Intermittent fasting, also called intermittent fasting, is less a diet than a lifestyle. Because intermittent fasting as a diet is quite suitable for everyday use and can be pursued as a long-term or even permanent concept.
During intermittent fasting or intermittent fasting, some people want to lose a few kilos, while others benefit from the positive effects on health. Intermittent fasting enjoys great popularity, and for good reason.
You can find out exactly what intermittent fasting is, how it works and why it is so popular in this blog post. We've also prepared an intermittent fasting recipe for you.
What is intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a form of fasting in which food is dispensed with on a daily or hourly basis. This is often referred to as intermittent fasting . In intermittent fasting , regular food breaks are observed in which you do not eat solid food. One form of intermittent fasting is the 16:8 method. This means that there are 8 hours in which you eat normally and 16 hours in which you only take unsweetened liquid.
In the case of classic healing fasts, food intake is dispensed with for several days. Due to the reduced calorie intake during the fasting days, the body is in a calorie deficit and is encouraged to lose weight. Unfortunately, however, it happens that success does not come despite iron discipline. In this article, you will learn what the reasons for the lack of weight loss can be, what the most common mistakes in intermittent fasting are and how to effectively avoid them.
Basically, as a completely healthy person, you can try intermittent fasting (also called alternating fasting) without further ado. In the case of complaints such as low blood pressure, chronic diseases or a metabolic disease such as type 1 or type 2 diabetes, you should consult your doctor before starting intermittent fasting.
Avoiding food for a longer period of time should boost the metabolism and bring some health benefits . While some use this method to lose some weight without succumbing to the unsightly yo-yo effect, others fast because of the positive effects on health. Unlike conventional diets, however, intermittent fasting is not a temporary diet . Instead, it is designed to function as a permanent dietary change . Therefore, it is probably more like a lifestyle than a diet.
Intermittent fasting is generally not suitable for adolescents, pregnant women and nursing mothers, as well as people with eating disorders or underweight people.
How does intermittent fasting work?
Intermittent fasting works mainly with the watch in mind. Basically, this form of healthy eating is not so much about the exact choice of foods, but more about the right temporal rhythm of food intake. In concrete terms, intermittent fasting means eating calories within a defined time window (time period) and completely abstaining from food and calorie-containing drinks for the rest of the time.
Water, unsweetened tea and black coffee are allowed during Lent. The feeling of hunger can thus be suppressed very well. In this way, you deliberately refrain from certain meals and restrict your calorie intake. Since there are different variants of periodic fasting , this diet is considered to be particularly flexible . It can be adapted to individual needs and preferences and entails comparatively few restrictions. However, the basis is of course a balanced diet during the meal time.
What forms and methods of intermittent fasting are there?
There are a few different methods for intermittent fasting that we would like to introduce you to here. Every person has different habits, needs, so read through all the fasting methods before you decide. There are numerous approaches, but they are all based on the same idea of helping you lose weight. Lent without solid food intake can sometimes extend daily or even over a certain number of hours per day. Find out which phase of the meal is right for you. Losing weight in a healthy way only has positive effects if you feel comfortable doing so.
Intermittent fasting with the 16:8 method
When intermittent fasting with the 16:8 method , the name is program. This involves fasting for 16 hours at a time every day and eating in a time window of 8 hours. Sounds like a long period of fasting at first, but most of the 16 hours of fasting pass in your sleep. With this variant, you eat early in the evening and take the healthy breakfast late or not at all in order to be able to keep the fasting window of 16 hours. When it comes to intermittent fasting, you can actually talk about losing weight during sleep. It is very important that you get enough sleep. If not, the body produces less leptin and food cravings can result.
Alternatively, individual meals such as breakfast or dinner can also be missed . If you are a breakfast fan, this decision is probably clear. And it is not for nothing that the English word for breakfast is "breakfast" ("break" = to break something, interrupt and "fast" = fast) – literally translated as " to break the fast ".
Intermittent fasting with the 5:2 method – The Fast Diet
Intermittent fasting, using the 5:2 diet method, involves eating normally five days a week and fasting on two days. On these two fasting days, calorie intake is reduced to a minimum. Women eat about 500 kcal on these days and men about 600 kcal. On fasting days , it is best to eat low-carbohydrate and high-protein foods .
It is up to you on which days of the week you do without your normal eating habits. The only important thing is that there is at least one day in between when you eat regularly.
Dinner cancelling
Dinner cancelling or evening fasting is an alternative to the classic forms of intermittent fasting. You do not have to eat dinner two to three days a week and instead limit yourself to water, tea and other calorie-free drinks.
The fasting period of at least 14 hours is intended to relieve insulin levels , help with weight loss and improve sleep quality . In addition, ageing processes should be reduced.
The 2-Day Diet – “2-Day-Diet”
With the 2-day diet, you limit yourself to a maximum of 650 kilocalories in one week on two consecutive days . The diet should be low in carbohydrates and high in protein . The menu includes a lot of fish, chicken, egg, dairy products, tofu, vegetables and fruit.
The rest of the week can be designed without restrictions by a normal mixed diet. In addition to the low energy intake on fasting days, a maximum of 40 percent of the energy supplied should consist of carbohydrates.
