Intermittent Fasting For Fitness (and Health)

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Eat every few hours to keep your metabolism going.

Have a healthy snack between meals to lose weight.

I bet you’ve all heard these before, right? Is there any truth or helpful advice in there?

NO!

You can exercise all day long and have the best fitness regime going, but if you’re eating too much of the wrong type of food then nothing will change. You might even end up fatter.

Unfair? I know! Your diet plays such a critical role in your overall health and fitness, and it’s been my passion for so many years now to help and bring the truth to as many people as possible so they can make more informed choices.

How did intermittent fasting help? Fasting to fitness

Eating within an 8-hour window (called intermittent fasting) during the day dramatically helps shift your weight when you start your weight loss journey way back when. But can you go back to eating your previous foods and enjoy snacks all day long? No way! That’s the real key here.

I don’t encourage any kind of fad diets or quick fixes – because honestly, they only work in the short term (if at all). I’m much more interested in encouraging a healthy way of living – forever – and making sure you have the unbiased facts and knowledge you need to make the right choices for you and your body.

But please don’t let anyone make you think that fasting means starving yourself.

The facts about intermittent fasting and weight loss

While you might instantly think of periods of not eating when you hear the word ‘fasting’, in this sense it just means eating only within a certain timeframe and eating the right kinds of foods to offer your body the best fuel.

The main benefit of intermittent fasting for weight loss is that your body becomes a fat-burning machine, meaning that most people do see a steady shift in their weight loss. I say steady because this is a lifestyle choice. The weight probably took years to add on, so it won’t (and shouldn’t) fall off you overnight. You’re essentially retraining your body’s cells to burn fat more effectively.

When you fast intermittently, the following changes take place in your body:

• Insulin levels drop, which means your body goes to fat sources for fuel and burns them quicker than before
• Your metabolic rate increases dramatically, meaning that more fat is burnt
• Your hunger levels drop because of the lower calorie intake (you’re not munching all day) as well as the more efficient use of the food you are eating

I know from my own experience that intermittent fasting also helps with so many other things like improved sleep, better condition of hair and skin, and much more energy.

How do I get started?

Start slow and pick a window of time, say 7am – 6pm for your eating window – then gradually reduce that time when you’re comfortable, after a few days or a week.

Eat 2-3 substantial, healthy meals that keep you full and bursting with energy.

Then, you need to really look at what you’re providing your body within that eating period – it’s not an excuse to load up on junk food!! Higher fat and lower carbohydrate meals will give your body the energy it needs for fuel and keep the hunger pangs away. Read more about this type of eating and some of Melissa McAllister’s meal ideas.

In Melissa McAllister’s free ebook, The 8 Hour Abs Diet, she goes into much more detail about how intermittent fasting can work for you to have a healthier lifestyle, lose weight, and be happy.

As always, any change in diet should be discussed with your physician, especially if you’re on medication, are pregnant, or suffering from any kind of medical condition.