Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is a pattern of eating, it’s scheduling your meals so that you get the most out of them. Intermittent fasting does not change what you eat but when you eat. Intermittent fasting has been shown to be safe and incredibly effective as any other diet.

It is also a good way to keep muscle mass while getting lean.

Fasting puts your body in a fat burning state that you rarely make it to during a normal eating schedule.

Examples of various Intermittent Fasting Schedules

There are a few options to consider if you want to try intermittent fasting.

Daily Intermittent Fasting

The daily intermittent fasting schedule also called the Leangains model uses a 16-hour fast followed by an 8-hour eating period. It does not matter when you start your 8-hour eating period, do whatever works for you.

Given that daily intermittent fasting is done everyday it becomes very easy to get into the habit of eating on this schedule.

 

Alternate Day Intermittent Fasting

Alternate day intermittent fasting incorporates longer fasting periods on alternate days throughout the week. For instance you would eat dinner on Monday night and then not eat anything again until Tuesday evening. On Wednesday you eat all day and then start the 24-hour fasting cycle again after dinner on Wednesday evening.  

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Shakes!

Shakes or smoothies are excellent for weight loss and are a good choice on busy mornings as all you need is a blender.

Smoothies are a great source of vitamins, protein and fiber. Start by deciding which recipe you want to make then add ingredients to the blender. You want to make sure that the easier to blend items such as greens, spinach or kale are at the bottom. Then add the thicker items like berries or fruit. Blend the mixture until smooth. Now enjoy.

Tip do not add sugar, fruit juices or supplement powered to the shake as you want to keep it as natural as possible to maximize the weight loss effect. Let me know your favorite smoothie recipe in the comments below.    

Meal Prepping

Meal prepping is the process of planning and creating your meals ahead of schedule, usually for the upcoming week. Meal prepping can help you save money and lose weight.

Meal prepping saves you time and helps to ensure that you eat healthier foods in proper portions as opposed to eating quick processed meals or snacks.

Start meal prepping with recipes you already know so that you don’t frustrate yourself and when you are comfortable you can add new recipes.

Pick a day to prepare your meals the best choice is Sunday since it is the beginning of the week. Wednesday is also used since it allows you to prepare fresh meal in the middle of the week.

Chose which meals you are going to prepare first, that is breakfast, lunch or dinner. Now decide on the recipes you are going to make. Tip is to vary the menu so that you are not stuck eating the same thing every day.

Storage of the prepared meals is very important. You don’t want to pile all your delicious food into one big box and then have a mound of goop to eat. You want to be able to divide each part of your meal and prevent cross contamination. Make sure that your containers are BPA free, clear and of the same size. Tip is to use glass containers where possible since they are reusable and helps save the environment.

Well happy meal prepping! Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.