Intermittent Fasting

Table of Contents

Introduction........................................................................................................................7

Chapter 1: Understanding intermittent fasting......................................................9

What is Intermittent Fasting?.........................................................................................9

How Intermittent fasting Works....................................................................................9

Tips to Get Started.........................................................................................................10

Plan your method........................................................................................................10

Stick with your chosen method at least for the first week...................................10

Do the research...........................................................................................................10

If you’re unsure, check with your doctor or nutritionist......................................10

Before the first day, make sure you’re prepared...................................................10

What goes on in your body during intermittent fasting...........................................10

How to carry out intermittent fasting.........................................................................11

Chapter 2: The problem with our food.....................................................................12

How Our Modern Diet is a Problem............................................................................12

The Food We Consume Today......................................................................................13

Why You Want to Fast...................................................................................................13

Chapter 3: Setting Your Pace......................................................................................14

Incorporating Sleep Hours into Intermittent Fasting...............................................14

Hydration While Fasting...............................................................................................15

Temptations and Interruptions....................................................................................15

Chapter 4: Fasting Regimens......................................................................................17

Fasting Methods.............................................................................................................17

16/8 Method................................................................................................................17

Leangains Method (14:10)........................................................................................18

20:4 Method................................................................................................................18

Meal Skipping.............................................................................................................19

Warrior Diet Fasting..................................................................................................19

Eat-Stop-Eat (24 Hour) Method...............................................................................20

Alternate-Day Method................................................................................................20

5:2 Method..................................................................................................................21

Crescendo Method.....................................................................................................21

Making Your Choice.......................................................................................................22

Consider your body type and abilities.....................................................................22

Consider your lifestyle...............................................................................................22

Consider your daily tendencies................................................................................23

Consider your work routine......................................................................................23

Consider your friends, coworkers, and family.......................................................24

Consider your dietary choices..................................................................................24

Chapter 5: What to Eat/What Not to Eat.................................................................25

Great Foods to Eat.........................................................................................................25

Foods to Avoid................................................................................................................26

Great Drinks....................................................................................................................26

Drinks to Avoid...............................................................................................................27

Scheduling Meals...........................................................................................................28

Chapter 6: Benefits of Intermittent Fasting..........................................................29

Change in Cell Function................................................................................................29

Improved Mental Concentration and Clarity.............................................................29

Improvement in Hormone Profile................................................................................29

Reduces Inflammation...................................................................................................29

Supports Healthy Bodily Functions.............................................................................29

Supports You in Healing Faster...................................................................................30

May Extend Your Lifespan............................................................................................30

Boosts Your Immune System........................................................................................30

Improved Sleeping Habits............................................................................................30

Improved Sex Drive.......................................................................................................31

It boosts your metabolic rate........................................................................................31

Cellular Repair................................................................................................................31

Weight Loss.....................................................................................................................31

Chapter 7: Effects Intermittent fasting on Your Body.......................................33

Detoxification..................................................................................................................33

Weight Loss.....................................................................................................................34

Improved Blood Sugar Levels.......................................................................................34

Effect on High Blood Pressure.....................................................................................35

Effects on Heart Health.................................................................................................35

Intermittent Fasting and Aging....................................................................................36

Chapter 8: Building a Healthy Lifestyle with Intermittent Fasting...............37

Taking the First Step.....................................................................................................37

How Intermittent Fasting can Really Help You Keep a Healthy Lifestyle.............37

Tips and Strategies on Building a Healthy Lifestyle.................................................39

Getting Enough Sleep................................................................................................39

Drink Enough Water..................................................................................................39

Vitamin Supplements.................................................................................................40

Chapter 9: What to Watch out for with Intermittent Fasting..........................41

Willpower.........................................................................................................................41

Inconsistency..................................................................................................................41

Doing Intermittent Fasting Without any Lifestyle Changes....................................42

Unrealistic Expectations...............................................................................................42

Unfair Comparisons.......................................................................................................43

Chapter 10: Safety and Side Effects to Consider with Intermittent Fasting44

Withdrawal......................................................................................................................44

