A flying start with Intermittent Fasting

A flying start in 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 try.

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

If your goal is mainly to lose a lot of kilos, you will soon have a tendency to eat little during your eating window. Definitely don't! That way you will only get more hungry and you will not be able to last for long. So you first have to be at peace with yourself in order to be able to make healthy and sensible choices during IF.

Try these things to see what it does to your body:

• Try skipping a meal. You can consciously write this in your agenda or see it at the moment. Imagine you went to a restaurant in the afternoon and are not hungry in the evening, you can skip the meal and see how it makes you feel.

• Try delaying your meal. The best way to test this is with your breakfast. Postpone your breakfast for 2 to 3 hours after you wake up and only eat if you really get a feeling of hunger. That way you will be less hungry afterwards and you will automatically eat less during your other meals.

• Sport on an empty stomach. This will probably be contradictory to some people, but try to take it one step at a time. Even if you only go for a fifteen minute walk, it's already a start. You can then slowly build that up as time goes on.

Don't lose sight of your diet

Most people eat 3 full meals a day. But what about when you suddenly go from 3 to 2? There isn't really a golden rule to achieve this. The most important thing is that you find yourself a little what works best for you and your body. However, it will normally be the case that 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 cannot emphasize enough the importance of sufficient nutrients. The fact is that your feeling of hunger will be less present the longer you are doing IF. As a result, you tend to eat less or eat more unhealthy things during your eating window and you may not receive 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 when you actually want to burn them, fatigue and stress.

Open to everyone?

The answer is no. It is better not to do IF if you are underweight and/or previously had an eating disorder. In addition, you should first contact a doctor 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 therefore not a diet that you apply temporarily, but it really is a way of life. You are meant to make peace with your body and eat only when you are hungry and not because you have to. In addition, it is extremely important that you get the correct and sufficient nutrients during your eating window and that you achieve your daily total.