Intermittent Fasting Quick Start Guide

If you’re looking for an easy weight-loss plan, or even an easier way to maintain the

weight you’ve lost, intermittent fasting may be the plan you’re looking for.

Intermittent fasting is getting popular. These celebs follow intermittent fasting plans,

and there’s even scientific research backing it up.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent Fasting is an eating pattern where you eat during a small time-frame

within 24 hours, then fast for the rest of the 24 hours.

No certain foods, or whole food groups, are off limits. There’s no special food

combining, either.

It’s basically this: Intermittent fasting is based on calorie reduction. It also forces

your body into a fat burning mode, during the fasting times.

The best part? YOU get to choose the plan that works best for your lifestyle.

There are no right or wrongs. You just need to eat sensibly during your eating time-

frame, then fast for anywhere from 12-16 hours.

It doesn’t matter if you choose to eat at 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. or at 10:00 a.m. and

6:00 p.m.; you can find an 8-hour time frame that works for your schedule and your

family.

Or, another plan may suit you better.

There are different patterns of fasting and eating. You choose the best for you.

Intermittent Fasting Options/Time-Frames

You can try any of these IF plans (or come up with one that works better for

you):

16 Hour Fasting/Eating During 8 Hour Time Frame:

This is the plan I do the most; it works for me and my schedule, and always has.

(Read my ABOUT page to learn when I started IF, which was way before it even

had a name!)

This plan requires you to eat during an 8-hour time frame, then fast for 16 hours.

24 Hour Fasting:

This is when you fast for a whole 24 hours on one (or two) days of the week.

The 5 and 2 Plan:

This is where you eat normally for five days of the week, but on the two other days,

you restrict your calories greatly. You only eat around 500 calories each of these two

days. (Or the equivalent of one small meal.)

One Meal/24 Hours:

This method is sometimes used by some people due to their schedules; they only eat

one large meal during a 24-hour time frame.

Or, try this IF plan:

The 12/12 plan, which is easiest for many people, especially if you’re just starting

out.

You may eat from 7:00 a.m. and finish eating by 7:00 p.m. (Or, depending on your

schedule, you may do 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.)

The Key to Intermittent Fasting

Whatever time-frame you choose, be sure to finish eating at the end time.

So, if your end-time is 7:00 p.m., BE FINISHED by 7:00 p.m., and then don’t eat

anything until at least 7:00 a.m. the next day. If you can wait until 8:00 a.m. or 9:00

a.m. to eat, that’s even better.

(Note: You can drink unlimited water and unsweetened tea during your fasting time;

but we’ll get to more on that soon.)

You’ll have to find what works best for your schedule.

But, there is no right or wrong times; just be sure to fast for 12-16 hours.

If you want to try Intermittent Fasting, you’ll need to find which of these methods

suits your lifestyle, your work schedule, and your family’s schedule.

IF Flexibility

That’s why so many people find IF to be convenient and easy.

The timing is flexible, and you can eat whatever foods you like best, as long as you

eat sensibly (and don’t eat too much) during your time frame.

Me? I like the 16/8 plan, mostly because I’m not a breakfast lover; I have a hard time

eating first thing in the morning.

But, I can eat around 10:00 a.m., then I try to eat at 5:00 or 6:00 in the evening. (This

works best for me and for my husband’s schedule, so just figure out what will work

best for you and your family.)

The Best Plan for Many People…

As it turns out, many folks find it easier, like me, to skip breakfast and just have

some coffee or tea. (Unlimited water will fill you up ‘til you eat later!)

Then, you can eat your lunch and supper in your chosen time frame.

How IF Helps You Lose Weight

When you fast, your body uses stored fat during the fasting process; fasting makes

it easier for your body to use stored fat when it needs fuel.

Another plus: When fasting, your hormone levels change, which is what initiates the

fat burning process.

Here’s what happens in your body when you fast (according to this article):

• Fasting makes the HGH (Human Growth Hormone) increase in your body.

HGH is responsible for things like fat loss and muscle growth.

• Insulin levels drop. And according to this science backed article, your body

uses stored fat more easily when insulin levels are low; this can help you lose

more weight.

• During fasting, cells enter the repair process.

