Intermittent Fasting Tips – A Beginners Guide for how to start intermittent fasting – whether it’s 16/8, 18/6, 23/1 or one meal a day routine.
Intermittent Fasting Tips
These Intermittent Fasting Tips have been collected over the past 2.5 years of following a 16/8 Intermittent Fasting Routine.
I feel great while following this way of eating and naturally follow the routine without even thinking about it anymore. (And I get to enjoy indulgent meals like the above pictured coconut flour waffles!)
There are numerous health benefit associated with intermittent fasting, including improved blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. (Source.)
I found tons of inspiration and Intermittent Fasting advice in the book The 2 Meal Day. (Find it on Amazon here.) There’s all the science you need to know about Intermittent Fasting, plus loads of recipes and meal ideas.
The video on this page shows you what a typical day of meals looks like for me. And, I’ve shared a blog post in the past with even more Intermittent Fasting Meals that you can check out too.
What Is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is following a daily routine of a window of eating and then fasting for the remainder of the day. You can pick your eating/fasting routine to suit your lifestyle.
Some choose to skip breakfast and then eat from lunch until dinner. It means you don’t have to worry about what to eat for breakfast in the morning – just skip it!
The time frame options tend to be either:
- Eating for 4 and fasting for 20 hours or 20/4
- Eating for 5 and fasting for 19 hours or 19/5
- Eating for 6 and fasting for 18 hours or 18/6
- Eating for 8 and fasting for 16 hours or 16/8
You could also simply eat one huge meal a day (also known as OMAD) and fast for the rest of the day.
I eat between 8am and 4pm and then fast from 4pm until 8am the following morning. I tend to have a big breakfast such as the above pictured green shakshuka, a hearty lunch and then a snack before 4pm.
It’s what works for me as I homeschool my kids and tend to have breakfast and then our main, dinner type meal for lunch. (My kids don’t fast – I make them a light dinner, since they join me in having their main meal at lunch.)
If you’re new to intermittent fasting, try a couple of routines to find what works for you. Try and listen to your hunger cues, don’t push it or be disappointed in yourself if you find it a struggle to fast.
You may wish to start with trying fasting a couple of days a week, see how you feel and then increase it to daily if and when you feel like doing so.
Take it a day at a time – fasting isn’t for everyone. You may just prefer to stop eating at 6pm or try and quit night time snacking and you’ll find you feel better anyway.
What Can You Eat Or Drink During Fasting?
I stick to just water during my fasting window. Others find that they can have black coffee/tea without any sugar, sweetener or milk.
Just prior to 4pm I tend to have a small snack, bowl of soup or hot chocolate. This keeps me full for the rest of the day and I’m honestly just not hungry at all.
What To Eat During Your Eating Window
This is really up to you. What are your goals? Why are you following an intermittent fasting diet?
Some people count calories and aim for consuming around 1200 calories within their eating window. Others follow a low carb or keto diet and enjoy keto meals instead. There are hundreds of easy keto recipes in my recipe index, including the above pictured Keto Broccoli Casserole.
I rotate through eating regimes, depending on my goals at the time and what I feel like eating.
I love the way I feel while Intermittent Fasting and will be continuing this lifestyle for the foreseeable future.
More Helpful Fasting Resources:
16/8 Intermittent Fasting Experiment
Intermittent Fasting For Beginners
Intermittent Fasting Keto Meals
Disclaimer – this post is meant for informational post only and should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult with your health professional before making any dietary changes.
Disclosure – this post contains affiliate links.
