Jun 17, 20204 min read

How Intermittent Fasting Has Helped me??

"Intermittent Fasting isn't a diet, It's an order of eating". Intermittent fasting is a way of organising our meals so that we get the most out of it. It doesn't specify which food to eat rather it tells us when to eat. Why it is valuable to change when you're eating??

Intermittent Fasting is a great method to get lanky without going on a strict diet or without cutting our calories down to zero. Above all, it is a great way to keep muscle mass while getting slim. In today's time, it is a sort of buzzword which helps to lose bad weight off while maintaining a good weight because it desires very little change in habits.

It means that Intermittent Fasting is very simple to follow but significant, that will literally make a big difference. You can practice it on a daily basis or can follow it three or four times per week. I have tried Intermittent Fasting in this lockdown as I gained some weight. I lost almost 3kgs in just one month and above all, it made my body more vital and my energy level much higher.

I am listing the strategy that I followed to implement Intermittent Fasting in my routine :

Chose to banish eating lunch: I decided to eliminate having my lunch. I usually fast for sixteen hours, I stop eating after 7 Pm. I filled the interval between the breakfast and dinner with black coffee( without sugar), water, home made fruit juices and green tea.
The fasted state helped me to do my exercises in a better way: When I am in a fasted state, I do my morning exercises in a better way. When we do our exercises in a fasted state it helps our metabolism to become super flexible, therefore it acts faster. Thus, giving us more energy and stamina.
I always picked up the best nutritional choices, but permit myself a cheat meal 1- 2 times a week: I think it is necessary to follow cheat meals 1- 2 times a week so as to discard any kind of hankerings and to stop feeling that you are always on a hunger strike.
Don't fast every day: I never fast every day to get a lean and slim look. It is scientifically proven that those who follow Intermittent Fasting 2-3 times per week it works well for them.

Diet Plan

My routine during intermittent fasting is as follows:

Wake up at 5 AM in the morning.
Drink two glasses of warm water.
Morning Exercises for one hour from 6- 7 AM.
Breakfast at 8 AM consumed a bowl of vegetable oatmeal.
A brisk walking after having breakfast for 15 minutes.
Healthy snacking at 10 AM had a bowl of mixed fruits (Papaya, Grapes, Banana, Apple, Kiwi, Pomegranate)
Drink Black coffee at 2 PM.
Drink Orange juice at 5 PM
Dinner at 7 PM Boiled vegetables (Spinach, carrots, tomatoes, peas) but avoid consuming potatoes and Taro root.
15 minutes walk after eating dinner.

You can follow your own strategies which work best for you according to your lifestyle in order to implement intermittent fasting.

How Intermittent Fasting works?

When we are in the fasted state our body burns more fat because at that time the level of insulin is low which is not the case in the fed state. This is the main reason why we lose our weight with intermittent fasting.

Health Benefits

Intermittent fasting is not like a magic pill. It is a tool which will help us to achieve our goal of weight loss.

Weight loss: It helps us to shed our weight and belly fat without going on a hunger strike.
Inflammation: It helps to reduce inflammation and it is a great tool that helps us to fight against many chronic diseases.
Insulin resistance: It reduces the chances of insulin resistance, which further reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Heart health: It decreases bad cholesterol and blood triglycerides level which ensures a healthy heart.
Cancer: It prevents the risk of acquiring cancer.
Anti-ageing: It helps us to live longer.

So, we get so many benefits from intermittent fasting without the fuss of craving.

Who all should avoid Intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting is assuredly not for everyone. Following should avoid it:

Underweight: People who are underweight should definitely avoid it.
Eating Disorders: A person who is suffering from any kind of eating disorder such as binge, bulimia should avoid it because intermittent fasting requires one to follow a disciplined eating routine which can be a big challenge for those suffering from eating disorders.
Pregnant women: Pregnant ladies should avoid it because this is the time when the nutritional level of the baby has to be taken care of and practising intermittent fasting can lead to depletion of nutrients.
Diabetes- type 1: It helps to lower down the risk of type 2 diabetes which dependent on insulin resistance and doesn't prevent the risk of type 1 diabetes. A person suffering from type 1 diabetes should not follow it as they need to take regular and nutritious meals and not fast for long hours.
Strenuous Activities: Athletes training for sports, marathon etc needs to go on a diet and to restrict the calorie intake so as to bring their body in a shape. So, intermittent fasting may not be the best option in this case. During various matches, sports and strenuous activities the body needs proper nutrition at this time, which includes proper calorie and protein intake, which can go for a toss with this diet plan.
Low Blood Pressure: People suffering from hypotension should strictly avoid intermittent fasting because fasting helps us to lower down the blood pressure. It also causes an electrolyte imbalance which makes the heart more prone to arrhythmia.

CONCLUSION

Intermittent fasting is very simple and it is not challenging as dieting. Many people have gone through various methods so as to get rid of belly fat and to lose weight. They are starving or following a strict diet for achieving it but it has many disadvantages too as it can cause many deficiencies in the body. On the other hand, intermittent fasting is a great tool which provides us to lose weight without the hassle of starving. It not only helps to lose weight but also eliminates the toxins from the body. My seven letters of fasting are:

F- For a healthy

A- And active body

S- Self- discipline

T- Time lapse between dinner and breakfast

I - Improvement in eating habits

N- Nourishment

G- Going to be a great way to detox and reboot the system.