Are you not seeing the results of your intermittent fasting?
Are you giving up on Keto diet?
What if you’re told that weight loss and overall health can dramatically improve when these two are combined?
Learn how to do keto intermittent fasting properly through this article.
Plus: a list of the most common intermittent fasting mistakes.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent Fasting (IF) is a schedule that involves brief periods of fasting and unrestricted eating. It is different from most diet regimens because it is focused on “when to eat” than on “what to eat”.
What is Ketogenic Diet?
The ketogenic diet limits consumption to foods that are very low in carbs and high in fat. It aims to speed up metabolism by putting the body in the state of “ketosis”.
Keto Diet & Intermittent Fasting: Why Are They Better Together?
Keto diet and intermittent fasting are two of the most popular health trends of today. But many are not are aware that these two can make a powerful duo!
Learn the secret now…
Speeds up Ketosis
Ketosis is the key process to keto diet. It is a normal process, wherein the body turns to fats when the primary energy source (glucose) is depleted.
Since intermittent fasting requires a very low carb intake, the glucose levels don’t go too far from a certain point where the body is forced to burn fats.
Adding intermittent fasting to keto diet may be an effective way to jump-start weight loss.
Increases Fat Loss
Fat loss is higher with keto intermittent fasting compared to undertaking them individually.
Intermittent fasting stimulates heat production in the body, which may lead to the utilisation of stubborn fats. Studies suggest that IF can decrease body fat safely. (Remember: Not all fat loss regimens are safe!)
Listed below are some scholarly publications that attest to IF’s possible benefits:
- //www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev-nutr-071816-064634?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%3Dpubmed#_i24
- https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/intermittent-fasting/
- https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/102/2/464/4564588
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4516560/
Here’s the evidence:
According to a study published in 2016, IF with resistance training could decrease body fat mass, maintain muscle mass, and improve certain health-related bio-markers. This was concluded after 34-resistance trained men practised the 16/8 method for 8 weeks. Researchers noted that their fat loss is 14% higher than those in normal eating schedule.
This is supported by a 2016 review on 28 studies on the effects of intermittent fasting
Improves Athletic Performance
IF turns your body’s attention to fats because carbohydrate intake is low. Keto diet provides the body with high-fat and moderate protein allowance so that it has enough fat to burn while the body is building up muscles. This is beneficial to people who are looking to improve their athletic performance.
Also:
Some studies point out that intermittent fasting prolongs the satiety or the feeling that you are still full.
How to Do Intermittent Fasting Properly
In order to reap the benefits of IF, you will have to do it properly.
Here’s an expert guide on the two of the most popular methods:
16:8 Method
A lot of people prefer the 16/8 method because it is the easiest.
Why?
You just have to stop eating by 8:00 pm (just right for dinner), skip breakfast (which many already do) and eat again at 12:00 pm. Of course, you can change the time but it must always include 16 hours of fasting and an 8-hour window for eating.
5:2 Method
The 5:2 method has a charm of its own. You can eat on a normal pattern for 5 days a week, and then limit your calories to 500-600 grams per day for two days. Choose whichever days to you want to eat normally or fast, as long as there is at least one day of fasting between them.
The OMAD
OMAD or One Meal a Day is a diet regimen wherein a person should not eat for 23 hours straight. A 1 hour window is given to replenish the body with nutrients. It is important to make certain that recommended dietary allowance is reached within the 1 hour window.
The Multi Day Fasting
In Multi Day Fasting, you are to skip meals for at least 72 straight hours. You will entirely be dependent on water and supplements. This diet plan should only be practised by experienced faster’s. It is not recommended to directly jump on a multi day fasting if your body is not used to extreme diet restrictions.
Before trying out this method, start with a 16:8 or 5:2 for a month or two. Once you believe you’re totally ready for longer fasting, move to the OMAD. Get used to it for another 1-2 months before going into a multi day fasting.
“Normally” Doesn’t Mean “Everything”!
It is important to understand that “eat normally” does not mean “eat anything”. You still have to be conscious of the quality of your food.
If you spend the 8-hour or 2-day window binging on junk food, your weight loss efforts will still be in vain.
Every diet regimen should emphasise healthy food choices. Remember to eat Keto friendly to boost metabolism by lowering sugars and carbohydrates.
Common Intermittent Fasting Mistakes
Intermittent Fasting, even when combined with keto diet, may not be effective if you continue doing these:
Not Replenishing Electrolytes
At its metabolic state, the body uses plenty of electrolytes. During fasting, you’re not getting a lot of electrolytes from food.
Low electrolyte level causes a feeling of weakness, which could lead you to eat more. Severely low levels can lead to abnormal heart rhythm and seizures. So make sure to replenish these with an electrolyte drink during periods of eating.
Not Consuming Enough Fat
When you’re on keto intermittent fasting, your body doesn’t receive a lot of glucose. As a result, it burns the stored fats. When all the stored fats are used up, the body will get energy from the proteins in the muscles.
To maintain muscle mass, you have to consume enough fat to sustain the normal physiological processes. Ideally, fat should take up 70-80% of your daily calorie consumption.
But these fats should be obtained from healthy sources such as avocados, fatty fishes, and cheese.
Not Consuming Healthy Protein
Protein deficiency can lead to a slower metabolism, lack of focus, delayed healing of injuries, and fluid retention.
Beef and organs meats are excellent sources of high quality protein, meaning, they contain all the essential amino acids needed by the human body. They also contain a good amount of vitamin B12, folate, iron, and zinc.
Organic nuts are another healthy and relatively inexpensive source of protein. We recommend cheap bulk nuts that you can snack on during the non-fasting parts of the day.
Not Consuming Enough Water When Fasting
Increased fluid intake is important during keto + intermittent fasting in order to flush out the toxins and by-products of metabolism. Furthermore, water helps you feel full.
Water is also crucial for normal metabolism, digestion, and metabolism. Dehydration can cause weakness, dizziness, and confusion which you could mistake for signs of hunger.
A Very Important Reminder
Avoiding these intermittent fasting mistakes may improve your weight loss efforts.
However…..
Whichever diet regimen you plan to undertake, it is best to consult a physician first. Not every health trend works for everybody, particularly for those with existing health problems such as diabetes and hypertension.
Also, food intake is not everything. Regular exercise, enough rest, and a good state of mind are all needed to achieve the desired weight and improve overall health.
Ketogenic Endurance 
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