A flying start with Intermittent Fasting

Get a flying start to weight loss with intermittent fasting.

In a previous blog we already discussed the principle of intermittent fasting. It is important to choose the right protocol that suits your body. Learn to listen to your body and give intermittent fasting a chance.

Patience. That is what you will need during intermittent fasting. It is not a fast diet where you will immediately lose a few kilos, but rather a way of life and awareness. Therefore, do not set your goals sky-high from the first time, but listen to your body to see what it feels good about.

If your main goal is to lose a lot of weight, you will quickly be inclined to eat very little during your eating window. Definitely don't do that! That way you will only get hungrier and you will not be able to keep it up for long. So you have to be at peace with yourself first in order to be able to make healthy and sensible choices during IF.

Try these things to see what they do to your body:

• Try one skip a meal. You can consciously write this in your agenda or see it at the moment itself. Imagine that you have been to a restaurant in the afternoon and are not hungry in the evening, then you can skip the meal and see how you feel about it.

• Try your to postpone meal. You can test this best with your breakfast. Delay your breakfast 2 to 3 hours after you wake up and only eat when you really feel hungry. That way you will be less hungry afterwards and you will automatically eat less during your other meals.

• Exercise on an empty stomach. For some people this will probably be contradictory, but try to do it step by step. Even if you only walk for fifteen minutes, it is a start. You can then slowly build it up as time goes by.

Don't lose sight of your diet

Most people eat 3 full meals a day. But what if you suddenly go from 3 to 2? There is no real golden rule to achieve this. The most important thing is that you do a little searching yourself what works best for you and your body. Normally, you will increase your portions proportionally, paying attention to the right nutrients that your body needs. If you want to consume a snack such as a smoothie between lunch and dinner, it is better not to increase your portions.

Keep these things in mind.

We can appreciate the importance of sufficient nutrients but not emphasize enough. It is simply the case that your hunger will be less present the longer you are doing IF. As a result, you are more likely to eat less or eat more unhealthy things during your eating window and it may be that you do not get enough nutrients to function properly. It is therefore very important that you still eat normally so that you can get through the rest of your day without discomfort. The biggest consequence of not getting enough healthy nutrients? Less sensitive to insulin, storing fats while you actually want to burn them, fatigue and stress.

Available to everyone?

The answer is no. You should not do IF if you are underweight and/or have had an eating disorder in the past. Also, you should consult a doctor first if you have a medical condition.

What does that include?

• Diabetes
• Problems with your blood sugar levels
• Low blood pressure
• Use of medicines
• If you are trying to conceive or are actually pregnant
• Problems with your menstrual cycle
• If you are breastfeeding

A way of life

Intermittent fasting is not a diet that you apply temporarily, but it is really a way of life. The idea is that you make peace with your body and that you only eat when you are hungry and not because you have to. In addition, it is extremely important that you get the right and sufficient nutrients during your eating window and that you reach your daily total.