
In the race towards real fat loss results, having a variety of strategies at your disposal is key. And while traditional fasting is not something I would recommend, intermittent fasting might be a viable option to bring you closer to your fat loss goals.
Intermittent fasting is similar to interval training, in the sense that you actually structure your eating habits such that you don’t eat anything for some designated period of the day. This period can range from a few hours to 15 or 16 hours – up to 2/3 of your day.
For example, you might only allow yourself to eat between 10:00 in the morning and 6:00 in the evening. Or you might only eat between 12:00 noon and 8:00 at night. Although this goes against more conventional thinking about healthy eating, new research is showing that alternating between periods of low calorie and high calorie intake can actually lead to increased fat burning.
While it’s important to get your metabolism revved up, diet isn’t the only way. Exercise can also help you get there, and the intermittent periods of fasting can help reduce your overall calorie intake, leading to some serious toning and fat burning results.
You can read more about intermittent fasting here – Intermittent Fasting for Fat Loss
Who Should Try Intermittent Fasting?
I definitely recommend intermittent fasting for the more serious and dedicated fitness enthusiasts. It’s definitely a more extreme approach to fitness and workout nutrition, and you need to be really committed to trying something new. But if you think you can handle it, it might be just what you need to jolt your system and take things to the next level.
If you’re up for it, here are 3 factors that you need to consider to attain fat loss success through intermittent fasting…
1. Fear of Being Hungry – First, you need to get over your fear of being hungry. This is a fear that has really been created by this constant fueling mindset. What I mean by that is that the fitness world has really convinced us all that we need to be eating every second of the day in order to see results. But the truth is, we can slow down from time to time and give our digestive system a break. Being hungry for a couple hours is okay, and I’ve learned from personal experience that this is not going to sabotage your fitness efforts.
2. Eating the Wrong Calories – Focusing only on caloric intake is a huge mistake, as it says nothing about what you’re eating. The most important thing to think about is where your calories are coming from. Look at your nutritional labels. You want most of your calories coming from healthy, complex carbohydrates, fiber, and protein, and less coming from sugar and fats. One of the biggest mistakes during any kind of fasting plan is to binge on junk food when your fasting period ends. Think healthy, always.
3. Watching the Clock – Lastly, whether you’re on an intermittent fasting plan or just trying to eat healthy, you’ve got to stop watching the clock. Scheduling your day around food and anticipating the next meal like it’s Christmas morning is only going to lead to bigger cravings and a lot of anxiety surrounding food. Don’t let your food plan control you. When it comes to intermittent fasting, you have to get out of this mindset to do it successfully.
Think about these factors, and consider trying an intermittent fasting diet. Even just a few weeks of this kind of plan can be enough to jumpstart your metabolism and get you closer to fat loss success. If you’re looking for a good diet plan to follow during the hours you can eat, I recommend my Paleo Diet for Athletes. You can also check out my Ultimate Fat Loss Diet Plan here.
Have any questions or feedback about these Intermittent Fasting & Fat Loss Success Factors? Please leave a comment below…
Sam Omidi is the founder of Weight Loss and Training and is accredited with a Bachelors in Kinesiology as well as certification in Nutritional Sciences, Personal Training and Advanced Exercise Nutrition. Follow Sam via Twitter @samomidi
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