I am a fitness trainer and housemaker. Often, people come to me to lose weight. Intermittent Fasting is the best way to lose weight if you do it properly. This article is based on my experience. If you have any health issues. I suggest consulting your doctor.
A nutritional plan called Intermittent Fasting Meal Plan involves not eating for a predetermined amount of time. A specific eating pattern that alternates between periods of fasting and eating is known as intermittent fasting.
Each person has a unique intermittent fasting diet plan that they can follow to shed pounds and sharpen their minds. People use this fasting as a popular fitness and health technique to enhance their health.
It doesn’t dictate what foods you must consume during the eating cycle. It informed you of the necessary eating times. This makes it less of a diet and more of an eating pattern. India’s most popular intermittent-fasting diet calls for 16- or 24-hour fasts twice a week.
Also Read: 2100 Calorie Meal Plan for Weight Loss
During the fast, calories-containing foods and beverages are not permitted. Only water, coffee, and other calorie-free beverages are allowed.
If you finish your meal on Monday at 7 p.m. and don’t eat again until Tuesday at 7 p.m., you’ve completed a 24-hour fast. Some people go without food from lunch to lunch or from breakfast to breakfast. But each person has a different preferred time frame.
Also Read: 3000 Calorie Vegan Meal Plan
It’s typically not advised for beginners to engage in a full 24-hour fast every other day because it can seem severe and be challenging for many people to sustain. You don’t have to start completely; many intermittent fasting plans begin with shorter fasts.
Table of Contents
What are the types of Intermittent Fasting?
Limited dining time
It involves eating during the hours that aren’t spent fasting each day, which must be at least 12 hours. The 16/8 technique is a well-known illustration. It includes a 16-hour daily fast and an 8-hour window for eating, during which you can fit in 2, 3, or more meals.
Also Read: Vegan Weight Loss Meal Plan 1200 Calories
The diet of 5:2
The 5:2 diet calls for eating normally five days a week while limiting your caloric intake to 500 – 600 calories on the other two.
When using the 5:2 Method, you must restrict your caloric intake to two weekly days. You may eat your typical meals on the other five days. It is often advised to eat no more than 400 to 500 calories or perhaps go without eating entirely on fasting days.
It is advised against using this strategy if your objective is to lose weight or you have a slow metabolism. Eating is usually felt as a pleasurable activity and not eating as punishing the body.
However, some individuals who have attained a higher spiritual degree view food as fuel for the body. Most of us still have a ways to go.
Stopping from eating
A 24-hour fast is part of Eat Stop Eat once or twice a week. Although it may seem like a long period too fast, you can choose the day based on your weekly routine.
Drinking lots of water to stay hydrated when fasting is a good idea. Moreover, it makes sense to pick two days that are not consecutive if you fast twice a week.
Fasting on alternate days
The objective of alternate-day fasting is to fast every other day. According to your comfort level, alternate-day fasting requires you to fast every other day. Although this approach has gained much traction recently, medical professionals suggest seeking a doctor’s advice before starting the diet.
Again, you are not advised to begin this strategy unless you can maintain this way of life permanently. This is an extreme kind of dieting; it is best only to use it under the supervision of a professional.
Diet of the warrior
One of the first well-known diets to feature a type of intermittent fasting was the Warrior Diet. Occasionally, you can skip a meal you don’t need to eat. It is particularly beneficial for newcomers unsure of what intermittent schedule would be the most beneficial for them.
What are the advantages of an Intermittent Fasting Meal Plan?
A well-known advantage of intermittent fasting is fat loss. The pancreas secretes during a fed state to transfer sugar into the cells; most of our sugar reserves are located in the liver and skeletal muscles.
However, that sugar is stored as fat when our storage capacity is exceeded. However, because our blood sugar levels are low while fasting, we can get our energy from fat reserves. Thus, we can burn calories only by limiting the time we eat.
- Intermittent fasting improves resting heart rates, blood pressure, and other heart-related parameters. Additionally, it enhances hunger, oxidative stress, blood pressure, and several other elements of cardiometabolic health.
- Moderate fasting with an 8 to 12-hour window for meals may help reduce cancer risk.
- When fasting, the brain produces a specific protein called a brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Studies have also shown that BDNF improves verbal memory in adults and working memory in animals.
A pilot study’s results suggest that intermittent fasting for a short period of time may be safe and manageable.
Patients with Type 2 Diabetes who get dietary intervention may improve important outcomes such as body weight, fasting blood sugar, and postprandial variability.
- People who have altered their eating habits worldwide have seen improvements in their average life expectancy. According to a recent case study, people who routinely fast have life expectancies 40% higher than their group’s.
