Intermittent Fasting

Fasting has often been identified with many religious groups for the last several hundred years, particularly the Judeo-Christian sectors.  It has also been used as a form of protest or for political show.  When it comes to using fasting for weight-loss purposes though, fasting is a bit of a taboo.  I am here to help change that point of view.

What is fasting?  It is simply abstaining from food or drink or both for a period of time.  When we fast, our body looks for other sources of energy to burn.  If it's done right, fasting can cause our bodies to burn the excess fat we have stored instead of glucose.  After all, that is what the fat is there for in our bodies.

The key to fasting is doing it right.  I know it sounds weird to say that there is a wrong and a right way to not eat, but it's true.  There are so many elements to fasting including the before, the during, and the after that take a lot of careful planning.  Here are some simple rules to keep in mind for a successful fast:

Plan it Out

Before I even start a fast, I do a lot of pre-planning to make sure that it goes right.  The most important elements of a fast are the during and the after.  I want to make sure that I have all of the right supplies I need to have a successful fast.

Drink Water and Supplement Yourself

During the fast, I'm still going to be drinking water.  If I start feeling a little depleted, I might have a glass of some kind of juice, but water is still going to be my main staple.  Even though I'm not eating anything during the fast, I still make sure that I take my normal supplements.  I'm not going to miss out on the vital nutrients that my multivitamin provides even though I'm not having real food.  This, to me, is a crucial factor in the fast.

Don't Gorge on the Return

The most important part of the fast, in my opinion, is coming off of it.  The only way to end a fast is by eating, of course.  But what we eat is going to make or break the results of the fast.  If we come off of it and we go and gorge on a double cheeseburger, fries, a milkshake, and a bag of chips, then it has all been for nothing.  However, if we ease back into eating with healthy choices like an apple, some celery, or a small portion of healthy meat, then our body will adjust accordingly and still continue to burn fat while we readjust our bodies to providing energy through food.

Know Your Limits

The last bit of advice I would have to offer about fasting is knowing how long to do it.  Nobody ever said that a fast had to be for a certain amount of time.  Nobody ever said that we had to have an X number of meals a day.  Some people fast every day without even knowing it.  For example, I only eat twice a day.  It isn't because I'm starving myself or anything, but because I get so busy during the day that I forget what time it is.  I only eat if I'm really hungry.

Maybe you can fast by only eating two meals a day.  Maybe you decide to skip breakfast one day.  Maybe you skip breakfast and lunch.  Maybe you add dinner to the skip list.  A fast can be any number of hours in length, and you might not always be hungry during that time.  I've fasted for anywhere from six to thirty-six hours before!  The key is to know how long you want to do it before hand and sticking to that plan.

Here are some other tips to keep in mind about fasting:

If you're new to fasting, try starting off with smaller chunks of time first before moving up to larger amounts.

Don't fast too often.  It's okay to do it regularly, but fasting too often can make your body think you're starving, and it will start to store fat instead of burning it.  This hails back to knowing your limits.

Try to remove temptation before you start a fast.  Stay away from McDonald's and have somebody take the cookies out of the pantry until you're done!

Fasting isn't a contest.  If you start to feel "wrong" during the fast, it's okay to break it and eat something.  Just make sure that it's something healthy, and don't feel guilty regardless afterwards.  You can' always try again!

It's natural to feel a little weaker than normal during the fast.  That's because you're not going to have as much sugar floating in your blood.  I usually take a long nap at some point during my lengthier fasts, which also helps me stick to my goal of not eating!

If you would like more information on fasting, there is some great information at these two websites:

How To: Intermittent Fasting @ MarksDailyApple.com

Fasting @ WebMD.com