How to start intermittent fasting

Surely you have heard about intermittent fasting on social networks and all the benefits that people who practice it get.
It is a trend that is growing day by day in the health and fitness sector, since many studies show the spectacular effects it has on the body and brain, they even say that if you practice it, it could help you live more time…
And tell me, who wouldn't want to always look and feel amazing? I think very few, so in this post you will find a step by step to start intermittent fasting the right way.

What is intermittent fasting?

It's important to know up front that intermittent fasting is NOT a conventional diet that tells you what foods to eat , but rather a timed approach to eating.
It is a method that people are beginning to use in recent times to:

• Lose weight.
• Simplify their life, since they have to cook few times a day.
• Improve your overall health and well-being.

Although it may seem perfect, intermittent fasting is not suitable for everyone, such as if you have a medical condition. However, if you are active and eat well, you can practice it without any problem.

intermittent fasting methods

There are several ways to fast ; all involve dividing the day or week into periods of eating and fasting. During fasting periods, only water, coffee, or unsweetened tea should be consumed.
Among the most popular methods of intermittent fasting are:

1- The 12:12

It is the type of fast that most wellness influencers do the most and it is also the most sustainable over time, why? Because it is based on fasting for 12 hours and eating food for 12 hours , it is basically what we do unconsciously when we have dinner earlier and eat the next day or when we delay breakfast.
Without a doubt, if you want to start in the world of intermittent fasting, you should start here.

2- 10/14 (early or late)

It consists of spending 14 hours fasting and in the other 10 hours you can eat food (remember that you must maintain a healthy and balanced diet).
And what is early or late? The difference is that in the early you skip breakfast and in the late you skip dinner.
The goal is that you should consume between 1400–1600 calories a day.

3- The 16:8

It implies not eating food for 16 hours (only water to stay hydrated) and the eating period is 8 hours during which you can have 2 to 3 meals.
Putting this method into practice is extremely easy, since you can fast for 16 hours while you sleep and skip breakfast... How wonderful isn't it?
I will give you an example, if your last dinner was at 8:00 PM, your next meal should be at noon, there you will have fulfilled the estimated time.

4- The 5:2

In this method you must consume what you normally eat 5 days a week, the difference is that for two non-consecutive days you must reduce your calorie intake to 500 or 600.
The good thing is that by reducing the amount of calories you will notice a weight loss. Of course, as long as you don't overeat on the other days.
If you like this intermittent fasting system and you don't know how to count calories , I recommend that you read this article: << Free mobile applications to count the calories you consume >>

5- Eat-Stop-Eat

This type of intermittent fasting involves fasting for 24 hours, once or twice a week. It may be one of the least practiced by people when they are about to start in the world of fasting, however, there are some brave people who decide to do it and the results are incredible.
If eat-stop-eat catches your attention, you should know how to do it, I'm honest, it's very simple, you just have to have your last dinner and break your fast at dinner the next day.
While there are other methods of fasting , these are the best known and recommended to start with.

Steps you should take into account to start intermittent fasting

Fasting has been a practice that has been carried out throughout human evolution, it is not something new that does not have any type of scientific support; for this reason you should not be afraid to start on this wave.

1. Clearly define WHY you want to do it: this will not only help you stay focused on achieving your goal, for example losing a few extra pounds, but it will help you feel good about yourself. A three in one, health, goal and well-being.
2. Start slow: practice makes perfect; It is better to start with a few hours of fasting, than to do a 24-hour fast at once, because if you start from more to less, you will only end up getting fatigued and leaving your goal halfway.
3. Find a time that works for you to start: If you're interested in reaping the full benefits of intermittent fasting, it's best to choose a time when you won't find yourself having to not eat and, of course, when temptations aren't getting to you. in front of the eyes every time. The best time to fast is while you sleep, so keep that in mind.
4. Do not compare your way of fasting with that of others: everyone adjusts to what suits them best, so before starting you must be clear about all the steps that I mentioned above. Remember that what others do is not the same as what you can do.
5. Break the fast with nutritious foods: After making the effort to fast, there is no point in filling yourself up with food that makes you fat or heavy. A good way to break it down is with a protein powder because you make it fast and it fills you up almost immediately.

If you came this far, it is because you are really interested in starting intermittent fasting , so you should not let excuses or the typical questions come to your head: how am I not going to eat for so long? , not eating will make me sick to my stomach! If I don't eat breakfast, my head will start to hurt! , this is simply a RED FLAG.
Remember that this is a 1000% healthy, safe and proven practice.
Go ahead and tell us how you're doing or if you've already done intermittent fasting before!