Anxiety Attacks...............................................................................................................44

Digestive Distress...........................................................................................................44

Headaches.......................................................................................................................45

Diabetes...........................................................................................................................45

Pregnancy and Nursing.................................................................................................45

Digestive Disorders........................................................................................................45

Eating Disorders.............................................................................................................46

Chapter 11: What happens inside Your Fasting Body........................................47

Physical Changes............................................................................................................47

Mental Changes..............................................................................................................48

Emotional Changes........................................................................................................49

Chapter 12: Intermittent Fasting Concerns for Women....................................52

Female Hormones and intermittent fasting...............................................................52

A Gentle Fasting Solution for Women.........................................................................53

Intermittent Fasting and the Female Body................................................................54

Using Intermittent Fasting to Help with Periods......................................................55

Does Intermittent Fasting Slow Down Metabolism?................................................55

Is Intermittent Fasting Safe for all Women?..............................................................56

How Intermittent Fasting Affects Women Differently Than Men...........................56

Effects of Intermittent fasting for Women..................................................................57

Pregnancy and Fasting..................................................................................................58

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Intermittent Fasting..........................................58

Chapter 13: Troubleshooting Your Fast..................................................................59

Ways to Troubleshoot Your Method............................................................................59

Ways to Pull it Back Together......................................................................................60

Signs it is Time to Stop..................................................................................................61

Chapter 14: How to know when you are hungry vs when you are starving..62

Tips to Control Hunger..................................................................................................62

Signs of Starvation.........................................................................................................63

Ways to Pull it Back Together......................................................................................63

Chapter 15: Fasting, Training, and Eating.............................................................65

Exercises to start with while fasting...........................................................................66

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Workouts.......................................................66

Tips on Working Out While Fasting.............................................................................67

Cardio Intensity..........................................................................................................67

Go High Intensity Once You Have Broken Your Fast............................................68

Eat High-Protein Meals.............................................................................................68

Keep on Snacking.......................................................................................................69

Chapter 16: Intermittent Fasting and the Ketogenic Diet................................70

Benefits of the combined program..............................................................................73

Tips for keto fasting.......................................................................................................73

The Benefits of Ketosis..................................................................................................74

Chapter 17: Aiming for Weight Loss and Muscle Building...............................75

Set Your Goals................................................................................................................75

Tailor Your Diet and Exercise to Your Body Goals....................................................75

Walking........................................................................................................................76

Jogging or Running....................................................................................................76

Cycling.........................................................................................................................77

Swimming....................................................................................................................77

Yoga..............................................................................................................................77

Martial Arts.................................................................................................................78

Aerobics Classes.........................................................................................................78

Muscle Toning and Muscle Building Exercises.........................................................78

Keeping Your Metabolism on Its Toes.........................................................................79

Calories and Macronutrients........................................................................................80

Chapter 18: The Common Mistakes of Intermittent Fasting and How to Avoid Them...............81

Giving up Too Soon........................................................................................................81

"Feasting" too much......................................................................................................81

Wrong Food Choices......................................................................................................81

Over-concentrating on the Eating Window................................................................81

Wrong Plan......................................................................................................................82

Stress...............................................................................................................................82

Forcing it.........................................................................................................................82

Rushing the Process.......................................................................................................82

Framing Unrealistic Expectations...............................................................................83

Not Drinking Enough Water.........................................................................................83

Obsessing Over the Clock.............................................................................................83

Chapter 19: Reflect on your Fasting Journey........................................................85

Adjusting Your Schedule...............................................................................................85

Assessing Your Progress...............................................................................................86

Reset and Press Ahead..................................................................................................88

Chapter 20: Intermittent Fasting Tips for success..............................................90

Develop a Schedule for Success..................................................................................90

Slow and Steady Wins the Race...................................................................................90

Break Your Fast the Right Way....................................................................................90

Fasting Workouts...........................................................................................................90

Strength Training...........................................................................................................91

Avoid Artificial Drinks...................................................................................................91