• Fasting may alter gene behavior to allow for disease protection.

Nothing to sneeze at, right?

How Does Intermittent Fasting Help You Lose Weight?

Calorie reduction is the main component of intermittent fasting. If you think about

it, you’re skipping at least one meal, if not more.

Remember: Intermittent Fasting is a pattern of eating; it helps you reduce your

calorie consumption, and helps your body go into fat-burning mode.

And the best part? It’s fairly simple, if you find the right eating cycle for your

lifestyle.

(You may have to experiment with the IF plans to see what works best for you.)

No matter which option you choose, you’re eliminating calories by eliminating

meals you would normally eat.

For example:

• If you choose the 16/8 plan, you’re probably going to be only eating 2 meals

a day.

• If you choose the one meal a day plan, you’re eliminating two meals.

• If you choose the 5/2 plan, you’ll be eliminating an excess number of calories

on two days of the week.

• If you choose the 24-hour fasting plan, you may be eliminating a whole day’s

worth of calories (or 2 days) each week.

If you choose the 12/12 plan, it’s just easier for most people to fit into their

schedules.

BUT…DON’ T DO THIS:

Don’t eat extra calories, just because you plan to have a 12-hour time-frame to eat,

instead of an 8-hour time frame.

You still need to have only small meals during that time, or maybe just your

breakfast & dinner, or your lunch and dinner.

A longer eating time-frame isn’t for eating extra food; it’s for the convenience of the

schedule.

Calorie Reduction

So, for example, if you eliminate 2000 calories per week that you’d normally eat,

that means you’ve reduced your calorie intake by 8000 calories in a month.

Remember that 3500 calories = one pound; so, by eliminating those 8000 calories

each month, you can lose around 2.5 pounds per month.

Keep in mind: This is only an example, and you may actually be reducing your

calories more than that, depending on what IF option you choose AND the number

of calories you take in daily.

Your body and your weight loss will be different from everyone else’s weight-loss.

It may also depend on your age, gender, height, weight, health, activity level,

metabolism, any meds you’re on, etc.

Science Backed Research

There’s science behind Intermittent Fasting: A 2014 study showed that people

lost an average of 3-8% of their body weight when doing IF anywhere from a 3-24

week time period.

This research showed even more promising results with Intermittent Fasting:

• People lost belly fat, anywhere from 4%-7% around their waist.

• IF may help prevent disease, and even help us to live longer, according to this

study and this study.

IF and Muscle Mass

When you go on a diet, and lose body weight, you often lose muscle mass, too.

But, with IF, this study shows that less muscle mass is lost, when compared to

traditional calorie restriction.

It showed that about one quarter of the body weight lost with traditional calorie

restriction was muscle; with IF, it showed that only a tenth of the weight lost was

muscle.

That’s even more good news to support IF!

Can You Drink Alcohol During IF?

The whole idea of intermittent fasting is to reduce calories, and put your body into a

fat burning mode.

So, during intermittent fasting, you still need to watch your calorie intake.

That said, alcohol is full of empty calories that can bring your total up.

Is it okay to have a glass of wine on Saturday evening?

As long as you don't have any medical conditions, or medications, that prohibit you

from drinking alcohol, it's probably fine, as long as you add those calories in to your

total.

And don’t drink much, and don’t drink every day. (Check with your doctor about

alcohol intake.)

The same holds true for dessert.

If you want a sweet treat, just treat yourself occasionally, add it to your total calories,

and eat something that’s a small individual portion, like a low-calorie yogurt bar or

a cup of sliced strawberries, topped with a tablespoon of fat-free whipped topping.

Just be sensible.

Eat healthy meals as much as possible, and don’t over-indulge in any high fat or high

calorie food.

You definitely don’t want to negate the hard work you’ve already done by undoing

it and eating too much!

Intermittent Fasting “Rules”

I’ve found that IF is a great way to lose, and maintain, weight loss.

But you need to remember this:

Intermittent Fasting works because you’re reducing your calorie intake.

So, there’s one “Rule” you really need to follow: You CAN’T double up on food at

each meal, because you’re eliminating other meals.

It won’t work that way.

If you’re thinking, “Hey, I can eat more since I skipped my so & so meal,” then you

can think again.

