Intermittent Fasting
Mistakes to Avoid for Intermittent Fasting
Whenever you think of losing weight or losing a certain amount of kilos, you first make a list of the diets you can follow and the exercises you can do.
Out of all the diet programmes, one of the most popular is Intermittent Fasting (IF), which is more like a lifestyle than a diet.
Many researches have shown that intermittent fasting not only helps with your weight loss goals but also reduces your risk of many health conditions, which is absolutely fantastic.
However, following the IF diet is not as easy as it seems. There are many ways in which it can have the opposite effect, so you should pay attention to many mistakes while following such a diet.
Many approaches to intermittent fasting
Basically, intermittent fasting is when a person who wants to lose weight cycles between periods of fasting and eating. It’s more about the ‘when’ rather than the ‘what’ aspect of the diet.
This means that intermittent fasting limits one’s food intake to a shorter window of time, which helps reduce the consumption of extra calories.
The most popular methods of intermittent fasting are:
16:8 Method – This involves limiting your eating to an eight-hour window, in which you fast for 16 hours.
Eat-Stop-Eat – This method requires fasting for 24 hours and should be done once or twice a week.
5:2 Diet – This diet program allows a person to eat only 500-600 calories on two non-consecutive days of the week, while they can eat normally on the rest of the day.
Although there are many methods of intermittent fasting that you can resort to, but there are some mistakes that you can make that can hinder your weight loss process.
1. You’re Not Taking It Slow
When people switch to a particular diet, a common mistake they make is to jump right and not take it slow and steady.
People do the same thing with intermittent fasting. Given that average humans are used to eating after every few hours, going for a 24-hour fast may not be the best solution. Rather start with a small fast window and then gradually increase the frame.
If you try your best on your first try, you may not be consistent and may lose track over time.
2. You have chosen the wrong IF plan
Choosing the right IF planning is very important. If you choose a method that doesn’t go well with your sleeping schedule or your everyday routine, you could be doing more harm than good.
As mentioned earlier, beginners should start slow and not jump straight into a 24-hour fast. If you cannot follow this, you may end up eating more calories than usual, which can lead to unhealthy weight gain.
3. You’re Eating Too Much During Your Eating Window
Once you have committed and selected a plan, you should be concerned with the rules of planning.
However, just because you have been fasting for 24 hours or 16 hours, it does not mean that you are indulging in overeating during your meal window.
Do not try to hide the time when you were fasting, but practice eating consciously.
4. Your Diet Isn’t Nutritious Enough
One of the drawbacks of planning is that it focuses on when to eat, but it fails to tell what one should eat.
For those who really want to take advantage of the plan, they should indulge in eating nutritious, healthy food instead of resorting to processed, high calorie foods.
While you may have fasted for a long time, it is important that you only consume fibre-rich, low-calorie foods during your meal window. When you do this only then you will find some amount of change in yourself.
5. You Skip Meals When You’re Eating
Intermittent fasting is all about fasting when you are about to eat during the allotted eating window. But if you continue to fast and skip meals even while eating, then you are breaking your goals and planning.
This will only make you weak and, over time, deprive you of the energy to carry on.
6. You’re Not Drinking Enough Water
When you are on an intermittent fasting diet, there is no restriction on staying hydrated. Drinking water is an important factor in keeping your energy levels high when you are fasting.
If you do not drink enough water, then you may not be able to complete the diet plan. This can lead to fatigue, cramps, headaches and more.
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