Keep Busy During Fasting Hours................................................................................91

Sleep and Stress.............................................................................................................91

Don’t make excuses.......................................................................................................92

Know yourself.................................................................................................................92

Drink plenty of water.....................................................................................................92

Eat properly....................................................................................................................92

Track your progress.......................................................................................................92

Find ways to reduce your stress..................................................................................93

Don’t Tell Anyone Who is Not Supportive..................................................................93

CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................94

Introduction

Thank you for downloading this intermittent fasting guide. Intermittent fasting is beneficial since it removes toxins and kick-starts your metabolism, turning your body into an effective fat-burning machine. Fasting helps to naturally reduce the body's fat by causing the metabolism to break down fat cells.

Other beneficial changes of fasting include alleviating minor aches and pains, increasing energy, and improving your mood.

This guidebook will provide you with all the information that you will need to get started with an intermittent fast. We will look at what this fast is all about, the health benefits that come with it, how to eat on this diet plan, and much more.

Intermittent fasting will eventually become the way that you live your regular, day-to-day life. After all, you are in this for the long haul. You didn’t make this decision hoping to achieve incredible results overnight. You decided to embark on this journey knowing that you will have a solid lifestyle plan for the rest of your life.

So, what are you waiting for? If you have made up your mind, then you can begin by defining what you want out of your new lifestyle. By making gradual and incremental changes to your lifestyle, you can begin to lose weight, feel better about yourself, and turbocharge your body’s systems.

In addition, don’t be afraid to surround yourself with like-minded people. They will help you keep your eyes on the prize while you recover your energies and get back in the fight.

The first few months might be a little difficult for you if you have never fasted before. Try easing into your fasts, as the book has suggested. Once you have progressed to someone who can fast for most of the day, try your utmost best to keep up with intermittent fasting. You will notice some real changes to your body and to your energy levels if you consistently fast for six months or more. Start fasting now and stick to it if you want to get the most out of intermittent fasting.

I have written this book as a step-by-step instruction manual of sorts in order to introduce you and walk you through the stages of your intermittent fasting journey. As you continue and turn this into an ongoing part of your lifestyle, we wish you all the best in your travels. The road may not always be easy but the benefits and experience you will gain along the way will certainly be worth it.

Chapter 1: Understanding Intermittent Fasting

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting (IF) is essentially the practice of restricting mealtimes, reducing snacking, or cutting out days of eating, based on the method one chooses. So many of us snack unconsciously or when we’re getting moody without any real hunger. So many of us eat unconsciously in general, and then we’re confused why our bodies are holding onto the weight. Intermittent fasting reminds the body what food is for, and it restarts that nutritional absorption potential. All you have to do is cut out the snacks, fast a few hours a day, or just drink water a few days a week.

IF is both a dietary choice and a lifestyle, but those who have the most success with IF will tell you that it became a lifestyle for them almost instantly. Sure, dieting plans and IF can match up nicely, but for some, IF requires no dietary change whatsoever. The point is to eat less and to eat less often. The brain and the body will respond in no time.

How Intermittent Fasting Works

It gives the body a break and provides a moment to recalibrate, basically. And with this recalibration, neurotransmitters are released easier in the brain, and one’s senses of hungry and full are adjusted back to how they should be. Once the food is eaten after the fast, too, nutritional absorption is boosted throughout the entire body, to the benefit of all of one’s organs.

Additionally, intermittent fasting recalibrates one’s hormones in relation to stress and hunger so that balanced mood, patience, and intellect can be increased despite the seeming lack of food. IF tells the brain and body to restart. It makes your system go back to basics and clean out any gunk, and a lot of that gunk tends to be stored fat or water weight. It sees the toxins in your body and refuses to let you hold onto them. Overall, IF proves that a change in routine can have great and lasting effects on one’s health.

Tips to Get Started

Plan your method

Don’t go into your first intermittent fast (or your fifth, for that matter!) without planning which method you’ll choose, based on your lifestyle, routines, and tendencies. 

Stick with your