Occasional 24 Hour Fast
Although there are several ways to do intermittent fasting, one of the most popular forms is the leangains method, or 16:8, where you fast for 16 hours and eat only during an eight-hour window. With alternating days, you fast for 24 hours, then eat a healthy diet for the next 24 hours, then fast again for the following 24 hours. This schedule continues using the every-other-day format. Another schedule option is 5:2. This is when you fast for two days a week, and eat a normal, healthy diet the other five days.
© Provided by Eat This, Not That! fasting dietIt's no question that fasting is an effective way to lose weight. In fact, Patricia Bannan, MS, RDN, and LA-based nutritionist and healthy cooking expert has explained before that intermittent fasting, which is an eating pattern that cycles between bouts of eating and calorie restriction, is an especially powerful way to blast fat.
'Intermittent fasting causes glucose (sugar) concentrations to decrease and lipolysis (fatty acid oxidation) to increase significantly during the first 24 hours, which helps the body break down stored fat,' she said.
However, there are many different methods of intermittent fasting, the most popular of which is likely the 16/8 method, which entails skipping breakfast and eating between an 8-hour time frame, followed by a 16-hour fast. A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago found that fasting just a few hours of the day was enough to help people lose about 3% of their body weight in roughly two months.
The study, which was published in the journal Cell Metabolism, compared the results of two different time-restricted feeding diets, where participants were asked to fast for 20 and 18 hours, respectively.
'This is the first human clinical trial to compare the effects of two popular forms of time-restricted feeding on body weight and cardiometabolic risk factors,' said Krista Varady professor of nutrition at the UIC College of Applied Health Sciences.
Here's how it worked. Those who participated in the 20-hour fast ate whatever they wanted between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. and for those who were assigned the 18-hour fast were allowed to eat until 7:00 p.m. During the fasting periods, participants were allowed to drink water as well as other calorie-free beverages. The control group was asked to maintain weight and not make any changes to their diet or physical activity levels.
The result? After 10 weeks, participants in both fasting groups reduced their caloric intake by about 550 calories a day, enabling them to drop (on average) 3% of their body weight. In addition, researchers also discovered that both insulin resistance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes, and oxidative stress levels were reduced in those who fasted in comparison with those who didn't in the control group.
In short, both fasting periods were effective and lead to nearly identical weight loss results.
'The findings of this study are promising and reinforce what we've seen in other studies—fasting diets are a viable option for people who want to lose weight, especially for people who do not want to count calories or find other diets to be fatiguing,' Varady said. 'It's also telling that there was no added weight loss benefit for people who sustained a longer fast—until we have further studies that directly compare the two diets or seek to study the optimal time for fasting, these results suggest that the 6-hour fast might make sense for most people who want to pursue a daily fasting diet.'
Isn’t it crazy that when you first heard of intermittent fasting you said to yourself “I could never do that!” But now, some time later, you’re wondering how you can survive your first 24 hour intermittent fast. For me, it took a year and 2 months before I was comfortable with even entertaining the idea of a 24 hour fast because it just seemed impossible. I love fasting because the benefitsare insane but the idea of going a whole day without food was too scary for me.
I’m happy to share I completed my first 24 hour intermittent fast and it was amazing! All of the fears I had going into the fast was totally irrational because I implemented 4 simple tips! In this blog post, I will share with you my 4-step guide to completing your first 24 hour intermittent fast. You’ll have the tools you need to crush your 24 hour fast without going crazy or getting hangry!
If it’s your first extended fast, eat a big meal the day before. This helped me mentally prepare for my first 24 hour fast. I knew even when my stomach growled a couple times throughout the day, that I would survive because I got my calories in the day before. I want to be clear however that eating a big meal and eating an unhealthy meal are not the same. Nourish your body with nutrient-dense food so that your body has the macronutrients it needs to stay properly fueled while fasting.
I can’t stress enough how important it is to plan ahead of time before starting your first 24 hour intermittent fast. Don’t get me wrong, anyone can do a 24 hour fast without thought as our bodies can survive without food for 21 days. That being said, you may hate your life. To plan for a successful prolonged fast you want to:
- Hit your caloric intake the day before – a normal adult diet consists of 2,000 calories per day.
- Hydrate your body.
- If you’re a gym lover like me, make sure you get a workout in the day before. You may not want to workout the day of your first 24 hour fast so this will help you avoid feelings of guiltiness.
- Choose a day where you don’t have any fun plans. How awful would it be to do a 24 hour fast at a friend’s wedding or on a holiday? For me, I did my fast on a weekday so I had work tasks and deadlines to keep my head off of food. Totally worked!
Snake Juiceis my secret weapon to a successful extended fast. It consists of minerals and electrolytes needed for your brain and body to perform normal functions. Snake Juice is great because it contains no sugars or sweeteners therefore it won’t knock you out of your fast. It was inspired by the Snake Diet and is perfect for 9-5’ers and busy bees since it comes in single serving packets. Even if you don’t use Snake Juice during your 24 hour intermittent fast, it’s important to replenish your body with minerals and electrolytes during prolonged fasting periods.
It should go without saying that hydration is key whether fasting or not. When we are dehydrated, our bodies respond in a similar manner to when we are hungry. Feeling light headed and agitated are symptoms of dehydration and are not how you want to feel during your fast. The day before my 24 hour fast I made sure I drank plenty of water. The morning of my extended fast, I started drinking Snake Juice immediately. I didn’t want to have any gaps in my hydration and it really helped me have a positive fasting experience.
For fun tips on drinking more water, check out blog post: 11 Ways To Drink More Water (with a Crazy Work Schedule).
Occasional 24 Hour Fast
Now you’re ready to survive your first 24 hour intermittent fast! Follow the 4 simple steps above and you’ll crush your prolonged fasting goals with ease. If you’re wondering if you can drink coffee or workout during an extended fast then check out blog post 7 Most Commonly Asked Intermittent Fasting Questions & Answers. I dive into the most frequently asked fasting questions so you can have the best experience. 🙂
I hope you like prolonged fasts as much as I do. I plan to implement two 24 hour fasts a month because I really enjoyed not worrying about food all day and reaping the benefits of fasting for a longer amount of time. For an amazing 24 hour fasting experience, download my 5 step fasting checklist to make sure you kick start your fasting journey with ease.
Occasional 24 Hour Fasting
Drop a comment below sharing how your 24 hour fasting journey went! I’d love to hear your story.
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