DON’T fool yourself into thinking you can double up on food just ‘cause you’re

skipping other meals.

If you do that, then you’re missing the whole point of IF, and you won’t succeed.

“Rules” for Intermittent Fasting

You’ll need to play around with an intermittent fasting schedule to figure out what

works best for you and your schedule.

There aren’t any rules, just some general guidelines.

The idea is to pick an eating pattern, so you can reduce your calorie intake.

Why intermittent fasting works for me, and why I chose the 16/8 plan: I’m not a

breakfast kinda gal, so it doesn’t bother me a bit to wait to eat later after getting up.

I want a cup of coffee, but I don’t care about food early. That’s why I try to eat

around 10:00 a.m., then the last meal around 5:00 or 6:00 p.m.

So, I just decided that the 16/8 plan would work best for me.

If you’re trying to decide on a plan, think about these guidelines.

General Guidelines:

1. Eat healthy foods at each meal. Just because you’re skipping other meals to

reduce calories should not be an excuse to fill up on sugary and/or high fat

foods.

2. Eat “normal” meals that are healthy. For example, eat meals that include a

lean protein, healthy veggies, a whole grain, and maybe a serving of fresh fruit

for dessert.

And don’t allow yourself to get second servings or extra-large portions; you

don’t want to negate the calories you’re eliminating.

3. Stick with it. Just like any other diet out there, you have to be patient and

consistent. Give it some time and find which eating pattern works best for

your lifestyle. The easier it is for you, the longer you’re more likely to stick

to it. It may take time to figure out what works best for you, then you need to

stick with that pattern until you reach your goal.

4. You can drink unlimited water, coffee, or unsweetened tea. IF you drink a

beverage with calories, be sure to add the calories to your total for the day.

And remember: If you’re doing this with your husband, he may be able to eat more

than you can. (He may be bigger, with more muscle mass, etc.)

I had to learn this, too. When we do IF together, I have to remember that my honey

can consume more calories than me, and I need to eat less than him.

How Many Calories Do You Need to Lose Weight?

Like I said earlier, everyone loses weight at a different rate, depending on the number

of calories ingested/burned. This also depends on a lot of different things, like

gender, height, weight, activity level, muscle mass, etc.

If you don’t know how many calories you need each day to lose weight, you can use

the calorie calculator on the home page of my blog.

If you still feel like you need more help, you may want to seek help from your doctor,

a nutritionist, or a certified weight-loss professional.

Exercise

While doing an intermittent fasting plan, try to add in some exercise, if possible.

You can hit the gym, go for a jog, or take a hike.

If you’re not a gym fan, try to get in a 30-minute daily walk, ride your bike or a

stationary bike, or even jump on a mini-trampoline while you catch up on your

favorite shows. (Read this to learn how I lost weight with a mini-tramp after I had

twins.)

Exercise can help rev up your metabolism, and toning is an added plus.

Whatever you do, please check with your doctor before you start an exercise

program, especially if you’ve been sedentary a long time or have any medical

conditions.

Another plus about exercise?

When you exercise regularly, it makes you not want to “un-do” your hard work by

eating too much or too much junk. Exercise not only helps your body, it helps to

motivate your mind. (Or at least it does that to me!)

IF Daily Meal Examples

If you plan to try the 16/8 plan, like me, here are some examples of my meals. Maybe

this will help you understand how easy it really is.

I try to make my meals equal about 1200-1300 calories, plus a 100-calorie snack if

I’m starving.

I shoot for my first meal at 10:00 a.m. and the last between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. (This

is just what works for me. You may find another time frame works better for you.)

TIP: There will be times when you'll need to adjust your eating schedule to fit your

IF fasting schedule.

For example, if you know you have a special dinner one evening, and you know you

won't be able to eat before 7:00 p.m., then you may have to wait and eat your first

meal around 11:00 or 11:30 a.m.

Another tip: You'll need to plan around activities, too.

For example, say your kiddos have a soccer game at 6:00 p.m., and it takes a while

to get everyone together and get there, then that day you might wanna plan a meal

you can take with you; you can pack a meal, and eat on the sidelines while you watch

the game.

