Intermittent Fasting: Yay or Nay?

We had heard about Intermittent Fasting (IF) prior to starting Keto but hadn’t started practicing it until January. There are many types of intermittent fasting, but the one we decided to go with was 16:8–which is where you fast for 16 hours and eat during an 8 hour window. We chose this approach because we both have day jobs that keep us busy, so fasting through the morning is never a problem.

Typical fasting hours will be from 6pm-10am but we have adjusted based on the day or week as needed. Weekends are usually fast free, but we start back up again Sunday evening.

What have we gained from Intermittent Fasting?

• Mental clarity
• Reduced appetites
• More energy
• Feeling full sooner
• Though the weight hasn’t just fallen off like we would have hoped, we haven’t had large weight gain if we go off plan or have higher carb days, so in a way, IF is helping us manage our weight. @Fastingnews on Instagram is a really good resource when it comes to all things fasting. We refer to this account when we want to learn more about the different options and benefits. We also watch a lot of YouTube videos and research articles online.

Tools we use:

• Zero app (screenshots below) – this helps us track when we fast and allows us to take notes on how we feel (as needed). We are data people so this is really helpful when we need to refer back in time.

• Electrolyte supplements: we recently started adding Ultima all natural electrolytes to our water (think a natural powdered Gatorade with stevia)
• Multivitamin – to help full the gaps where we might be missing essential nutrients.
• Large water bottle: we each have a 1.5 gallon water bottle that we carry around to help us get our desired water goal in every day.

Something to note is that there are days our bodies tell us to eat, because it needs to be nourished, so WE EAT. We listen to our bodies and feed it when it is telling us to eat. This is something important to consider if you are new to Intermittent fasting–our best advice is “don’t over do it, take baby steps, and listen to your body.”