If your goal in 2025 is to lose excessive weight, then one lifestyle and dietary choice you could adopt is intermittent fasting. Some of you may have heard of this type of diet without considering it or even giving it a second thought.
However, you might want to step back and reconsider your stance on this one as intermittent fasting has over the years been widely acknowledged by both the medical and fitness communities as a good dietary plan for regulating insulin sensitivity, improving metabolic health and promoting a holistic way of living.
While other types of diets may have you focused on either restricting certain foods or counting your daily calorie requirement, intermittent fasting is more focused on when you have to eat as opposed to what you should consume.
Apart from this guide revealing the benefits of intermittent fasting for weight loss, you will also get to know what intermittent fasting is all about including the different intermittent fasting methods for beginners, the way intermittent fasting works, how you can get started in 2025, and those common myths surrounding intermittent fasting.
But we begin with the frequently asked question of what is intermittent fasting all about and what methods are available for beginners?
Intermittent Fasting Methods for Beginners
To start off, you should know that intermittent fasting is all about switching between periods of fasting and eating. During your period of fasting, your body will derive its energy supply from fat stores in your body while at the same time promoting quick repair at the cellular level which is great during your recovery phase.
With intermittent fasting, you do not necessarily have to restrict your diet to certain foods only, rather you focus your energy on maintaining a consistent eating routine that will see you fast for a period of time, then eat the food(s) of your choice for a specific period of time in a day.
To understand this dietary plan better, take a look at the different intermittent fasting methods for beginners below:
#1. 16/8 Intermittent Fasting Method
This is one of the most commonly practiced methods of intermittent fasting where you fast for a period of 16 hours a day then eat your preferred food(s) within a period of only 8 hours in the same day.
For example, you may decide to fast throughout the day only eating from 12PM to 8PM.
#2. 5:2 Intermittent Fasting Method
With the 5:2 intermittent fasting method you will eat as normally as possible for a period of five (5) days in a week and this will be followed by considerably dropping your daily calorie count by as much as 500 to 600 calories for two (2) days in the week.
Note that the two days do not have to be consecutive, so you can pick any two days of the week where you will reduce your daily calories.
#3. Eat-Stop-Eat Intermittent Fasting Method
For the Eat-Stop-Eat intermittent dating method, you will fast for a whole day (24 hours) for one or two times per week while you eat as you would normally do in the remaining days of the week.
For example, your last meal or dinner for a day could be at 8PM and you do not consume any food until 8PM of the next day.
#4. Alternate-Day Intermittent Fasting Method
Here you will simply alternate between the days that you eat and the days that you fast. You can also try out a number of variations and in one popular variation, your calorie count on the days that you fast can be about 500 calories.
#5. Warrior Diet Intermittent Fasting Method
The Warrior Diet intermittent fasting involves the consumption of small quantities of veggies and fruits in the daytime followed by the consumption of moderate portions of foods in the evening.
Whichever intermittent fasting method you decide to adopt today, you should only stick to that method or methods that meet both your lifestyle and fitness goals.
What You Should Know About The Workings of Intermittent Fasting
Whenever you engage in intermittent fasting you trigger a chain reaction that will change your entire physiology to optimize your metabolism and promote good health.
Some of these physiology changes include:
#1. Improved Insulin Sensitivity
As you engage in intermittent fasting, your body’s response to insulin improves and your insulin levels will more than likely drop. It is at the point of this drop in insulin levels that your body will begin to explore your fat stores as a viable source of energy.
The good thing about this is that on one hand your body will deplete excess fat stores and on the other hand your blood sugar levels will be regulated reducing your risk of type 3 diabetes while your metabolic functions also get a boost.
#2. Enhance Growth Hormone Levels and Increase Fat Loss
Whenever you perform an intermittent fast, your body releases a greater amount of growth hormones which leads to increased fat loss and skeletal muscle retention gains.
#3. Increased Cellular Repair
Intermittent fasting promotes autophagy which is a process whereby damaged cells are repaired and cellular functions are enhanced.