What are the drawbacks of the Intermittent Fasting Plan?
- The common adverse effect of intermittent fasting is headaches. They often happen in the first several days of a strategy for fasting.
A survey examined 18 studies on individuals following intermittent fasting plans. Some individuals in the four studies that included side effects reported having slight headaches. It’s interesting to note that fasting headaches normally originate in the brain’s frontal lobe and typically have a mild to moderate degree of discomfort.
- Some people may experience irritation and other mood changes when they engage in intermittent fasting. You could become agitated if your blood sugar is low.
Hypoglycemia can happen when you decrease your caloric intake or when you fast. As a result, you can become agitated, anxious, or have trouble focusing.
- Some persons who engage in various forms of intermittent fasting report feeling worn out and short on energy. You may experience weakness and fatigue as a result of intermittent fasting and low blood sugar levels.
Additionally, intermittent fasting may produce sleep disruptions in certain individuals, contributing to daytime fatigue.
- The body excretes a substantial amount of water and salt in the urine during the first few days of fasting. Natural diuresis of fasting are terms used to describe this process. You risk dehydration if this occurs to you and you don’t replenish the fluids and electrolytes your pee removed.
- Those who engage in intermittent fasting may overlook or under-hydrate. This might be more prevalent when you first start an intermittent fasting practice.
Drink water all day long and pay attention to the color of your urine to ensure you are well hydrated. It should ideally be a light lemonade color. If your pee is black, you may be dehydrated.
- A side effect of intermittent fasting for some people is bad breath. Lack of salivary flow and an increase in acetone in the breath are the causes of this. Your body uses fat as fuel while you fast. Acetone and fasting cause it to accumulate in your blood and breath.
- People can often meet their calorie and nutrient needs on various intermittent fasting regimens. If you don’t carefully plan or adhere to your fasting program for an extended length or if you purposefully restrict calories to an extreme level, you risk developing malnutrition and other health issues. Eating a balanced, nutrient-rich diet while engaging in intermittent fasting is crucial. Never restrict your calorie intake too severely.
How to start intermittent fasting?
A scheduled approach to eating, intermittent fasting is not a diet. Contrary to many other eating regimens, intermittent fasting does not list specific things to eat or stay away from.
Although not ideal for everyone, intermittent fasting may benefit health and weight management. Cycles between eating and fasting times are a part of intermittent fasting.
People may first find it challenging to only eat for a short period each day or to alternate between eating days and not eating days.
People utilize this fasting to improve their way of life, reduce weight and reduce the negative impacts of aging.
A person who begins intermittent fasting frequently has a specific objective in mind. General health or weight loss may be the goal to improve metabolic health. The ultimate objective of a person will assist them in choosing the best fasting strategy and calculating the calories and nutrients they should take.
What is the food composition you should be careful of for intermittent fasting?
Fasting is the practice of not eating. You might be able to eat or drink some things and still get the benefits of fasting.
Some surveys claim that you can maintain ketosis if you limit your daily carbohydrate intake to under 50 grams. You can eat and drink the items listed below while fasting:-
Water: You may stay hydrated while fasting by drinking plain or carbonated water with no calories.
Wholesome fats: During their fast, some people sip coffee that contains MCT oil, ghee, coconut oil, or butter. Oil can keep you going till your next meal while also breaking a fast yet keeping you in ketosis.
Bone stock: This abundant nutritional source can aid in replacing electrolytes lost when merely drinking water for extended periods.
Tea and coffee: Most of these should be consumed without additional sugar, milk, or cream. Some individuals, however, discover that a modest bit of milk or fat might help them feel full.
What food consumption should you take for intermittent fasting?
- The best foods are things like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. Eating fiber–rich foods that will keep you regular and facilitate a smooth operation of your poop factory when you eat at specific times is important. Fiber may be advantageous if you have a 16-hour gap between meals. Leafy green vegetables can also help lower your risk of developing cancer.
- Eating the fruit with the most calories while attempting to reduce weight could seem counterproductive. However, due to its high level of unsaturated fat, avocados will keep you satisfied even during the strictest of fasts.
- Even when you don’t feel full, unsaturated fats help keep your body satisfied. Your body signs that it is not about to enter emergency famine mode since it has adequate nourishment. Even if you experience a slight craving for food in the middle of fast, unsaturated fats prolong the duration of these signals.
- Every important organ in your body depends on water for good health. It would be silly of you to exclude this from your fast. Each person has to drink a different amount of water depending on their sex, height, weight, degree of activity, and environment. However, the color of your urine is a reliable indicator. It should always be a light yellow color.
