What if you could save time, save money, lose weight, and be healthier with no effort at all? This ultimate beginner’s guide to intermittent fasting will go over what you need to know and show you the benefits, diet types, myths, tips, and tricks to utilizing intermittent fasting to optimize your weight loss and health.
Simply put, fasting is any voluntary period of non-eating.
Intermittent fasting is off and on periods of voluntary non-eating.
You may find it to be a game-changer and it will save you time and money.
All while losing weight and making you healthier.
The biggest secret is that it is super easy. This article covers everything you need to get started with intermittent fasting.
I first heard of intermittent fasting back in 2015 with a diet called the 5:2 diet which is one type of intermittent fasting which I’ll discuss later. Since then, intermittent fasting has gained more ground going mainstream and with science backing.
This is the ultimate beginner’s guide to intermittent fasting and will inform you of the how-tos, whens, tips, and tricks to pull it off like a champ!
What is Intermittent Fasting
Prior to the twenty century, fasting was part of human existence and had been since the dawn of man.
We evolved in periods where food was scarce, we developed religious practices around fasting, ancient scholars intuitively knew it was a good thing, and now science is catching up with ancient practice.
Fasting is the voluntary abstinence of food for any given period of time for health or spiritual reasons.
Intermittent fasting is a form of fasting which just refers to shorter-term periods of fasting.
The fasting period is followed by a feeding window and then by a fasting period and so on.
It can be every day, once a week, or when you feel like it. That is one benefit. It can fit your lifestyle as you like.
Generally, intermittent fasting involves not eating for 12 to 20 hours and eating in the remaining window of the day. The most common is a 16-hour fast with an 8-hour eating window.
In 2016, a Japanese scientist named Yoshinori Ohsumi won the Nobel Prize for something called autophagy (more on that in a second) which is triggered by fasting. Modern science is meeting ancient wisdom. Our eyes are opening to how intermittent fasting is not only good for weight loss but for your overall health.
It may just turn out we are not meant to graze all day on food like cows, but rather feast and then fast, then feast again!
Our modern western culture has led us to forget that for most of our history we fasted for one reason or another.
Where do you think breakfast got its name!
Fasting was so much a part of our lives in the past, we named after the meal after it!
Break-Fast!
Stages of Fasting
If you don’t really care about the scientific mechanisms behind intermittent fasting you can skip to the next section of the ultimate beginner’s guide to intermittent fasting.
Your body is a mean fat-burning machine. After you start eating you will go through several changes in stages to make the switch to burning fat and fasted state.
Stage 1 – Feeding stage 0-6 hours
During this period your body is using its glucose from the last food you ate. You can often sleep through this stage and be fasting by morning.
Stage 2 – Post Absorptive Phase – 6-24 hours
During this stage, your body uses up glycogen stored in your muscles.
Stage 3 – Glucose NeoGenesis and Ketosis – 24-72 hours
Your body starts burning fat for fuel.
Stage 4 – Protein Conservation – until 4% body fat
During this phase, your body has optimized its systems, is running purely on fat reserves and water and will protect its muscle until approximately 4% body fat. After which should probably eat. 🙂
Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
Scientists are starting to realize that these periods of non-eating have profound benefits.
Autophagy is the process in our cells that start after about 12 hours of fasting where the cells start recycling damaged cells and turn them into new ones.
It is almost like our bodies are programmed in times of non-eating to repair and cleanse our cells. The research Ohsumi did that won him the Nobel prize in 2016 show that fasting triggers Autophagy which aids in reducing cancer cell formation and aging along with cleansing pathogens and cells.
Autophagy and intermittent fasting are being shown to improve:
- increased weight loss
- reduced inflammation
- improved brain function
- insulin resistance
- improved blood sugar levels
Other studies have shown that naturally occurring human growth hormones spike while fasting (that is HGH stuff you hear about athletes taking as performance-enhancing drugs). The increase in HGH helps protect muscle tissue and can even increase muscle mass while fasting. Increases in HGH in men have been shown to be over 1360% and women 470% after a few days of fasting.
It makes sense in our ancestral times this body’s mechanism would turn up hormones that would allow us to be stronger while we searched for food.
With all these benefits, sign me up!
Well, that’s not all. In addition to reducing inflammation and fighting diseases, fasting also increases cognitive function. Now would you rather meet a hungry lion in the wild or one that just ate a gazal?
It has been reported and I have also noticed first hand you have a certain clarity during fasting. You don’t get the afternoon periods you want to just sleep or have no energy. Energy is amplified and consistent throughout the day.
So what does all this mean? It means your brain will be super sharp while fasting. It will also help reduce disease and aging all while losing weight. Not too shabby.
Can Intermittent Fasting Fight Disease
I can personally attest to the power of intermittent fasting. I have two different autoimmune diseases. One is called Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) and the other is Vitiligo. AS is a disease similar to Rheumatoid Arthritis that causes inflammation in your spine and back. Vitiligo causes pigment loss in your skin and light patches of skin occur (in my case on my hands and feet primarily).
I have been intermittent fasting for over a year and a half, and I have seen drastically reduced symptoms and even regression in both diseases. I have basically eliminated the medication I took for the AS and the white patches on my hands have started to return pigment. Both diseases were said to be incurable by traditional doctors. Here are some pictures of my vitiligo over that time. You can see as time went on (left to right) the vitiligo has got better and this coincided with intermittent fasting.
Can I Workout While Fasting
You might think you may not have the energy or stamina during this time, but the opposite will be true. Studies have shown that you burn more fat when you workout in a fasted state.
HGH levels will be elevated along with other hormones like adrenaline.
Fat reserves will be utilized for energy and your hormones cranked up for you to hunt.
Your hunt won’t be in the hunt for food though, it will be for the benefits of fasting and weight loss.