If you have a busy life with kids, work, a spouse, and lots of afternoon & evening

activities, you'll have to learn to be flexible, depending on your daily schedule.

But remember... flexibility is one thing that's so great about intermittent fasting.

If you have issues with one fasting option one week, then you can just switch to

another intermittent fasting option that week, or even alternate days; do what works

for you and your schedule.

And FYI: If I get hungry, I allow myself 1-100 calorie pack of nuts or one carton of

high protein, low-fat yogurt around mid-day.

Meal examples (Calories are approximate):

(FYI: When I first get up, I do drink a large glass of water. I then allow myself a

large mug of coffee with Splenda® and a splash of skim milk (20 calories). I do

NOT believe this hurts the fasting process, because it hasn’t affected mine.There’s

more about this in the guidelines below.)

Day 1

10:00 a.m.:

2 eggs (140 calories) with two pieces of light whole wheat toast (120 calories), and

one carton of high-protein, low-fat yogurt (110 calories), and unsweetened tea.

(Total calories: 370)

Snack: 100 calories

5:00 Dinner:

1 piece grilled & seasoned boneless chicken breast (200 calories), 1 small baked

potato w/ lite sour cream (250 calories), 1 serving green beans (100 calories), 1

whole grain roll (120 calories), and 1 frozen yogurt bar (100 calories).

(Total calories: 770)

Total calories for day: 1240

Day 2

10:00 a.m.

1 individual package frozen whole wheat pancakes (275 calories), with ¼ cup sugar

free syrup (25 calories), and two scrambled eggs (140 calories).

(Total calories: 440)

5:30 p.m.

2 grilled chicken tacos with salsa and lite sour cream (500 calories), 2 corn tortillas

baked & sliced into triangles (180 calories) with ½ cup salsa (40 calories); 1 fresh

apple (80 calories), sliced, with zero calorie caramel syrup.

(Total calories: 800)

Total calories for day: 1240

If this is a Friday/Saturday evening, and I decided to have one glass of wine (150

calories), I could add that to the total for a total of 1390 calories for the day.

Day 3

Coffee, unlimited water, and unsweetened tea until 1:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m.

Greek, low-fat yogurt (110 calories), one pack of 100-calorie almonds, and one hard-

boiled egg (70 calories).

(280 calories total)

6:00 p.m.

1 grilled & seasoned chicken breast sandwich (whole grain bun, spicy mustard,

spinach leaves, red onion, sliced tomatoes, reduced fat provolone (380 calories); 1

serving of air fryer French fries (250 calories), roasted broccoli florets, with

horseradish dipping sauce (150 calories) and one salted caramel low-fat yogurt bar

(100 calories).

(Total calories: 880)

Total calories for the day: 1160

See what I did? I changed my eating time frame.

Why?

I may do it either because I don’t have time to eat any earlier on this day (due to my

schedule) OR maybe something happened the evening before, and I ended up eating

& finishing my last meal later than normal.

THIS IS WHAT’S GREAT about intermittent fasting. IT IS SO FLEXIBLE.

IF I get really hungry in the morning, or the evening, I have lots of cold water or

unsweetened tea. And, occasionally, I do treat my self to a glass of caffeine free diet

soda.

You get to eat normal meals with your favorite normal foods. And choose whatever

IF option fits your lifestyle.

Getting the gist of how it works and how easy it is?

TIP: I’ve found that filling up with zero calorie liquids helps me to feel full and

keeps the stomach growls away. (So embarrassing, right?)

10 “RULES” of Intermittent Fasting

So, you wanna try intermittent fasting the easiest, quickest way possible? You can.

While there aren't any real rules to intermittent fasting, there are some guidelines

you need to follow for the best, and fastest, weight-loss results.

Here are the 10 guidelines of intermittent fasting to get you started fast.

1-Pick the Right Fasting Option

Intermittent fasting doesn't involve eating any certain foods, or food groups. And it

doesn't require any strange food combining, either.

Intermittent fasting is a pattern of eating that you follow, where you "fast" for a

certain number of hours to get your body into a fat-burning mode.

BUT... intermittent fasting is mostly about calorie reduction.

When you "fast," you're eliminating meals you would normally eat. So, by

eliminating certain meals at certain times, you're reducing your calorie intake.

