Method of Intermittent Fasting
The three most popular approaches to intermittent fasting are:
- Alternate-day fasting.
- Daily time-restricted fasting 16:8 method.
- 5-2 fasting.
Alternate day modified fasting is eating a typical diet one day and only about 25% of your typical calories the next day.
Example Weekly Schedule
- Monday: Normal eating day.
- Tuesday: Fasting day 25% of your typical calories.
- Wednesday: Normal eating day.
- Thursday: Fasting day 25% of your typical calories.
- Friday: Normal eating day.
- Saturday: Fasting day 25% of your typical calories.
- Sunday: Normal eating day.
Daily time-restricted fasting 16:8 method
Eat normally but only within an eight-hour window each day.
Example Daily Schedule
- 6.00PM -10.00AM: Fasting period.
- 10:00 AM – 6:00PM: Eating window.
Example Meals
- Breakfast at 10:00 AM.
- Snack at 2:00 PM.
- Dinner at 5:00 PM.
In a 5:2 diet, you eat “normally” five days out of the week. These are your non-fasting days. The other two days are fasting days. You consume fewer calories on those days depending on your sex:
- 500 calories for women.
- 600 calories for men.
When you create your 5:2 schedule, try to separate fasting days as much as possible
An ideal spacing would be to allow two to three days of non-fasting days in between the fasting days. It is essential to allow for at least one non-fasting day in between
Example Weekly Schedule:
Monday: Normal eating.
Tuesday: Fasting day (500 calories women / 600 calories men).
Wednesday: Normal eating.
Thursday: Normal eating.
Friday: Fasting day (500 calories women / 600 calories men).
Saturday: Normal eating.
Sunday: Normal eating.
On fasting days, low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods are recommended. Focus on lean protein and non-starchy vegetables. These foods provide nutrients and fiber that:
- Aid digestion.
- Manage blood sugar
- Help you feel full longer.
Foods to avoid on fasting days include:
- Caloric beverages. That includes alcohol and coffee drinks that include foods like sugar, milk or cream. Plain black coffee is OK.
- Carbohydrates, such as breads, pasta, rice, potatoes and most fruits.
- Fats, including butter, oils, nuts, sauces and condiments that are high in fat.
How you consume calories on fasting days is up to you. You might split your calories into two or three small meals or have a combination of meals and snacks.
For a filling 250-calorie meal, try a piece of white fish about the size of your palm and four cups of spinach, or a bowl of chicken and vegetable soup .You could also have a 150-calorie protein shake as a mid-day snack and still have 100 or 200 calories left for the rest of the day.
Try this Italian vegetable soup recipe. Add chicken for protein or enjoy with chicken breast on the side.
What you eat the other five days of the week matters, too. To realize the full benefits of the 5:2 diet, stick to your recommended number of calories and eat as healthy as possible.
Foods to enjoy on non-fasting days include:
- Fruits and vegetables.
- Lean proteins.
- Legumes, including beans and lentils.
- Low-fat and nonfat dairy products.
- Nuts and seeds.
- Whole grains.
- Healthy fat, such as extra virgin olive oil, nuts and seeds.
Which Style Is Best for Beginners?
Some of the styles described above can be very difficult for beginners since they require long periods of time where you eat nothing or very little. A good option for beginners, then, is to fast for a set number of hours each day. This option allows you to start with fasting for around 12 hours a day, most of which you will be asleep. After you get more comfortable with 12-hour fasts, you can slowly lengthen the time of the fast. With this in mind, a common intermittent fasting schedule is 16:8 intermittent fasting, where you eat during an 8-hour period of the day and fast for the remaining 16 hours. An example schedule of this is shown below
References
What To Know About the 5:2 Diet (clevelandclinic) (https://health.clevelandclinic.org/5-2-diet)
A Beginner’s Guide to Intermittent Fasting(a school of public health )( https://sph.umich.edu/pursuit/2019posts/beginners-guide-to-intermittent-fasting.html)
What to Know About Alternate Day Fasting(healthline)( https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/alternate-day-fasting-guide)
Related Topics
Other Specialities
Fasting
Fasting refers to abstaining from food and drink for a certain period of time, usually in line with religious beliefs. Fasting, practiced by Muslims during Ramadan, covers a period from sunrise to sunset. Some of the benefits of fasting can include resting the digestive system, weight control and regulating metabolism.
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