fasting.
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- intermittent fasting schedule
- intermittent fasting benefits
- intermittent fasting
- intermittent fasting guide
- intermittent fasting food list
