By Diet is predominantly the key to weight loss, and your ability to maintain that loss for life (if you choose to). The gym or lifting weights more like it – works alongside intermittent fasting to increase muscle mass as well as burn body fat. There is also the added benefit when building muscle mass; your body is developing more of a shape, increase in strength and decreasing your risk of disease.
The great news is that intermittent fasting works well on its own, without the need for going to the gym or exercising irrationally. But I’m not going to tell you not to go – as the mental, physical and psychological benefits of going to the gym are as good – if not better than the changes you experience on a surface level. Because of lockdown, I’ve come to appreciate the gym more than ever – and I was using it to help settle my mind and prepare me for the trials and tribulations I experience. We all handle our mind in different ways, and the gym is known as “my therapy session.” As a personal trainer and advocate for doing some form of exercise daily, I believe – and the evidence states -that we, as a human being, were equipped to move, not just sit at a desk for 8 hours daily.
If your goal is to connect the two dots’ daily, then I would like to share some of my fasting tips to get you there sooner.
4 Intermittent fasting tips to make your workouts even more useful for fat loss
- Always, always pick weight training above any other kind of exercise. Weight training has an endless list of benefits – but for those of us who want to lose body fat, gain strength and muscle mass – as well as maintain that throughout our lives – then we need to lift weights – and make it a priority over cardio. While I’m not saying that cardio is bad, too much of it can lead to disaster – especially long term. Stick to walking or bike riding as a leisurely activity. Lifting weights is ingrained in our DNA, and it’s essential for good health and longevity. I won’t go into the specifics of training in this post, but you can read about it on my website
- Fasting is not a get skinny quickly strategy. Yes, the results are pretty fast for some people, but for others, it doesn’t come by so fast. I can put my hand up to this one. I’ve always suffered when it comes to weight loss. It took me a good six months of diligent strategy and tweaking of my meals to finally start losing body fat. That’s just how it is for some of us. I’ve been a dieter for too long and had tormented my body with endless cardio. Plus, being low carb for years did not help. My insulin sensitivity was not the best. So, my strategy was to intermittently fast, and tackle the issues one at a time when the arises. This is what each of us has to do – and be patient in discovering what works best for us and keep up with it until it starts working.
- Fasting isn’t an excuse to eat poorly. If you want to lose weight and bring your health back to speed – you must eat well. Fasting can let you get away with some naughty habits and treats once in a while but think about your health long term. It’s essential to make it a high priority to eat a balanced diet, with the needed macros. Keep your protein high, include good quality fats, complex carbs and drink lots of water. We all need a treat once in a while, which is fine. Just don’t make it a habit to eat like tomorrow the food supply will end! It’s only fasting – remember that you can and will eat eventually. This is your ticket to natural health and fat loss.
- You have to stretch your time when fasting. Sticking to the tried and tested 16-hour fasts isn’t going to push your fat loss results further. You must attempt the big numbers, like 20- or 24-hour fasts. Why not aim for 36 hours. It’s not as bad as you think, and they are most definitely numbers you can work towards. Of course, the choice is ultimately yours. If you aren’t in the market to lose tones of weight, then you don’t need to do this. But let me say, the health benefits, even to those with beautiful physiques – is not to be dismissed. There is plenty of research out there to support this. It may help to do it with a friend or during a religious time. But do give it a try, you won’t regret it.
I do hope these help you. I have so much more in-depth content on my website -which I would love you to come along to and sign up for my weekly newsletter. I’ve also got many recipes and even training videos to inspire you.
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