Alternate-Day Fasting or Alternate-Fasting
Alternate-day fasting (ADF) is also known as "eat stop eat", "updaydownday" or "alternating fasting". The basis of this form of nutrition is to provide only about a quarter of the usual amount of energy on fasting days . Fasting days and non-fasting days alternate.
Short-term fasting – why is it so effective?
Intermittent fasting differs significantly from longer fasting regimens or crash diets:
Since the metabolism is not throttled, no muscle mass is broken down. This way, the dreaded yo-yo effect can be avoided. In addition, fasting leads to cell purification and regeneration, which is referred to as autophagy in biomedicine.
These biochemical changes in the body can have a healing effect, which is why this form of nutrition is often referred to as healing fasting. This improves sugar and fat metabolism and reduces the risk of chronic inflammation.
Lose weight with intermittent fasting
In order to lose weight during intermittent fasting, it is not necessary to count calories as with other diets. Mainly healthy, valuable foods should be consumed with meals.
By abstaining from food during fasting phases, fewer calories are absorbed than under normal circumstances. This often results in a reduced calorie intake
and you lose
weight. To know exactly your calorie needs, a calorie calculator
can help you
.
The daily need for energy varies depending on activity, age, gender and weight.
During the meal break, fat burning is promoted in the body. Approximately 12 hours after your last meal, your body begins to access your fat reserves for energy (as a matter of urgency). For this reason, intermittent fasting is also very popular with strength athletes .
Tip: Would you like to use intermittent fasting for yourself and do something good for your body? Then try not to go overboard during “mealtime”. If you manage to keep your blood sugar level constant, you have a good chance of losing weight successfully in the long term . In addition, there are five good reasons why you should eat a hot breakfast .
How much do you lose with 16:8 intermittent fasting?
Most people who choose intermittent fasting either aim to improve their health or lose weight. How much you lose with 16:8 intermittent fasting can not be said flatly. This depends on several factors, such as the starting weight, the respective calorie deficit, the foods that are eaten and whether exercise plays a role in everyday fasting. In addition, frequent mistakes are made during intermittent fasting, which significantly influence the success of the customer, such as too little sleep.
Does fasting slow metabolism?
There are no studies that would prove that fasting slows down the metabolism, on the contrary. In the case of intermittent fasting, the intake of food is dispensed with for longer periods. As a result, the metabolism is boosted, especially in combination with sufficient exercise. The healthy diet recommended during the eating phases also has a positive effect on cell metabolism and hormone balance.
Who is not suitable for intermittent fasting?
Pregnant women, nursing mothers, children and people with eating disorders should avoid intermittent fasting altogether . But even those who suffer from psychosis, chronic diseases (such as type 2 diabetes), depression or heart disease should not fast.
Basically, as a perfectly healthy person, you can try intermittent fasting without hesitation. In any other case, you should consult your doctor beforehand.
Risks of intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is generally not dangerous because your body is regularly supplied with food. However, symptoms such as fatigue and exhaustion can occur, especially at the beginning . If these do not disappear over time or represent a heavy burden, the fast should be interrupted and a doctor should be consulted.
In addition, stress hormones are increasingly released by the body during the fasting phase. So if you are already stressed anyway, you and your body are exposed to additional stress during intermittent fasting. In case of doubt, the change in diet should always be discussed with a doctor.
Intermittent Fasting Error
Intermittent fasting often makes mistakes that have a negative effect on customer success. Anyone who sees intermittent fasting as a crash diet with quick results has already lost. Instead, intermittent fasting is a diet that will help you lose weight in the long term without the yo-yo effect and improve your health.
Impatience with weight loss, too high goals and too little exercise are probably the most common reasons why intermittent fasting fails. But there are other errors. Read here the 10 most common mistakes in intermittent fasting that are made.
What can you drink during intermittent fasting?
During intermittent fasting, you may always drink water, black coffee and tea (both unsweetened). It is a good idea to enrich your water with fruits or organic lemon slices and cucumbers. This is very refreshing, especially in summer. Vegetable broth can also be drunk in moderation. During the eating phase, you can also drink your usual coffee.
Since alcohol contains a lot of calories, you should only drink it in moderation and only during the meal phase and use a glass of wine or beer instead of sugary alcopops or cocktails. A good alternative is, for example, a refreshing soda water with a splash of lemon or fresh fruit.
Intermittent fasting, is coffee with milk allowed?
In principle, you should drink coffee black during intermittent fasting and not add milk or cream. Milk contains calories and lactose, which is why this is actually not allowed in the fasting phase. In the eating phase, however, you can very well enjoy a coffee with milk.
The scientific study on intermittent fasting
There are some scientific studies that report positive effects on intermittent fasting. Scientific animal studies have shown that regular fasting can reduce the risk of chronic diseases .
These include:
- Diabetes mellitus type 2
- Cardiovascular diseases
- neurological diseases such as strokes, Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis
- Cancer
In addition, it has been shown that brain function is positively influenced by intermittent fasting. According to the German Nutrition Society , there are also life-extending effects [1] of alternating fasting, which have been demonstrated in animal experiments.
