Intermittent Fasting Preparation Tips: How Long Should You Fast?

Intermittent fasting involves specific periods of time where one partially or fully abstains from eating. While the fasting method has become a hot trend, there are certain things that one must take into consideration before engaging in intermittent fasting.

How Long Should You Fast?

Intermittent fasting can be done in several ways. Generally, each method involves splitting one's days or weeks into periods of fasting and eating. During the specific fasting periods, one eats very minimally or nothing at all.

Some of the most popular methods are the 16/8 method, the eat-stop-eat method, and the 5:2 diet. The 16/8 method, which is also known as the Leangains protocol, involves skipping one's breakfast and limiting one's daily eating period to 8 hours a day. The fasting period in between eating periods amounts to 16 hours. This method is considered the simplest, most sustainable, and most popular option.

The eat-stop-eat method involves a full 24-hour period of fasting. This could be done one to two times a week. It can be executed by not eating from dinner one night up until dinner of the next day.

The 5:2 diet method involves calorie consumption monitoring. The method only allows for the consumption of 500 to 600 calories on two nonconsecutive days. On other days, food consumption is normal.

Each method could lead to weight loss when calorie intake is reduced and when one does not compensate for eating during the periods for eating.

Preparing For Intermittent Fasting

As intermittent fasting focuses on the time element of eating, one must decide when to fast, which fast plan to follow, what meal plan to stick with, and more.

When starting, one may find it hard to eat only in a short time window every day or to alternate specific days of eating and not eating. To start with intermittent fasting, there are some tips that could be of great help.

For one, it is helpful to first identify one's personal goals. This could be weight loss, improving metabolic health, or boosting general health. This goal will help one decide on a specific fasting method and know the recommended calories and nutrients for consumption.

When goals are set, a fasting method is chosen, and calorie limitations are in place, one may find it helpful to decide on what to eat throughout the week. Meal plans do not have to be extremely strict and restrictive, as they focus more on calorie intake and including necessary nutrients in the diet. Meal planning can also be helpful in many ways, such as ensuring that one does not exceed the calorie intake ceiling and that ingredients for meals and snacks are on hand. It could also help people save more money and minimize waste.