Before the question of how to intermittent fast can be answered, you must determine which type of intermittent fast will best enable you to achieve your specific goals. Currently, there are a number of different ways to incorporate an intermittent fasting program into your lifestyle. Methods vary in the number of fast days per week, the number of hours to fast each day, and the number of calories (if any) that can be consumed during those days. It’s important to always keep in mind that the basic concept of intermittent fasting doesn’t change what you eat, but rather when you eat it.  How to intermittent fast with the best possible results starts with selecting the program that best suits your style and objectives. If you’re just getting started and want to dip your toe into the fasting waters, a time-restricted eating (TRE) plan that allows you to eat normally during a certain range of time each day may be your best option. There’s also a program—The Fasting Mimicking Diet® (FMD®) that provides specific foods to eat throughout each day of the fast to help reduce hunger pangs and manage the psychological drive to eat something. Below are some of the most popular types of intermittent fasting approaches, with a brief summary of how they work.  

16:8 Diet – This time-restricted eating approach calls for 16 hours of fasting each day, which means you’ll have 8 hours to eat as you please each day. Ideally, you’ll eat a combination of healthy and nutritious food within this 8-hour eating window for optimal results. An example for this type of program would be to eat between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. The next meal wouldn’t come until 10:00 a.m. the following morning. For many this is a simple method since most of that fasting period includes the time you’re sleeping.  However, the latest studies are showing that skipping breakfast may have a negative impact on heart health, so plan your eating window to include a breakfast meal. 

 


5:2 Diet – Don’t want to fast everyday? This intermittent fasting plan calls for just 2 (non-consecutive) fasting days each week. While some abstain from all foods during those two days, most just limit their calorie intake to no more than 600 (for men) and 500 (for women).  

 


Alternate Day Fast – For those feeling a little more confident in their ability to forgo food more often for the added health benefits. This fasting approach takes it up a notch with a call to fast every other day. This can mean completely avoiding all foods or limiting calories to no more than 500 on fasting days. 

 

The Fasting Mimicking Diet® (FMD®) - A prolonged fast with more far-reaching benefits, this food-based program calls for 5 consecutive days of low-calorie scientifically researched and designed meals that trick the body into thinking it is fasting.  When the body thinks it is fasting for 3 days or more, an array of positive health effects are induced that include loss of excess fat, a trimmer waistline, and cellular clean up and repair.  Here, users of the FMD are given all the pre-packaged foods in precise quantities to consume for 5 days. A highly convenient and effective option for those seeking to experience the cellular enhancing effects that can only be achieved through a prolonged (more than 2 consecutive days) fast.  Click here to learn more about the Fasting Mimicking Diet. 

 

Like all fasts, you should check with your doctor before starting one, especially if you have a diagnosed medical condition or are under 18 or over 70 years of age.  Additionally, pregnant or breastfeeding women should not fast, and anyone who is underweight or has an active infection should not fast.