- Dehydration can result in headaches, weariness, and lightheadedness; dark yellow urine is a sign of this condition. You have a recipe for disaster or incredibly dark pee when you combine that with scarce food.
7-Day Indian Meal Plan for Intermittent Fasting
The finest fasting diet to reduce weight is the Indian intermittent fasting diet plan. All that is required is a tight and stern fasting regimen. It requires achieving a straightforward eating schedule. The health of the brain benefits from intermittent fasting. It will promote the development of new neurons and defend the brain against harm.
To reap the greatest health benefits from an Indian intermittent fasting diet plan, consuming wholesome foods and liquids is crucial. The diet program consists of:-
- All fruits are excellent choices, including apples, oranges, pears, peaches, bananas, and berries.
- Avoid wheat that has been refined. Choose grains like buckwheat and barley.
- Choose a variety of green, leafy vegetables like broccoli, cucumber, cauliflower, tomato, oats, and rice.
- Never consume saturated fats. Select coconut, olive, avocado, mustard, peanut, sesame, and other oils.
- Opt for lean protein sources such as poultry, beef, eggs, seeds, nuts, legumes, and lentils.
You can consume calorie-free beverages during fasting, including water, green tea, and coffee. These will aid in keeping you hydrated.
Avoid consuming junk food or overindulging when you are eating. Indian intermittent fasting diet is a fairly well-known weight-loss strategy.
You’ll be able to live longer and healthier thanks to it. Intermittent fasting can be practiced in a variety of ways. One strategy is to abstain from food during specific times of the day. Other approaches limit your fasting to specific days of the week.
Indian intermittent fasting diet is a successful weight loss strategy. You can adhere to this eating strategy and guarantee long-term health. By adhering to this food plan, chronic disease can be easily avoided.
Women nursing or attempting to get pregnant shouldn’t engage in intermittent fasting. You should refrain from consuming junk food and overeating during mealtimes. Indian intermittent fasting diet involves cycles of eating and not eating. Eating healthy meals is essential so that you are in good health while fasting.
Following is the meal plan for a 7 days intermittent fasting,
Monday
Breakfast: Fruits, Dosa, chutney, and sprouts
Lunch: vegetable salad, veg curry, sambar, and brown rice
Dinner: Dosa and ginger chutney
Tuesday
Breakfast: Fruits, Rava idli, and tomato chutney
Lunch: Vegetable salad, tur dal with Amarnath leaves, rasam, and brown rice
Dinner: Chapati and spinach curry
Wednesday
Breakfast: egg, fruits, and green tea
Lunch: Chicken curry, salad, and chapatti or rice which suits you
Dinner: Broccoli salad, roti, and mixed vegetable curry
Thursday
Breakfast: Fruit, moong dal dosa, and pudina chutney
Lunch: salad, roti or rice, and palak sabzi
Dinner: Missi paratha, dal, and rajma
Friday
Breakfast: Oats, mashed potato, and moong dal chilla
Lunch: brown rice, rajma, and curd
Dinner: Makki roti, seasonal saag and salad
Saturday
Breakfast: Sprout salad and herbal tea
Lunch: Vegetable salad, rice, and tofu curry
Dinner: chicken stew, roti or rice, and salad
Sunday
Breakfast: fruit, green tea, and porridge
Lunch: lentil, capsicum curry, and chapatti or rice
Dinner: brinjal curry, roti, salad, and dal
What should you eat during your intermittent fasting?
A fast technically ends when your liver starts to secrete digestion enzymes. Any additional nutrients, medications, coffee, etc., will end your fast.
Fresh water and several low-calorie beverages, such as herbal teas, are permitted throughout your fasting window. However, staying away from coffee, sugary drinks, and supplements is better recommended.
You must only consume nutritious, unadulterated food when you have fully satiated. Planning is crucial because it is simple to give in to junk food when the fast is over, especially in the beginning.
When you are ready to end your fast, some items will be more beneficial for you to eat. Whole foods and plant-based goods should be considered the most important food items.
You must use organic, high-quality proteins such as beans, lentils, and seeds. Nuts and seeds are essential healthy fats for satiety and producing healthy hormones. Green leafy vegetables with unrefined carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, maize, wheat, oats, and rice are also beneficial.
What should you not eat during intermittent fasting?
To get the most out of this fasting and to maintain a healthy body, there are several things that you should try to avoid at all costs.
Alcohol and sugar are the two things you need to avoid or minimize. They could cancel out all the healthy behaviors you form as part of intermittent fasting. You experience gas and bloating when you break the fasting with dairy, sweets, and oils. It will help if you avoid dairy products and other provocative foods.
Another thing you should be aware of and remember is that it can take 6 to 8 weeks to start seeing results. Therefore, before concluding that it has expired, be sure to give a full 30 days.
