While there are many different variations of IF, most involve eating normally for five days and then either fasting for the next two or restricting your calories to just 500-600 for the following two days. Unfortunately, this can be pretty challenging, especially in the beginning.
It’s easy to get sidetracked and have a sneaky snack after breaking your fast on Friday night. But with perseverance, you can stay on track with IF and reach your weight loss goals in no time! Here are the three best ways to stay on track with intermittent fasting:
Plan Before You Fast
Before you even start intermittent fasting, you should create a plan. This will help you avoid any unhealthy or unplanned binges, which can set you back or even completely derail your progress.
During your fast, you can have unlimited water and coffee. You can also have black tea or green tea, but no milk or sweeteners. Herbal teas are fine, too. You can also drink diet soda, but only on an IF schedule. You can eat any type of veggies, but avoid starchy veggies like potatoes, corn, and carrots, which have too many carbs.
You can eat fruits during your fast, but only low-sugar ones like blueberries and strawberries. Avoid high-sugar fruits like bananas and apples. You can also eat proteins like eggs, fish, chicken, and beans. You can also have nuts and seeds, but only if they are unsalted. You can also eat dairy, but only low-fat items like cottage cheese and fat-free yogurt.
Set Small, Achievable Goals
One downfall to intermittent fasting is that it can make you feel like you’re on an endless treadmill of not enough food, too much food, and then not enough food again. If you’re feeling frustrated, it’s important to set mini-goals to keep yourself motivated.
For example, instead of trying to go 16 hours without eating, try to ignore your hunger for as long as possible until you feel satisfied. While 16 hours without eating might be your ultimate goal, it’s important to take smaller steps and make sure they’re achievable so you don’t burn out.
Another suggestion is to track your results. If you’ve been struggling to lose weight, track your calories and note what you eat. If you’re consuming more calories than you’re burning, you’re going to gain weight—no matter what intermittent fasting method you’re following. Weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise. If you’re not seeing results, make changes to your diet.
Don’t Be Afraid of Fat
For a lot of people, intermittent fasting can be a bit challenging because it requires you to take in a lot of calories from fats. This can be difficult, especially if you have a low-fat diet. While it’s important to avoid unhealthy fats, like saturated fat, it’s actually alright to consume healthy fats.
Eating healthy fats, like nuts, seeds, avocado, coconut oil, or fish oil, can actually help with weight loss, digestion, and provide your body with essential vitamins and minerals. Try to avoid fatty, salty snacks, and try to have healthy fats at every meal.
You can even replace your usual fat-free salad dressing with an avocado or nut-based dressing. You can also try to replace butter with coconut oil and other healthy fats.
Find a meal plan you can stick to
Intermittent fasting is different for each person. What works for one person may not work for another. That’s why it’s so important to find a meal plan you can stick to.
For example, if you feel like you’re hungry all the time when you’re fasting, try extending your fasting window. If you don’t feel like you’re eating enough on your fasting days, try cutting your fasting window shorter. It’s important to listen to your body. If you’re feeling hungry, try drinking more water.
If you’re feeling full, try eating less or eating more slowly to help your body process the food better.
Track your food and calories
Finally, it’s important to track your calories. This will help you know exactly how much you’re eating and how many calories you’re consuming. While you might be eating less on fasting days, if you’re overeating on non-fasting days, you’re still not going to lose weight.
There are many different apps and websites that can help you track your calories and macros. There are even apps that will help you track your intermittent fasting schedule. Check out MyFitnessPal, a great app that will help you track your calories and macros. You can also use an app like this to help you track your fasting hours.
Don’t forget to celebrate your progress
Finally, it’s important not to get caught up in the numbers and the progress you’ve made. You might not see the weight loss you want right away, and that’s okay. It’s important to celebrate your progress.
Even if it’s just a pound or so, it’s important to be proud of yourself and give yourself credit where credit’s due. You might be surprised at how quickly things come together once you find a meal plan, you track your calories, and you stick to your intermittent fasting routine.
Conclusion
Intermittent fasting is one of the most effective ways to lose weight and improve your health. It can also increase your mental focus and improve your sleep. However, it can be a challenge to stay on track with IF. This is because you’re restricting your eating window to a small period of time.
If you want to reap the benefits of IF, it’s important to plan before you fast, set mini goals, and don’t be afraid of fats. Additionally, it’s important to find a meal plan that works for you and track your calories and macros.
