Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss: Never Make These 5 Mistakes
Contrary to the popular perception, intermittent fasting is not mere fasting routine but is a way of living that has its own set of rules.
Fasting is a significant part of our culture for centuries. Intermittent fasting is becoming a popular way of living these days. Most people who are on intermittent fasting, fast for 16 hours and eat only during the remaining 8 hours of the day.
In intermittent fasting, the fast time varies from 14 to 16 hours; a person can choose it according to their comfort level. Contrary to the popular perception, intermittent fasting is not a mere fasting routine but is a way of living that has its own set of rules. Small mistakes while following these rules can ruin all your efforts.
If you’re on an intermittent fasting routine, look out for these common mistakes:
1. Eating too much in one go
Well, it’s quite obvious to starve after fasting for a stretch of 14 to 16 hours. People generally end up eating ‘too much’ in one go once their fasting hours end. That’s exactly what ruins all their efforts. When you’re on an intermittent schedule, you really have to keep track of your calorie consumption throughout the day. Be careful of what you eat and how much you eat when you’re not on your fasting hours.
2. Staying ‘too low’ on calories
Yes, we agree that consuming calories in high amounts is not healthy or advisable. But it is equally detrimental for your health to not consume the idle calorie count during intermittent fasting. If your goal is to shed your weight, you will never be able to do it if you’re too low on calories. Do not go below 1200 calories in a day.
3. Not keeping your drinks under check
When you’re on an intermittent fasting, you need to keep a check on not just your solids but also on the liquids that you consume. Avoid consuming aerated drinks and soda during your fasting hours. When you’re on an intermittent fasting, it’s extremely important to keep yourself hydrated, especially during the fasting hours. Avoid soda or aerated drinks and stick to plain water, coffee and plain tea.
4. Not being ‘physically active’
Intermittent fasting does not give you the liberty to skip your workout routine. If you really want to shed off the extra kilos, you need to strike the right balance between your diet and your workout sessions. To lose weight effectively, it becomes extremely important to eat the right food and exercise daily. Even when you’re on an intermittent fasting, being physically active is too important.
