Intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet are two of the most popular weight loss diets of today and it’s possible to combine these two for a more effective weight loss plan. However, some people are misinformed when it comes to doing intermittent fasting on keto. So, before you join in the craze, here are some important things that you need to know.
What Is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting follows a certain eating method that cycles between normal eating and fasting. There are different types of intermittent fasting but the most popular is the 16/8 method. On this method, you can eat during an 8-hour time frame and fast for the remaining 16 hours. Some people follow the 5:2 method, or the 2 Day Diet where they eat normally for five consecutive days and fast for 2 days in a week.
Although intermittent fasting is mainly used for weight loss, some studies show that it also comes with many health benefits. According to Medical News Today,
Most current research suggests that intermittent fasting may be an effective weight management strategy. It is unlikely to be more beneficial than traditional calorie restriction, but some may find intermittent fasting easier.
Research has pointed out the many benefits of intermittent fasting. Aside from weight loss, it may also help to lower diabetes risk, improve heart and brain health, reduce cholesterol, reduce the risk of cancer, and help you live healthily for longer.
Intermittent Fasting On Keto
Since the ketogenic diet is designed to put your body into the state of ketosis resulting from extremely low carb intake, you are already “fasting” yourself of glucose and carbs. The act itself mimics the actual fasting that you will most likely experience in intermittent fasting. Because of this, it’s easy to understand why the two makes a perfect pair.
People who are already following the keto diet could amplify their weight loss results by incorporating intermittent fasting. Although weight loss is the biggest benefit of combining the two diets, following both intermittent fasting and keto can also come with a number of health benefits such as improving blood pressure, reducing inflammation, improving metabolic health, and minimizing cancer risk.
How to Do Intermittent Fasting on Keto
The best way to get started is to decide which method of intermittent fasting can work for you. If you’re new to the diet, opt for the method that requires you to fast for the shorter time of 13 hours a day and that should include those times when you’re asleep. If you get the recommended 7 – 9 hours of sleep per day, then you’ll essentially only be fasting for about 5 hours! Once you get comfortable with the 13-hour fast, increase your fasting time to 16 hours!
When the fasting period is over, you can go back to eating normally. However, since you’re on the ketogenic diet, you must focus only on eating high healthy fat, moderate protein and low carb foods. If you’ve already been on keto for a while, this should be easy for you to do.
Important Things to Keep In Mind
Combining intermittent fasting with the ketogenic diet is safe for everyone. However, those with a history of disordered eating must avoid intermittent fasting. People who are suffering from serious illnesses should first consult with a doctor before trying intermittent fasting.
Although combining both diets is truly effective for weight loss, this may not work for everyone! There are people who might find that fasting while following the keto diet is extremely difficult. Others might end up overeating after the fasting period, which obviously defeats the purpose.
It may be best to experiment first and see whether the combination works for you. If not, then you can simply go back to following keto or other diet like the Paleo Diet that you believe could be effective for you.
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