What are the workouts you should do while intermittent fasting?
Exercising after a fast impact the biochemistry and metabolism of the muscles, which are connected to insulin levels and the steady control of blood sugar levels. The body will likely break down muscle when you exercise while fasting to use protein as fuel. You are likely to run out of energy, preventing you from working out as hard or performing well.
- Amino acids are not as preferred by your body as carbohydrates and fats stored as fuel. You have a certain amount of rapid energy, so if you train too hard or for too long while fasting, you risk running out of fuel or beginning to break down more muscle. You can restore these stockpiles and heal any muscle damage incurred during your workout by eating afterward.
- Before engaging in cardiac exercise, eating a meal or snack can make you feel ill. This may be in the morning and with foods high in fiber and fat.
You could be better off eating something with a rapid energy source or doing cardio while fasting if you can’t manage a larger meal or don’t have two hours to metabolize what you eat.
- You must be in excellent health to perform cardiovascular exercise when fasting. You should also consider medical issues that could make you lightheaded due to low blood pressure and increase your chance of getting hurt. You must follow these guidelines to keep yourself safe if you choose to try out fasting cardio:
- Don’t exercise for more than 60 minutes without a meal.
- Select workouts that are moderate to lowly intense.
- Water consumption is a part of feigned cardio, so drink plenty.
- Remember that your total lifestyle, mainly your eating, has a higher impact on your weight than when you exercise.
- Do what feels right to you and pay attention to your body.
You can also follow these workouts mentioned daily
Monday: Morning workout followed by a breakfast high in protein.
Tuesday: Complex carbohydrates for lunch, weight training in the evening.
Wednesday: A low-intensity workout such as yoga or Pilates
Thursday: Morning workout followed by a breakfast high in protein.
Friday: Complex carbohydrates for lunch, followed by weight training in the evening and dinner.
Yoga, Pilates, or another low-intensity exercise on Saturday or Sunday
Conclusion
Some people find success with Intermittent Fasting Meal Plan as a weight loss strategy, but not everyone does. It is not advised for those who currently have or have had an eating disorder.
Children and individuals with preexisting medical issues and pregnant women or nursing may be unable to use it.
Diet quality is essential if you experiment with intermittent fasting, as with any eating strategy.
Eat a range of nutrient-dense whole meals within your eating window and avoid eating too many ultra-processed foods to get the maximum benefits from intermittent fasting.
Additionally, make sure to speak with a qualified healthcare practitioner to confirm that starting an intermittent fast is safe for you to undertake.
Intermittent fasting can ultimately be a helpful weight loss strategy. Although calorie intake is the main factor in its associated weight loss, some of its positive effects on hormones may also be at work. Everyone cannot follow intermittent fasting, but it may have many advantages for certain people.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
-
Q: Can we drink Fenugreek water during intermittent fasting?
When fasting, fenugreek is the best herb to consume. It effectively curbs hunger and encourages weight loss. The herb excels in both of these areas.
-
Q: What drinks are allowed during intermittent fasting?
With intermittent fasting, you can only consume beverages with few calories like water, black coffee, and tea. When you eat, you can make an effort to consume a balanced meal full of nutritious grains, fruits, vegetables, and protein.
-
Q: What can you drink while fasting 16:8?
In the 16:8 intermittent fasting method, you consume only calorie-dense meals and liquids during a predetermined window of 8 hours each day. You don’t eat anything for the following 16 hours, but you can still drink water and other calorie-free beverages like black coffee or tea.
-
Q: Can you drink lemon water while intermittent fasting?
On intermittent fasting, plain lemon water with only lemon juice is also acceptable. The beverage doesn’t break your fast and has nearly no calories. Two glasses of lemon water can normally aid fat loss and hunger control.
-
Q: What intermittent fasting is best for weight loss?
The most well-liked fasting schedule for weight management is the 16:8 intermittent fasting diet. The program limits the consumption of calories-rich foods and beverages to a predetermined 8-hour period each day. The remaining 16 hours of the day must be spent without eating.
-
Q: Should I intermittent fast every day?
You can choose a strategy limiting meals to 6-8 windows daily. You can try the 16:8 fast, which includes eating for eight hours and fasting for sixteen.
-
Q: When should I stop intermittent fasting?
The simplest approach to completing the 12-hour fast includes the time spent sleeping. You can decide to avoid eating between 7 P.M. and 7 A.M.
-
Q: How many days a week should you intermittent fast?
The 5:2 diet recommends eating normally five days a week while limiting your caloric intake to 500–600 calories on the other two. A 24-hour fast is part of the fasting once or twice a week.