6 Intermittent Fasting Tips To Help You Succeed

Intermittent fasting is a weight loss method that alternates fasting days and non-fasting days. The eating plan might not be sustainable for many people, but there are tips to help you maximize your results. For example, focus on fresh, whole foods and avoid fasting on active days.

It's also essential to know how to break intermittent fasting. You can eat whatever you want on non-fasting days, but you'll want to prioritize balanced meals. Avoid high-calorie meals after your fast ends. Instead, satisfy your hunger with filling fiber, healthy fats, lean protein, and whole grains.

Research has found that intermittent fasting results in similar weight loss as a restricted eating plan, as well as improved blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar, and more. Here are six tips to help you stick to intermittent fasting and reap those benefits.

1. Be Mindful

Make a conscious effort to slow your eating pace on fasting days. Try listening to a guided meditation once daily, even for just five minutes. Short daily meditations help improve mindfulness and slow your pace, including during meals and snacks.

Research has found that eating slowly and taking small bites boosts fullness and reduces your calorie intake. Those strategies might help you stick to your healthy eating regimen, whether it's intermittent fasting or another plan.

2. Do Not Fast on Active Days

Timing matters. Think of your body like a car: You need to fill the gas tank before you go for a long drive, not the next day. Make sure you give your body enough food to fuel upcoming activities. Do not put more demands on your body with an intense workout if you are going to fast on those days. Instead, plan your fasting days to be your rest days. Plan to do some stretching or light yoga at the very most.

The difference between a car and your body is a car with no fuel will stop. You can push your under-nourished body to keep moving. Still, slogging through workouts will only wear your body out and increase your risk of injuries.

3. Focus on Filling Foods

Certain foods keep you feeling full longer than others. Satiating nutrients generally include protein, healthy fat, and fiber.

Filling foods include:

• Avocado
• Eggs
• Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• Nuts and seeds
• Poultry 
• Pulses (e.g., beans and lentils)
• Seafood

Prioritize those foods on fasting days. For example, use EVOO to sauté or dress vegetables to significantly boost how full you feel after a meal and prevent lingering hunger. Olive oil is unlikely to break a fast if you limit your serving to one teaspoon, which has about 40 calories.

4. Increase Your Volume

Large portions do not always mean more calories. It depends on what you are eating. For example, popcorn is a low-calorie snack full of filling fiber that is unlikely to break a fast. Three cups of popped popcorn, about the size of three baseballs, counts as one serving of whole grains. Still, that amount is much larger in volume than one-half cup of cooked brown rice, which is also one serving of whole grains.

Raw vegetables are another way to fill up your plate without blowing your calorie budget. One medium zucchini provides about 33 calories. Zucchini may serve as a generously sized "bed" for a serving of protein if you shred it with a box grater.

Other vegetables with low-calorie counts per cup to pair with protein include:

• Broccoli: 31 calories
• Grape tomatoes: 47 calories
• Spinach: 7 calories
• White mushrooms: 21 calories

5. Make Every Calorie Count

There's not one standard protocol for intermittent fasting, but many plans limit your total calories to just 500 on fasting days. It's essential to prioritize food quality and get the most nutrition possible out of your meals and snacks. That means limiting processed foods and focusing on fresh fare.

You can technically afford to eat a 100-calorie snack pack of mini-chocolate chip cookies. It's perfectly OK to enjoy sweet treats every now and then. Still, spending those same 100 calories on vegetables and an organic egg delivers a wide range of nutrients that your body needs for energy, healthy bones and teeth, immunity, and more.

6. Use Herbs and Spices Generously

You might experiment with herbs and spices and have fun discovering some new favorite combinations. Simply adding roasted garlic, fresh basil, and a light drizzle of balsamic vinegar can transform a vine-ripened tomato. Rosemary compliments nearly any oven-roasted vegetable. A mix of lime juice, lime zest, and cilantro can jazz up anything from avocado to cauliflower.

Natural seasonings offer several benefits on fasting days, such as:

• Help reduce inflammation, which lowers the risk of chronic illnesses
• Make your meals and snacks flavorful, aromatic, and visually appealing without adding calories
• Pack antioxidants

A Quick Review

Intermittent fasting alternates fasting days and non-fasting days. It's difficult for some people to stick with intermittent fasting, but these tips may help you maximize your results. Focus on fresh, whole foods—including filling fiber, healthy fats, and protein—instead of processed foods. Make your fasting days your rest days from exercise to avoid feeling fatigued. 

Talk to a healthcare provider before trying a new weight loss method, including intermittent fasting. They can help you plan your fasting and non-fasting days so that you eat enough calories to fuel your body.