How does Intermittent Fasting work? Why is it a useful tool for weight loss and what are the Intermittent Fasting rules that you must follow to see results? Today, we're diving into how Intermittent Fasting works so that you can jump straight into your Intermittent Fasting journey.
How Intermittent Fasting Works
What is Intermittent Fasting and what does it do to your body? Intermittent Fasting tells you when to eat, not what to eat. And when you eat can have a big impact on your health and wellness goals. Eating less frequently (but not necessarily less food) can help reduce how often the body is releasing the storing hormone insulin. Insulin is released when we eat and it shuts off the fat burning process (called lipolysis) while turning on fat storing. So by not releasing insulin as frequently (by incorporating Intermittent Fasting), it can allow for more time in the "fat burning" state.(1)
A gut cleaning system is also turned on while fasting. This gut cleaning process is called the Migrating Motor Complex (MMC). When you're in a fasted state, the MMC is turned on. When you eat, it turns off. The MMC helps to flush out left behind food and bacteria from the GI tract. When the MMC can't turn on (from snacking throughout the day), this can potentially lead to bacterial overgrowth in the GI tract and result in bloating or even SIBO.(2)
By using a daily Intermittent Fast, it can help to keep insulin from spiking as frequently while also turning on the gut cleaning process.
The Rules For Intermittent Fasting
The rules for Intermittent Fasting are quite simple: you fast during your "fasting window" and you eat during your "eating window". But what does it mean to "fast"? And how do you pick your "eating window"?
There are two main types of Intermittent Fasting:
True Fast
Fasting Mimicking
A "True" Fast is where you only have water, electrolytes and perhaps black coffee or unsweetened tea during your fast. And that's it. This allows you to get all of the discussed perks of Intermittent Fasting. However, a True Fast isn't always the best option for everyone.
Then there's "Fasting Mimicking". With this type of fast, you still follow the same basic "fasting" and "eating" window rule. The main difference is that you can be a bit more flexible with what you have during the fast. The goal with this type of fast is to keep the storing hormone insulin from spiking during the fast. This means you can have a small amount of liquids/ingredients that don't spike insulin while you're fasting.
The only caloric food source that doesn't spike insulin (and therefore does not break this type of fasting) is fat. So while using the Fasting Mimicking approach, you can add a small amount of pure fat sources to your coffee and tea. This option is great for beginners to Intermittent Fasting because fats help to prevent hunger. So by adding a bit of heavy cream or by using Keto Coffee during your fast, you can ease your transition into using Intermittent Fasting. However, consuming anything other than water during the fast will halt the MMC perks.
With beginners to Intermittent Fasting, I've found that the Fasting Mimicking approach tends to be the best option. That's why in the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle, you're provided with Keto Coffee or Keto Tea options while fasting. However, you can play around with what works best for you.
How Long Does Intermittent Fasting Take To Work?
How long Intermittent Fasting takes to work largely depends on what you're eating during your eating window. This is why how you break your fast is highlighted in the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle as a key feature. Unfortunately, this component is often forgotten (or ignored) while using Intermittent Fasting. There also tends to be a bit of a transition period where the body starts to "re-learn" how to use fat as fuel. From my experience as a Nutritionist, this can typically take anywhere between 3-14 days.
However, you can help to speed up this process by making sure that you're addressing your eating window as well as your fasting window. This means prioritizing meals that don't greatly spike insulin once you break your fast, such as those in the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle. You can check out the video above for more details.
Unlock 100+ recipes, 8 weeks of meal planning, 3 week workout plan, Plateau Breaker Checklist and MORE with the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle!
Join thousands of men and women around the world with the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle! Head over HERE to get started!
Your Nutritionist,
Autumn
Autumn Elle Nutrition