Here are your intermittent fasting options:

• 16/8: You eat within an 8-hour time frame, then fast for the other 16 hours.

You can pick your own meal times, such as 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (Or

whatever suits you best.)

• 5/2: You eat normally on five days of the week, but then on 2 of those days,

you only consume around 500/600 calories.

• One meal/24 hours: You only eat one large meal in a 24-hour time frame.

• 24 Hour Fast: Each week, you choose 1 day per week to fast; if you have a

lot of weight to lose, you may wanna fast on two days of the week. (But,

please get your doctor's permission first, before fasting.)

• 12/12 plan: You may wanna eat from 7:00 a.m. and finish your last meal by

7:00 p.m.

Any of these options can help you lose weight.

But, here' the trick: You need to pick what works best for you and your lifestyle.

While the 16/8 plan works for me, the 5/2 plan might work better for your

schedule. (And your family life.)

You need the best plan for you, because the easier it is for you to do, the longer

you'll stick to it and the more success you'll have.

2-Don't Overeat

This is a BIGGIE. Seriously.

Some people think that because they're eliminating some meals, they can eat

double the amount of food when they eat their intermittent fasting meals.

Nope. You can't do that. (Well, you can, but you may not lose any weight!)

The point of intermittent fasting is calorie reduction. So, you can't eat extra food to

make up for the meals you're' skipping.

You need to eat healthy, normal meals within your eating time frame.

Shoot for healthy meals that include a lean protein, healthy veggies, a whole grain,

and a fruit. Avoid second helpings, and huge, extra-large servings.

But... when you need a little comfort food, you can eat small amounts of your

favorite dishes, like mac & cheese. Just limit your portion size and don't eat it

often.

Remember... the goal is to reduce calories.

If you do that, then your chance of meeting your weight-loss goals will be much

better.

3-Don't Drink Your Calories

This really is where a lot of folks fail, when it comes to dieting.

They're eating healthy foods, along with exercising, but they aren't getting the

weight-loss results they want.

Why? They forget about all the liquid calories they consumed during the day.

You know what I mean. That mocha latte you can't live without every morning.

That shot of caffeine you get from a yummy afternoon cola. That orange juice you

chugged down after your workout.

Or that high calorie energy drink that gets you going in the mornings.

Then, there's the wine you love in the evenings and weekends. (Hey, it's only one

glass every evening, right?)

Beverage calories add up (fast) when you're trying to lose weight. And people

forget to add them to their daily totals.

Here's an example:

Most wine charts show wine having an average of 25 calories per ounce.

(Although red wine tends to be slightly lower in sugar than white wine, the amount

of alcohol also contributes to the calorie count, and wines will differ.)

But, on average, if you drink a 6-ounce glass of white wine, that gives you about

150 calories per glass. If you drink one glass every evening, then you would get an

extra 1050 calories each week in wine only. (And maybe even more if you're

liberal when you pour!)

You get the gist. Be careful with your beverage calories, so you can get the full

benefit of intermittent fasting.

4-Limit Sugar and Desserts

This is another mistake folks make, when they're on an intermittent fasting plan.

Once again, they feel like than can add a yummy dessert to every single meal,

since they're skipping some meals during the fasting phase.

No again.

Depending on the dessert you eat, you might consume as many calories as an

additional full meal. No kidding.

For example:

Say you went to Olive Garden to enjoy your 2nd meal on the 16/8 IF plan.

You were pretty good; you had one serving of the famous house salad w/ dressing

(150 calories), 1 breadstick (140 calories) and "Create Your Own Pasta," angel hair

(350 calories) with traditional marinara sauce (150 calories). You've had a total of

790 calories.

You feel like you've done really well and decide to get dessert.

You go for the NEW! Chocolate Brownie Lasagna.

And it has a whopping 910 calories and 52 grams of fat. Yikes!

Even if you opt for the cheesecake, that's an extra 700 calories.

SO, unless you know how many calories you're taking in, be careful.

If you need something sweet, consider having a single one-serving, portion-

controlled calorie dessert (occasionally), like a 100 calorie yogurt bar, a 90 calorie

sugar-free pudding cup, or a 100 calorie ice cream party cup.

