By Fasting is a great way to lose excess weight and put yourself on a positive path towards optimal health and well being. There are many studies that show fasting is the most effective way to lose weight, but of course, there are some things which can be inhibiting weight loss for you. As with anything, you need to research and then put into practice the essentials for optimal fasting results. Let me highlight a few that may be stopping your progression.
5 reasons why fasting may not be working for you.
- You may not be consuming enough calories during the feeding window.
This is extremely detrimental for fat loss. Some people assume that if they just cut more calories, they will see results faster. This is further from the truth! There is no right or wrong with calorie consumption, but if you are very active, this needs to be taken into consideration. The more active you are, and this is especially true if you strength train, the more calories you will need to refuel and sustain you through the fasting period.
If fasting is to become a sustainable and effective method to lose body fat, you must consume the correct amount of nutrients for your body shape and type. Keep protein and vegetable levels high, whilst going easy on the carbohydrate consumption. - Could you be eating the wrong kind of food?
IF is great because it focus primarily on meal timing, rather than over emphasizing macro-nutrient breakdown. Just because this is so, does’t mean that it’s sign to eat as much junk food as possible. When we begin our feast after the fast, our bodies require key nutrients from high quality, whole food sources. Our bodies need to keep optimally performing when in a fasted state, just like in our feeding state. Focus on these key nutrients to keep your energy levels stable, and make the experience of IF a whole lot easier.
– Lean protein sources like fish, eggs & chicken
– Good carbs like sweet potato, oats and root vegetables
– Cruciferous veggies like broccoli, kale, spinach and asparagus
– Healthy fats such as olive oil, coconut oil. avocado and nuts. - You may be dehydrated during your fasting period.
Fasting or not, it’s important to keep as hydrated as possible, especially if you are active and sweating a lot. This is also a wonderful tactic in keeping the hunger at bay whilst fasting. When you are fasting, your body is breaking down components, and water is needed to detoxify and flush these out. Drinking water (or even herbal teas) will help you to feel full for longer stretches. This is a great tool to use when exercising fasted, as you are more likely to experience hunger during this time. - Training far too much, leading to over training.
When fasting, especially for long stretches of time, you must schedule your workouts accordingly. This is so you get the best benefits out of your workout, and feel energized and strong. If you do not cope well in a fasted state whilst straining, then it’s best to eat first, then schedule activities after a longer stretch of time. Fasted training is best performed in the morning, before you have breakfast. This works really well for me, as I fast from either after breakfast, or lunch time. Then I go without a couple of meals, sleep, and train in a fasted state. Not everyone can excel with this strategy, but do find out what does and does not work for you, so you can get the most out of your workout. - Not allocating the proper fasting time.
Fasting for 20 hours is a lot more beneficial for fat loss than a 12 hour fast. This is not always an achievable task, and you can get away with throwing some of these long duration fasts a couple of times a week. Doing it every day may not be realistic. I highly recommend pivoting between different fasting and feeding times, to keep your body guessing, and to also give you a nutritional break every so often. It’s especially helpful when you need to re-fuel for exercise or increase glycogen stores in your muscles for heavy weight training. I find this (for me anyway) to be highly beneficial. Test and trial some forms of fasting times to see what’s going to ignite the fat burning within your body.
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