Intermittent fasting for beginners - how to do it right

Intermittent fasting is usually a big challenge for beginners. In this article, you will learn all about the 16/8 and 5 to 2 methods, as well as practical tips for beginners.

The most important things at a glance:

• Intermittent fasting involves eating nothing at all for a certain period of time (at least 12 hours) and eating normally for the rest of the time.
• In addition to weight loss, intermittent fasting is said to have many other positive effects (such as a longer life expectancy or greater stress resistance).
• The most popular variations of intermittent fasting for beginners are the "16/8" and the "5 to 2" method.
• Nevertheless, it is important WHAT you eat. Intermittent fasting can be a a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.

Intermittent fasting can be an intimidating challenge for beginners. However, this form of nutrition has gained many enthusiastic followers in recent years.

In this comprehensive article, you can find out what is actually true about the positive effects and what is just myth. We also explain which interval fasting methods are suitable for beginners and give you 10 practical tips at the end of the article to make it easier for you to get started.

This nutrition guide is intended to help clarify the most important terms so that you can get an overview for yourself. Have you ever asked yourself: "What are calories anyway?" "Is fat in food the same as fat in the body?" and "Which nutrients do I really need?"

Then read on if you want to learn the basics of healthy eating.

At the intermittent fasting (also known as "intermittent fasting" or just "IF" is about not eating at all for a certain period of time. The duration of these periods can varyas there are different models of intermittent fasting. With one method you have to fast by the hour, with the other by the day.

In contrast to "classic" fasting, IF does not simply involve eating less and abstaining from certain foods, but rather not eating at all for certain periods of time. The idea behind intermittent fasting is that the metabolism comes to rest during the fasting phase and the body can cleanse itself to a certain extent.1 Many studies suggest that this allows the metabolism to work more effectively and ¹

This process of natural cell cleansing is called "autophagy" and is set in motion when the body does not receive any food for a certain period of time (14 to 16 hours).3 Intermittent fasting has even been shown to improve overall health and prevent disease (usually ⁴

The most famous method of interval fasting - and at the same time best suited for beginners - is that 16/8 model. As the name suggests, this fasting form is about Fasting for 16 hours and the others 8 hours to eat normally.

This variant is so popular and easy to implement because the bedtime is added at the 16 hours of fasting. This makes it much easier to find beginners into this new diet.

You can choose when the eight hours of meal should take place. Some people prefer to do without their breakfast while others Let off dinner.

It is only important that enough calories are recorded during the 8 hours in which food is allowed. ⁵ Breakfast is not necessarily the most important meal a day. ⁶ That is why it is crucial to slowly approach the ideal rhythm. It does not help anyone if you try to meet a certain model.

Danger: In theory, the 16/8 method can become a problem for women. This is because greater hormonal fluctuations, depending on the cycle, have larger hormonal fluctuations. It has therefore been shown that women better with one 12/12 regulation get along.

Alternative: fasting with the 12/12 method

The 12 hours of method is basically nothing more than the 16 to 8 methods, only in a somewhat weakened form. Are there Fasting 12 hours The order of the day, while the other half of the day can be eaten and drunk as normal. With this method, too, bedtime is part of Lent again.
The 12/12 model is ideal for many beginners (including men) to first start with interval fasting.

This model is not based on hours per day, but on days per week. Accordingly 5 days a week you eat normally and on the other 2 days fasted.

Many people prefer this method because they "only" have to fast on two days and can eat normally for the rest of the week.

Important: On the two fasting days, up to 600 calories are allowed.

The 5 to 2 fast is less suitable for beginners because two days without eating properly is a big hurdle to overcome. Most people therefore start with the easier 16/8 (or 12/12) method and then slowly work their way up to it Longer fasting phases slowly.

Can intermittent fasting be interrupted at the weekend?

When it comes to intermittent fasting, the question quickly arises as to whether you can break your fast at the weekend on the weekend.

The short answer: Yes, of course you can break it!

Nobody is forcing you to fast in intervals. Therefore, only you can decide for yourself how intensively you want to do it. The health benefits - e.g. faster weight loss and more stress resistance - are greater, however, if you also fast at the weekend.

The 5 to 2 model is ideal here because you don't have to interrupt your fast at all. If the two fasting days are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, for example, you can eat and drink as normal over the weekend.

By far the greatest advantage for many newcomers when interval fasting is that the bedtime is also counted at Lent. This means that 7 to 8 hours fall away, in which no feeling of hunger can spread anyway.

The average can also be partially Increase life expectancy, as a study with male mice showed. ⁷

In addition, interval fasting will be happy to be as "Secret weapon”Regarded for weight loss. However, this argument can be viewed with healthy skepticism. It is true that intermittent fasting can quickly help you lose weight. ⁸ But it is still crucial what you eat during the meal time.

One disadvantage is without question that athletes are more difficult to their Daily turnover come. After all, you still have to consume the same number of calories to keep the weight - only you have significantly less time for it when interval fasting.

