Intermittent fasting…you’ve probably heard of it, read something about it or seen something about it on TV. You may know someone who’s tried or does it currently. You may have even tried it yourself. Is it a fad? Is it worth doing? Is it a complete waste of time?
So what exactly is intermittent fasting? Is there only one way to do it or several? How long should you do it?
As a proponent of intermittent fasting, I can tell you that it works. Period. There are several different ways to do it and fortunately, you can find and tailor a method that works best for you.
One of the more popular methods of intermittent fasting is eating one meal-per-day. This means that only one meal-per-day is eaten. You decide when that meal is. It can be breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Your choice. But you only eat that one meal. That’s it. No snacks, no calories of any kind (this includes beverages) throughout the day…just the one meal, at the same time, every day.
This may seem difficult for many folks, luckily there are other ways and plans to make intermittent fasting work for you.
I personally like to keep it simple and skip breakfast every day and eat my first meal of the day sometime between noon and 1:30 PM. Then I’ll maybe have a small snack and dinner. I try to eat no later than 6 PM. I find I can sleep better if my body isn’t busy digesting a large meal. I only eat during this 6-hour window and I’m pretty strict about it. Outside of that 6-hour window, it’s just water and maybe some black coffee. That’s it!
Some folks give themselves a 4-hour window, some find a 5-hour window works best. It’s good to experiment and find which method works best for you, your lifestyle, your schedule, and your needs.
Once a month, I like to take a day off from food and just fast. No food whatsoever for around 36 hours. This is actually a lot easier than it sounds and I actually enjoy and look forward to it. I actually feel like I’m functioning at my peak when fasted…it’s awesome.
It’s really not all that complicated to get started eating on a schedule like this right away. Again, just tailor it to your needs and your schedule and give it a try for at least a month.
If you don’t want to just dive right in headfirst, try intermittent fasting for a few days a week and ease into the new eating pattern that way. For example, the first week, do the intermittent fasting on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Eat as normal the other days. The following week, you can fast Monday, Wednesday, Friday, but maybe add in Tuesday or one other day. Continue this way, gradually increasing the number of days until a month or so in, you’re intermittent fasting every day.
Again, use whatever works for you, but if you’re serious about trying it and seeing the benefits, give it an honest shot for at least a month and I think you’ll like the results
If intermittent fasting is something you’re interested in and would like some help tailoring a plan that fits your needs specifically, click here. Take a look at the calendar and schedule a consultation with me and I’ll decide if you’re worthy enough to take on as a client. There is a non-refundable $125 consultation fee, so only schedule if you are serious and ready to take action. I only work with people I deem worthy enough to take into my stable of “Golden Ones” (what I call my clients). If you think that’s you, find out by clicking here.
If you’re looking for an intense training program to use in conjunction with your intermittent fasting and want to take your fitness to the next level, or have had enough of being sedentary and want to dive right into a complete 8-week exercise program that will absolutely change your body and life IF you commit to it, then check out my No Excuses No Exceptions: 8 Weeks to a New You program here.
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Alex Arion