You can have an occasional sweet treat, but if you indulge too much, you might

"un-do" all your hard work and not lose the weight you wanna lose.

(Source: Olive Garden)

5-Adapt to Schedules

Most families have busy schedules; you know... work, school, after school

activities, church obligations, social engagements... you get the idea.

And then there's this: Each person in the family may have a different schedule.

And that can make it harder to stick to your intermittent fasting plan you've chosen.

Well, to stick to IF, you have to be willing to be flexible.

Sometimes it isn't easy. And you may wanna say, "Heck with this intermittent

fasting stuff!"

But, if you can be flexible when you need to, then you can be more successful in

your weight-loss goals.

Here are some tips to help you be more flexible:

1. If you have after-school sports, or some other evening activity, plan ahead;

you can either pack a dinner to eat on the sidelines (within your time frame)

or you can pick up some healthy carry-out meals, and eat them on the

sidelines or in your vehicle. The key is to plan ahead.

2. If you've chosen one IF plan, like the 16/8, you can switch to another plan

on your busiest days. On those days you might wanna try the one meal in

24-hour plan (1/24), or switch to two days of one small meal (5/2 plan). I've

found that if I need to do the 1/24 plan, I fill up on water and unsweetened

tea throughout the day, then eat around 2:00 or 3:00 p.m. That works best for

me, but you'll have to find what works best for you and your schedule.

Remember: If you get off your schedule a bit, just remember that you can get back

on it the next day.

Keep in mind that calorie reduction is your goal; however you decide to do that is

up to you.

Snacks/Extra Food

There seems to be a misconception out there about intermittent fasting and snacks.

Let me answer some questions I've seen floating around.

1. Can you eat a healthy snack, like fruit or nuts, during your time-frame or

do you have to only eat the one meal (1/24) or 2 meals (16/8) and that's it?

Answer: As long as it's within your time frame, you can have a healthy snack, or

even a low-calorie dessert (occasionally).

If you've chosen the 16/8 plan, then you can eat however you wanna eat during

your 8-hour time frame.

So, for example, you eat at 10:00 a.m., then plan to eat again at 5:00 p.m., you can

eat 1 meal and 2 snacks during that time or 2 meals and 1 snack. Just eat during

that time; you can mix and match. 😉

Just remember to eat sensibly and healthy, so you don't overeat. Other than that,

you can work out your meals/snacks however works best for you in your time

frame.

2. Can I have coffee, with cream, in the morning before my meal or will that

break the fasting cycle?

Answer: I always have a cup of coffee, with a dash of skim milk, every morning.

And it has NOT affected my intermittent fasting success.

I've always heard, that as a rule of thumb, if you ingest under 50 calories, before

you actually eat, then that doesn't break your fast.

If you're still concerned, and don't wanna mess up your diet, make sure to measure

the milk, so you don't over pour. Measure out 1 or 2 tablespoons, and that's it; plus,

if you stick to fat-free/skim milk, you'll automatically reduce your calories.

One more thing: If you get super hungry between meals, a snack may keep you

from getting so hungry that you overeat at your last meal of the day.

It's better to have a snack that's healthy, and 100 calories (or less), to help you stick

to your intermittent fasting plan. I find it helps me sometimes, because I don't

usually eat much at my first meal. (I'm not usually very hungry). A snack keeps me

from overeating later.

Hope this helps you to feel better about eating a healthy snack! If eaten within your

time frame, you're not gonna mess up your IF plan.

7-Protein/Exercise

Intermittent fasting is mostly effective due to calorie reduction. But, forcing your

body into that window of fasting helps you burn more fat.

That said, you don't wanna lose muscle.

To maintain, or gain, more muscle, try adding more protein.

Try this:

1)Eat lean protein at every meal.

If you feel you can't consume enough calories at one meal, then consider adding a

high-quality protein drink to your meal or even as a snack (within your time-

frame).

When I feel I need more protein, I drink Premier Protein® shakes. Not only are

they yummy, they only have 160 calories, 1-gram fat, and a whopping 30 grams of

protein. I love the caramel the most, but the vanilla and chocolate are good, too.

You can buy a Premier Protein® variety pack, so you don't get bored.

