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Intermittent Fasting for Men - 10 Tips & Tricks on how to do it effectively

Akarsh Dhar -
Table of Contents +
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Neha Surywanshi , M.Sc.in Dietetics & Food Service Management, P.G.Diploma in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Reviewed on 25th January 2021

Intermittent fasting has been proven to be extremely beneficial to attain those WeightLossGoals, to improve energy levels and gain muscle mass? WHAT? Intermittent fasting for men has become the new buzz and is increasingly becoming a part of people’s lives.

The benefits of intermittent fasting for men go far and beyond just weight loss. Here’s a summary below of everything intermittent fasting helps: Better cognitive functions, helps lose weight and belly fat, allows your digestive system to rest, reduces risk of diabetes, increases overall energy and lowers insulin levels.

Doesn’t this sound too good to be true? We kid you not, it is true! We’re not done listing the benefits yet. If adopted in your daily regime – YOU ARE SURE TO LOSE WEIGHT FREE OF COST, without huge dietary changes!

There’s a lot of concern on whether intermittent fasting for men works, if it is good for our health and the list goes on.  Want to know what we think? If done right, intermittent fasting definitely works! The key is to follow some important steps to make this sustainable and effective and get the best results.

Here is a list of things that we overlook but are so crucial and make all the difference. These seemingly tiny points can add to the success of your intermittent fast.

The Optimal Way To Exercise During Intermittent Fasting

  • Low intensity cardio on an empty stomach burns more fat. While lifting weights, it is important to keep in mind protein intake. Weights can be lifted during the feeding period or after, depending on your body type
  • Exercising on an empty stomach will activate antioxidants and boost growth hormones like testosterone which will help you achieve your strength goals.

Find Your Best Hours To Intermittent Fasting

  • You’ve heard about it all. 5:2, 16:8, OMAD. Figure out what fits your routine and schedule the best. It is of prime importance to tailor-make the fast to fit YOU.
  • Another tip would be to ease your body into a fasting schedule. You are essentially shocking your body into the IF routine if you merely jump into it which makes this unsustainable and achievable.  For starters, being in harmony with your circadian rhythm could be step one towards intermittent fasting. Over time and at your own pace, you may increase your fast from 12 to 13 hours and eventually to 16 hours.

Make Your Intermittent Fast More Effective By Planning Ahead

  • Planning what to eat and when to eat can take you a long way as you are more likely to reduce giving it to cravings. Prepping meals ahead of your feeding window is a great idea since you won’t be wasting your eating time period on assembling ingredients, making food or even doing the dishes.
  • Strategically planning your day according to your feeding period can help too. Doing more high energy tasks during or after your feeding period is sure to help you be on top of your to-do list while being on your fasting schedule.

Foods That Tamper With Your Intermittent Fasting

  • Eating whole foods not processed foods so your body gets the right nutrients. A goofy way to ensure this by putting together a healthy diet – with the right amounts of protein, fiber and good fats.
  • Never break your fast with sugary foods, sweetened fruit juice, simple carbs no matter how strong your craving may be. It will only result in a failure of your efforts by spiking blood sugar levels.

Beverages During Intermittent Fasting That Will Change Your Life

  • No, we’re not going to overcomplicate this by giving you recipes and ingredients. STAY HYDRATED. DRINK LOTS OF WATER. Prevent that throbbing headache and those hunger pangs. Most times we confuse thirst for hunger.
  • Herbal teas, plain old black coffee, ACV with water, bone broth and vegetable broth are zero calorie beverages that can be consumed during the fasting period and while breaking the fast.

Portion Control : Don’t Pig Out

  • How many times has this thought run through our heads?
  • ‘Intermittent fasting is controlling when you eat, not controlling WHAT you eat, so I’m going to  eat as much as I can in my feeding window’

It is important to stay on track and be mindful about what goes into your body.

  • Eating only when you are hungry is important. It is crucial to keep yourself hydrated since we confuse thirst for hunger and keep dumping food into our system without being mindful.
  • Fasting and mindful eating  a strong couple.

Weight: Men Lose Weight Faster Than Women

  • It is of supreme importance to get our facts about straight. We are so bogged down and confused by the myths that we end up misguided, making wrong decisions for ourselves.
  • Studies show that men are proven to lose weight sooner than women due to their higher metabolism and muscle composition. It was also found that men have more fat around their bellies. Tracking food intake, understanding how the body deals with added protein and fewer carbs and strategically  switching up foods accordingly will make your Intermittent Fasting journey more impactful.

Snacking During Your Fast

  • It’s simple. Fasting means NO EATING apart from the feeding period.Breaking your fast just to satisfy a craving means meddling with your fasting routine and spiked blood sugar levels which makes it difficult to lose weight.
  • Understanding the Fundamentals of Nutrition in order to get a deeper insight of why to eat what to eat can be helpful in making healthier snacking decisions within the feeding period.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar is a great natural remedy since it suppresses hunger.

Weight Loss Gummies

  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Chicory Inulin
  • Fibre

Yes, Sleep Plays A Huge Role

  • Sleep affects hunger related hormones. When the body is sleep-deprived, these hormones spike up or plummet down unevenly leading to increased hunger. Studies indicate that people who don’t get enough sleep eat twice as much fat and more than 300 extra calories the next day, compared with those who sleep for eight hours. In order to avoid this recommends 7-9 hours of sleep
  • If you end your feeding period with a large and difficult to digest meal and directly head to bed, you are not allowing your system enough time to digest this food. In the long run this can adversely impact your health. Thus, ending your feeding window at least 3-4 hours before going to bed will be immensely helpful and is sure to improve the end result of your intermittent fast.

The Power Of Minds That Think Alike

  • Any dialogue with people in a similar minds pace is going to keep you going . Look for communities and support groups that share their journeys, results, questions on facebook and instagram. Use an app to track your fasting hours and your progress. Apps help you review how far you’ve come. An added bit of using an app is the community feeling. Zero allows you to see how many other users are fasting at the same time as you.
  • Intermittent fasting is hacking the way we think while being mindful and strategic. It is these small habits that will enable you to conquer this fast in order to achieve your goals. The IF movement has been a global one where people are striving to be more mindful of their routines and how to be healthy within that.
  • Here is testimony of how 5 years of fasting can reap benefits beyond weight loss.
  • Intermittent fasting, if followed religiously is sure to help you up your health game in the long term.

References