Our goal will also be to maintain an increase in muscle mass.
Breaking your fast a few hours after working out gives your body time to utilize increased hormonal benefits for recovery and muscle regrowth.
Types of Fasting other than Intermittent Fasting
Besides intermittent fasting other types of fasting include:
- Prolong Fasting (or water fasting) – This is long term fasts ranging from 24 hours to up to a month or more. This fast usually only has water, coffee, and/or tea during the fast.
- Dry fasting (not recommended) – Is fasting without any consumption of fluids and is not recommended because of the associated dehydration that can occur.
- Alternate Day Fasting – This type of fasting includes normal eating on one day and a 24 hour fast the next day. This exact fasting regiment was shown to increase life in mice by 30%.
- One Meal A Day (OMAD) – As the name states, this is fasting all except for one meal a day. One large meal is consumed once a day.
- 5-2 Diet – The 5:2 Diet was championed by British broadcaster Michel Mosley and includes normal eating 5 days a week and 2 days of eating between 500-600 calories.
When Should You Fast?
The benefits of fasting start after you are 8 to 12 hours into the fast with longer fasts providing additional benefits.
A 12-hour fast could start with your last meal of the day at 7 p.m and then not eating again until 7 a.m. in the morning to get you to a 12-hour fast.
Stretching the fast to longer is really where the rubber hits the road and where you will start to see some significant benefits. Most intermittent fasters try for about 16 to 20 hours.
Therefore, in the scenario above you would skip breakfast and eat lunch around 11 hours to get to a 16-hour fast.
I tend to notice that I do not eat that much more at my next meal after fasting.
The thing is. It okay to eat more because you can eat your normal daily calories over this shorter period if you like. It is important to eat healthy foods after a fast because your body absorbs nutrients more aggressively.
What You Can and Can’t Have During Fasting
You can have water, unsweetened tea, and coffee during your fast and this is considered by most to not “break the fast”.
Some of the less restrictive approaches and more laid back fasters allow for some bone broth, sweeteners, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and other supplements.
While all those are healthy options, they still may be considered to create an insulin spike and break your fast and the benefits that were occurring.
Here is a more detailed rundown of the typical food people consider during fasting.
- Coffee – Good to Go. No sweeteners or cream additives.
- Tea – Good to Go. No sweeteners or cream additives.
- Diet Soda – Pass on it. The artificial sweeteners can still cause an insulin spike and kick you out of fasting.
- Bone Both – Pass on it. Even though real bone broth is super health it also can cause an insulin spike.
- Workout Supplements – Pass on it. Creatine is acceptable otherwise pass on it. That means no BCAAs and certainly no whey protein which has a large spike in insulin.
How to Start and Break a Fast?
Starting is pretty easy obviously, however you probably do want to make sure you are well-rested and hydrated.
Eating some fiber before you start may help with cravings for food.
It can also be easier to be on a low carb keto diet before starting to minimize any cravings. If you are only going for 12-16 hours that should matter too much anyway.
More intense cravings may occur 16-48 hours into the fast. However, ghrelin levels fall drastically shortly after this period. (Ghrelin is a hormone that makes us hungry).
As far as breaking your fast, you’ll want to consider food quality over quantity. Many times I come home and make my first meal of the day at home in the evening which is closer to 20:4 fast. I’ll have snacks while preparing dinner for the family.
During this “re-eating” time focus on quality organic and whole foods whenever possible.
Myths about Fasting
Shock, surprise, and sometimes some eye-rolling responses are received when people first hear about fasting. Myths are more well-know than facts many times. Here are some of the more common ones:
Risks of Fasting – Overall health concerns associated with fasting are overblown. Consider over ⅓ the world’s population fast for religious or other reasons. If humans died after a few hours to days of not eating we would have never made it as a species. The opposite is really true. It appears our bodies evolved to use periods of non-eating to cleanse our bodies and improve their function.
Muscle Loss – A study in the Journal of Translational Medicine showed subjects that did intermittent fasting experienced more fat reduction while preserving muscle growth.
Poor Metabolism – There has not been a single study that shows fast reduced metabolism. Ironically enough, calorie restriction diets have shown decreased metabolism over time.
Overeating – Studies do show you overeat after fasting but not as drastically as you might think. You may eat more but your insulin response will be sensitive and you will fill full easier.
Tips for Fasting
Here are a few other tips that may help you get the most out of intermittent fasting.
- Drink water
- Stay Busy
- Give it some practice
- Eat healthy when not fasting
- Change it Up
- Be Flexible
How to Maximize Intermittent Fasting Benefits
While you should keep it simple and not worry too much about the nuances, you can do several things to maximize your benefits while fasting.
Working out towards the end of you fast when HGH levels are elevated high can maximize strength gains. Wait a few hours after working out if possible then refeed with high-quality foods.
Sleep is important. Your body does much of its physical recovery during sleep and to see the full physical benefits of fasting sleeping 7-8 hours a night is important.
Extending you fast beyond the typical 16:8 diet to an 18 or 20 hour fast increases the benefits of fasting further and longer. Also, long term fasting has also shown many benefits and is something you will also want to consider once you have shown you can do intermittent fasting.
Again, Oh the Benefits!
With all the benefits of fasting it hard to not at least contemplate trying it for a week or two and see how you feel. It is your body’s switches to a survival state where fat and ketones fuel our bodies while our natural instincts are amplified. Autophagy has shown to improve cellular function and fasting also saves us time and money as I described here recently about how the benefits of fasting go beyond weight loss.
Benjamin Franklin wrote the best of all medicines is resting and fasting.
Intermittent fasting is easy and you can do it!
If you liked this ultimate beginner’s guide to intermittent fasting, check out my articles on fasting, food, or the mind.