2)Add weight training to your workout. I use free weights (5 and 8 pounds), and a

Total Gym®. I like the Total Gym®, because it's compact, and you can get a

workout in fast. (Like 20 minutes or so.)

Not sure what to do? Contact a personal trainer in your area to help you design a

workout plan. If you can't afford to continue workout sessions with him/her, then

be up front about it, and ask for help designing a home workout routine that you

can stick to.

You don't have to go to a gym to get a high-quality workout in. If you don't wanna

contact a personal trainer, there are plenty of good workout plans on the Internet.

You can find tons of workout plans on YouTube.

Or buy some fitness DVD's to try at home. (I'm a huge fan of Shaun T Beachbody

DVD's.)

8-Weekends & Holidays

Do you worry you can't stick to intermittent fasting on the weekends, when you

just wanna relax?

Or holidays? Or when you're on vacation?

You're not alone. Stop worrying.

Here's what you need to do: Do the best you can on your intermittent fasting

plan. If you don't do as well on weekends, or holidays, just get back to it on

Monday or the next day.

Remember: Calorie reduction is cumulative; that means it'll add up over a month.

So, even if you don't do as well on certain days, you may even actually reduce

calories more than you realize on other days. It'll probably all balance out.

Your best bet is to stick to your IF plan as best as you possibly can. And, on days

you can't, don't beat yourself up. Just get back to it the next day.

When you weigh yourself at the end of the week, or month, your own weight loss

may even be more than you thought. That can easily happen with intermittent

fasting.

9-Stick to It

Just like any other diet plan out there, it takes time to achieve the results you

wanna achieve.

And not only that, remember that you can't compare your weight-loss to your

spouse or best friend.

Everybody loses weight at a different rate. It’ll depend on your gender, height,

weight, activity level, muscle mass, health, medications, the amount of food you

consume, etc.

If you stick to IF, and be persistent and consistent (And you don't cheat a lot!), then

you'll meet your weight-loss goals.

You need to pick a plan, be flexible when you need to, and stick with it 'til you get

the results you want.

10-Intermittent Fasting vs. Other Diets

Look. There are tons of diets out there. The key is finding not only what works, but

a diet you can sustain, so that it becomes a lifestyle for you.

Here are some positive points about intermittent fasting:

• Helps achieve weight-loss

• Helps with weight maintenance

• Flexible

• Convenient

• Can eat any food; don’t have to buy special foods

• Doesn’t eliminate whole food groups

• No food combining

• Can alternate fasting options, depending on needs/schedule

What other diet plan out there is this flexible and convenient?

You won’t find many, that’s for sure.

Remember: No diet is magic. You have to put the work in. But, it's nice to find a

weight-loss plan that can help you sustain your weight-loss easily.

IF is a plan that you can sustain as a lifestyle. And that means you may be able to

lose weight and keep it off.

For good.

Isn't that what you want in a weight -loss plan?

Weight Maintenance with Intermittent Fasting

So… you’ve lost weight, but you’re having a hard time keeping it off?

Intermittent fasting can help you maintain your weight loss! And it’s pretty darn

easy to do. (I’ve been using this system for years.)

You’ll need to find what works best for you, but to maintain your weight-loss, you

can find the IF plan that works best for you and do it 2 or 3 days a week.

Some people find that doing the 5/2 plan and eating whatever they want the rest of

the week, helps them maintain their weight.

Or you may find that another plan works for you, and your schedule, just 1, 2 or 3

days a week.

Remember: Your weight-loss will be different from other people’s weight-loss, so

don’t compare your results.

You’ll have to find what works best for you as a weight-loss plan, then as a weight

maintenance plan.

Nothing is set in stone. If it works for you, then do it.

Trying Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is a popular weight-loss plan that works for many people.

If you decide to give it a try, find the plan that works best for you and stick to it.

If you’re patient, persistent, and consistent, the positive results will come.

Maybe even faster than you think! 😉

Sources: Healthline and Harvard Health Publishing

(Disclaimer: Please talk to your medical provider and pharmacist before starting this or any other type of

diet or fasting. This article is for informational purposes only; it is not meant to treat or cure any disease or

medical condition. Consult with your physician.)

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