In addition, it is gladly criticized that interval fasting Muscle building stands in the way. The human body has only two energy sources from which it can draw: muscles and fat. Muscles are a pure luxury goods for the body, while fat was vital for our ancestors.

If nothing is eaten for a certain period of time, the body must use the stored energy. The muscle reserves are unfortunately the first point of contact if no intensive strength training is carried out and protein is taken. For this reason, it can become a problem if you cook no sport Purchase during daily fasting.

Alcohol at interval fasting

To what extent Alcohol allowed when fasting is strongly dependent on the respective person and the preferred method of interval fasting. The question usually does not arise for athletes. Alcohol is a no-go for her anyway because it hinders fat burning. ⁹

Furthermore, it depends on which model of the intermittent diet you decided. For example, if you have chosen the 5 to 2 methods, you should logically only consume alcohol on the non-fasting days (and even then only in moderate quantities).

Since you in the two fasting days A maximum of 500 to 600 calories It would not be very intelligent to consume them with alcohol. Alcohol is very high in calories and a drink can already contain over 100 kcal. ¹⁰

With the 16 to 8 method, it looks a little different again. In theory, you can do your calorie consumption between the Macronutrients Divide as it is ideal for you. We at Saturo However, advise against excessive alcohol consumption in interval fasting (and also with normal diet).

Coffee is allowed in interval fasting if ...

Tea and coffee are only allowed when interval fasting no milk and no sugar are included. Sugar (which is also contained in milk as a milk sugar) means that the pancreas releases insulin.

This should be avoided because one of the main reasons for interval fasting is to calm down the pancreas. Because while insulin is released, no Fat burned become.

For the same reason, snacks are such a big problem in between because the metabolism is constantly active. It turned out that nothing is wrong with the misconception that snacks helps to lose weight. ¹¹

Who his Black coffee and without additives drink, can be calmed down. A cup of black coffee contains no calories, which is why digestion alone is not stimulated. ¹²

In order to make it easier for you as a beginner to get started with interval fasting, we have put together a list with the 10 best tips for newbies:

1. Don't think long, but do it
   You can still watch so many articles and videos via IF. In the end, it is crucial that you just start with it. Because without this first step you will never find out whether interval fasting is suitable for you or not. 
   
2. Slowly
   Nobody runs a marathon if he can't even run 5 kilometers in a row. So it also applies to the start of interval fasting. As a beginner, you should make sure not to overwhelm yourself. In particular, the 5 to 2 methods overwhelm many people who do not yet know how to intervene properly. 
   
3. Choose the method that suits you best
   That ties in directly at the previous point. Because not all people get along equally well with every model of the intermittent fast. If your breakfast is sacred to you, then you shouldn't have to do without it. After that was said, please note ... 
   
4. The times in interval fasting are secondary
   It doesn't matter whether you break fasting at 8:00 a.m. or only at lunchtime. As long as the periods of non-eating are observed, you move in the green area. This makes the 16/8 method and the weakened 12/12 method so attractive for beginners because they can be flexibly adapted to every everyday life. 
   
5. Food extensively for enough calories
   If you don't eat and drink properly, you cannot perform. That is why it is essential that you eat enough food during your meal time. Athletes in particular have to pay attention to their calorie balance in order not to lose too much body weight through the IF. 
   
6. Hold on foods that are fed up for a long time
   Longer fasting phases, as with the 5 to 2 methods, can be exhausting for the body and the feeling of hunger can sometimes become unbearable. Complex carbohydrates that keep full for a long time help. Potatoes, sweet potatoes or legumes are good saddishmakers. ¹³
7. Hunger and thirst should not be confused
   In the morning, thirst is often confused with a feeling of hunger. A good tip is there to drink a large glass of water right after getting up - preferably with lemon and a little salt to compensate for mineral loss over the night. Often the “wrong” hunger disappears again. 
   
8. A daily schedule helps with fasting
   It is difficult for you to find the right times for you? Then a daily schedule for interval fasting is a solution for you. Define in advance at what time you want to break the fast and from when is “curfew”. Prominent examples of how Eckart von Hirschhausen, show how an interval fasting daily schedule can look. 
9. Find a supportive community
   Exchange with others who also fast intermittently can motivate and offer helpful tips and new perspectives. Whether online in forums, social media groups or in a local club - a community can not only help you to deal with challenges, but also strengthen your perseverance. The exchange of experiences via interval fasting methods, success stories and delicious recipes for the meal windows can make fasting and even fun.
10. Use drinking meals for flexible nutrient supply
    Use the flexibility of drinking meals to secure your nutrient supply even on intensive fasting days. They are ideal for taking up high -quality proteins, vitamins and minerals quickly and easily, without having to prepare serious meals. Especially on days when you have little time or the meal windows are scarce, they offer a practical solution.

If you follow these 10 tips for beginners, you will undoubtedly have an easier start to the interval diet.