Whichever method you choose, I recommend trying it for at least a week before you make any decisions on if you can do it or not. Fasting takes some getting used to. Most of us have never even skipped a meal let alone fasted for a long period of time. It takes a few days to get used to it, but once your body adjusts, you will feel less hunger pains and eventually, no hunger pains. When I feel hunger now, it is a mild sensation that is easy to ignore and it goes away with a simple glass of water or tea. When I am on long fasts I feel NO hunger at all. The body just gets used to it and stops sending those hunger signals to the brain. Fasting has now become a very easy and painless way for me to manage my weight while still eating all the foods that I love and crave.
Fasting every other day
Some people use the fasting every other day method. This consists of eating normally, three meals a day, every other day and fasting for an entire day every other day. This would mean that you would be fasting for approximately 35 hours every other day (assuming you stopped eating at 8pm on January 1st and broke your fast at 7am on January 3rd for example).
This is a very effective method. It does take some getting used to though as it incorporates very long fasts on a regular basis. If you try this method, give yourself a couple of weeks to really get on a schedule and get used to it. Your body will adjust though and you will find that you feel very little hunger or no hunger at all during your fasting days. This method is also a little less flexible, as inevitably there will be an event or celebration on your fast day that you would have to adjust your eating days for. You can still do this though as intermittent fasting can be adjusted no matter which method you use.
Eat, Stop, Eat
Brad Pilon created this method of fasting and it consists of incorporating a 24 hour fast 2-3 days per week. Those fasting days can move around as needed, which creates a high level of flexibility. You would eat normally on non-fasting days, three meals per day, then incorporate a 24 hour fast as your schedule allows. Finish eating at 8pm the night before a fast and then break that fast the next day at 8pm so you have fasted for a total of 24 hours. He also advocates for weight training. "Lift something heavy." as he puts it. He says use how much you eat to lose weight and use weight training to build muscle, not the other way around. More info at www.bradpilon.com
I like the flexibility of the Eat, Stop, Eat program and I also love how to the point Brad Pilon is.
Fast 5
Fast 5 is the method that I use with elements of Eat, Stop, Eat and Fasting Every Other Day. That is the beauty of fasting, you can really mix it up or follow one set plan, whatever works for you. I eat within a 5 hour window each day. The window can be any time you like 12-5, 5-10, 8-1. Whatever fits your schedule. This program was created by Dr. Bert Herring, more info at www.fast-5.com. You can even download his book FOR FREE if you sign in with your email address.
In my window (12 - 5pm) I eat a normal meal and then around 3pm or 4pm I will have a snack. I also incorporate one long fast per week which is usually 35-40 hours long. I find this creates a calorie deficit that keeps me on track if I over eat during my eating windows throughout the week.
The beauty of Fast 5 is that you can move the window to any 5 hour period, if a special dinner is planned then you just wait to eat until dinner time and then your window is open from that time on for five hours.
Flexibility
Flexibility
Whatever method you choose, intermittent fasting is flexible. Move it, mold it, adjust it to fit you and your lifestyle. Intermittent fasting allows you to eat the foods you love and not feel deprived. There is no time when you have to say, "I can't have that." You can have anything, you just may have to wait until you break your fast. Of course you don't want to binge and eat donuts all day long but one donut is fine. Everything in moderation.
Fasting allows you to enjoy food and live among the living. Go to that restaurant for that celebration dinner next week with you family, eat and enjoy! No counting, no substituting for low fat, and salad dressing on the side, no special meals or packaged powders, just real life food that realistically will include occasional treats.
Fasting = Freedom!