#4. Increased Metabolic Flexibility
You can improve your metabolic health through intermittent fasting. As you perform intermittent fasting, your blood glucose levels are depleted causing your body to source for energy elsewhere.
Your body then displays its metabolic flexibility by switching from using glucose as its primary source of energy to using fat stores
This leads to increased metabolic function, body heat or thermogenesis and lipolysis or fat loss.
#5. Improves Brain Functions
It is a well known fact that intermittent fasting can boost BDNF – brain-derived neurotrophic factor. The BDNF is a protein known to support and promote optimal brain function. BDNF is also known to help reduce a person’s risk of suffering from neurodegenerative ailments, such as; dementia and Alzheimer’s.
#6. Reduces Chronic Inflammation
Intermittent fasting is known to be beneficial to anyone suffering from chronic inflammation by reducing known inflammation markers.
Chronic inflammation can cause a myriad of health challenges like arthritis, rheumatism and cardiovascular concerns. However, intermittent fasting will reduce inflammation, boost your vitality while at the same time improving your overall health.
#7. Fasting for Brain Health and Longevity
It is widely believed that intermittent fasting is capable of promoting longevity by enhancing a person’s lifespan through boosting metabolic function, the reduction of oxidative stress levels and promoting increased cellular repair.
Is Intermittent Fasting for Everyone?
The simple answer to this question is No. Intermittent fasting is definitely not for every single person on the face of their earth.
So it is important that you seek the counsel of your physician before you start interacting, especially if you fall under one or more of these high risk groups:
- Pregnant and/or breastfeeding mothers
- Persons’ with a history of diagnosed eating disorders like anorexia
- Persons’ that are considerably underweight due to an underlying health condition.
What You Need to Do Before You Start Intermittent Fasting
Before you start intermittent fasting you need to do the following:
- Decide on which intermittent method suits your lifestyle and fitness goals. I would recommend that you start with the 16/8 intermittent fasting method as it is a beginner-friendly option where you fast for 16 hours a day and eat within the next 8 hours of the day.
- Take baby steps when starting your intermittent fasting. You need to allow your body to adapt to the change in your eating habits and this should be done gradually. Start with a moderate fasting window then gradually increase this window as you become more comfortable fasting.
- Always stay hydrated during your fast. Make sure you consume lots of water during your intermittent fasting a s this prevents both hunger pangs and dehydration.
- Consume nutrient-dense meals during your eating window to nourish your body. Make sure you consume lots of healthy fats, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins.
- Always pay attention to your body and regulate your fasting window accordingly. Make sure you reduce your fasting window if you experience any discomfort, irritability, or fatigue.
Intermittent Fasting Myths Fact Checked
There are a number of intermittent fasting myths that you may or may not have heard about. Nevertheless, these common myths will be debunked right here.
Myth #1: intermittent fasting will slow down your metabolic rate.
Fact: When you engage in intermittent fasting for a short period of time, you can boost your metabolic rate. This then leads to greater norepinephrine levels and thermogenesis (increased body heat) that will help you burn excess body fat.
Myth #2: Intermittent fasting will cause you to lose skeletal muscle mass gains.
Fact: You can preserve your skeletal muscle gains when you combine intermittent fasting with a strength training program.
Myth #3: Intermittent fasting is not safe for females.
Fact: Intermittent fasting can be successfully performed by women. However, there are some exceptions to this rule as intermittent fasting is not recommended for pregnant and/or breastfeeding women.
Essentially everyone including males and females should consult with a healthcare provider before starting an intermittent fasting program.
Conclusion
The benefits of intermittent fasting for weight loss cannot be overemphasized. So as you start your intermittent fasting program today be sure to consume nutrient-dense meals during your eating window in order to nourish your body after a fasting period.
Also, include a weight training program to preserve your muscle mass gains even as you lose excess body fat as your body utilizes fat stores as a source of energy during your strength training sessions.
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