On the other hand, there are only a few clinical studies in humans that prove the effect of intermittent fasting [2] on the organism, and the statements are not clear. There is evidence that intermittent fasting can have a positive effect on health and weight loss, or at least correspond to a continuous calorie deficit.
In terms of the loss of lean mass, intermittent fasting has achieved particularly good results. In a study comparing intermittent fasting with an energy-reduced diet, it was found that less fat-free mass was lost during intermittent fasting. In addition, it was found that intermittent fasting achieves improved insulin sensitivity and reduces more body fat.
One study also looked at the effects of interval fasting on BMI . It was tested to what extent intermittent fasting has a different effect on BMI than conventional diets with a calorie deficit. Although no significant differences could be identified here, there was a clear positive impact on weight loss and health in general.
In addition, it is assumed that it does not have any negative side effects . However, it remains to be seen whether the method proves to be more effective in contrast to classic diets.
That's why intermittent fasting is so healthy
Those who can integrate intermittent fasting well into everyday life can certainly benefit from positive effects. For example, it is said that our body activates its self-healing processes during fasting , which has a cleansing effect on the organism.
Many people also report more energy through dietary abstinence . Since the body does not have to spend resources on digestion during the fasting period, we feel fitter and more energetic. Finally, intermittent fasting is even said to prevent various diseases . These include, for example, cardiovascular diseases , diabetes or skin diseases such as acne or neurodermatitis. Meanwhile, there are also numerous intermittent fasting apps – we have compiled the best ones for you.
With our porridge and cereal, you can optimally supply your body with the necessary nutrients outside of Lent and avoid hunger phases. Whether for a late breakfast, lunch or as a snack in between. At VERIVAL, we have the right product for every time and taste. Make intermittent fasting easier with VERIVAL.
Is fasting more than a diet?
Fasting cures are usually not comparable to dieting. In particular, intermittent fasting is not to be seen as a diet and certainly not as a crash diet that causes the pounds to tumble in a very short time. This is an all too common misconception and the reason why this fasting method does not lead to the desired success for many!
Instead, intermittent fasting is more of a diet change and a long-term way to live healthier lives. Because intermittent fasting brings many health benefits, such as more energy, self-healing processes are activated, better sleep.
Intermittent fasting Daily schedule and times for the 7-day rhythm
The beauty of intermittent fasting is that you can organize the daily schedule and the times you want to fast or eat. Intermittent fasting is therefore very individual. Depending on the chosen method, you can choose your daily schedule and times yourself. Here are a few examples of a daily schedule and timetable for each intermittent fasting method:
Daily schedule for the 16:8 method
For example, if you eat the variant 12:00-20:00 and fast from 20:00-12:00, food is allowed from 12:00! Now you can enjoy your full-fledged lunch. In the afternoon, you can grab a healthy snack or a cup of coffee with milk. Dinner is allowed until 20:00. Of course, we also have a more detailed daily plan for the 16:8 method for you!
Schedule for the 5: 2 method
With the 5: 2 method, there are no time limits, except that you eat normally for 5 days and fast for 2 days. It's best to start your day with a healthy breakfast and end it with a delicious, light dinner. We have summarized an example day of intermittent fasting according to the 5:2 method , including healthy recipes.
Daily schedule alternating fasting
When it comes to alternating fasts, there are no precise timelines for when you should eat, nor do you have to observe a time window. But it's best to enjoy a balanced breakfast every day, which will keep you full for a long time and give you power!
Dinner Cancelling Schedule and Daily Schedule
For dinner cancelling, you should fast for at least 14 hours. For this, you skip dinner 2-3 times a week. To do this without hunger, it is best to eat a rich breakfast, a balanced lunch and a high-fiber snack in the afternoon.
Daily plan 2-day diet
In the 2 consecutive days of fasting, you may only consume around 650 calories. Since this is very little, you should eat a lot of small meals throughout the day that are high in fiber and protein and contain little to no fat and sugar. Here you will find suitable recipes for the 2-day diet .
Intermittent fasting recipe – porridge as a healthy filler
This intermittent fasting recipe tastes delicious and provides you with sustainable energy. The oatmeal in the porridge provides you with complex carbohydrates and helps keep your blood sugar level constant. In addition, oats contain important proteins, minerals and vitamins, which should not be missing in your healthy diet.
Try the recipe and feel the beneficial effect!
Intermittent fasting – chocolate banana porridge as a filling meal
Accessories
-
Microwave or hot water
-
Bowl
Ingredients
- 50 g organic sports porridge – chocolate banana
- 150 ml of water, milk or a plant drink of your choice
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 banana
- 1 tsp cocoa powder (sugar-free)
Preparation
-
Add the VERIVAL Sport Porridge to the bowl and mix with the hot water or liquid of your choice.
-
Cut the banana into small slices and add to the porridge in the bowl.
-
If you don't use hot water, you can use the microwave to heat the porridge. Don't have a microwave? Then you simply prepare the porridge in a pot.
-
If the porridge is hot, you can now stir in the cocoa powder.
-
Let your porridge steep for 1-2 minutes and decorate to your liking. Now it's time to enjoy!! 🙂
