8 Intermittent Fasting Mistakes That You Have to Avoid
/By: Sabine Schwartz
If done right, Intermittent fasting can help you lose weight fast and boost your health. In this article, I’ve listed the top 8 common intermittent fasting mistakes that people should avoid to shed off as much fat as quickly as possible.
Intermittent fasting is all the rage right now when it comes to weight loss. It is a type of fasting that restricts the amount of time you’re allowed to eat.
If you’re struggling to reach ketosis while on a keto diet, adding intermittent fasting may effectively jumpstart your process. Combining the diet and the fast may help you burn more fat than the diet alone.
However, you have to do it right.
A lot of people are still lost when it comes to doing intermittent fasting the right way which is why they tend to make a lot of mistakes.
If you’ve ever done fasting while on keto, you’ll know that it’s a great way to boost weight loss. However, if it’s not working for you, then it’s possible that you might be doing it all wrong!
In one of my videos, I’ve discussed 8 of the most common intermittent fasting mistakes that you, yourself, might actually be doing. Watch till the end to know all of the 8 things that you should avoid when doing intermittent fasting.
Here’s a quick summary of the video and a rundown of the top 8 intermittent fasting mistakes to avoid.
1. IMMEDIATELY MAKING DRASTIC CHANGES TO YOUR EATING PATTERNS
If you’re feeling hungry and food-deprived all of the time, then you will easily get discouraged to continue fasting.
People tend to quit if they start out by fasting for too many hours without an adjustment period from a previous eating style.
To fix this, try to gradually stretch out the number of hours you go between meals until you reach a 12-hour eating window.
Then move to a 10-hour eating window and reduce by small increments until you reach your goal.
2. LETTING FASTING CHANGE YOUR LIFE
Another mistake that people tend to do is make their lives all about fasting. Don’t turn down a dinner invitation from your friends or a birthday party just because you’re fasting.
It will make it less enjoyable and can you really sustain a lifestyle like this? Instead, shift your schedule forward or backward by a few hours on days when you’ve got plans with friends so you can still enjoy socializing.
Remember, Intermittent fasting is flexible.
3. INTAKING THE WRONG DRINKS AND NOT DRINKING ENOUGH
Drinking the wrong liquids and not drinking enough while on fast is another intermittent fasting mistake to avoid.
You don’t want to drink anything that’s heavily sweetened, even if it’s calorie-free as it still has a negative effect on insulin levels and can stimulate the appetite and make you want to eat.
Try to stick to water, plain tea, or black coffee when fasting. Also, if you don’t drink enough, it can cause dehydration that leads to muscle cramps, headaches, and exacerbate hunger pangs
You can also track your hydration by using an app like MyFitnessPal.
4. FORCING IT ON YOUR BODY
Another mistake is forcing your body to fast. It is important to remember that intermittent fasting is not for everyone.
it’s okay to re-evaluate whether it’s the right plan for you. Sure, some argue that our bodies can handle starving somewhat regularly, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right thing for you to do now.
Not all bodies are built for intermittent fasting. If intermittent fasting feels like a constant struggle and mental drain, ask yourself this simple question: Is it worth the reduced quality of life?
5. OVEREATING AFTER FASTING
Another common mistake is overeating after your fast ends. Some people justify to themselves that they are making up for lost calories that’s why they overeat.
This is wrong as it can backfire if you’re fasting for weight loss and also cause other problems like stomach aches.
What you can do to prevent this is to plan ahead and prepare a healthy meal that’s ready for you when your fast ends and make sure to eat only keto-friendly ingredients.
6. OVERLOOKING THE NUTRIENT QUALITY OF FOODS
People sometimes rely on unhealthy foods while doing intermittent fasting as they merely focus on when to eat rather than what they should eat.
If you stick with processed foods instead of having a well-balanced diet, then you can’t expect intermittent fasting to help you reach your health goals.
Try to gradually change your diet along with your eating schedule by incorporating healthier foods slowly.
7. RESTRICTING YOUR FOOD INTAKE TOO MUCH
Not eating enough and taking fasting too far.
You have to remember that fasting isn’t about starving yourself:
Our bodies require fuel to think straight, work well, converse normally, and move around and that fuel comes from calories.
Restricting your food intake too much takes a toll on your everyday life and that’s not what fasting is all about.
8. OVERANALYZING
People tend to obsess over timings and “eating windows” which should not be the case.
Do not rely too much on the clock and instead, observe your body’s signals. It is your body that should get to dictate when you should eat and not the clock. If you focus on time periods, you end up counting down the hours until you can eat, and you never learn to understand your body’s signals.
Remember, the focus is not on the time period, if you choose to skip breakfast you can break your fast whenever you feel hungry.
ABOUT SABINE SCHWARTZ
Sabine Schwartz is an Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) Certified Health and Keto Coach. She helps mostly busy moms sustain a healthy lifestyle, lose weight, combat PCOS, and regain hormonal balance and fertility through her Ketogenic Diet & Nutrition Coaching Program. Apart from this, she also runs a YouTube channel, a blog, an online course, and a one-on-one consultation program where she talks about the process of Keto and how to achieve Ketosis successfully. Learn more about her at www.thehealthyketomoms.com
