Learn how to avoid the 3 Intermittent Fasting mistakes that can ruin your belly fat loss results and how to fix them. Read to know more.
Introduction
I absolutely love Intermittent fasting! It’s a method to trim down belly fat and improve overall health. All you have to do is alternate, between periods of eating and fasting such, as going 16 hours without food followed by 8 hours of enjoying meals or even trying a day of fasting followed by a day of indulging in tasty treats.
This approach helps reduce calorie intake boost burning hormones and decrease inflammation all of which contribute to getting rid of that belly fat.
Nevertheless, intermittent fasting is not a fix that will magically transform your body into a fit state overnight. It’s important to be aware of errors that can undermine your progress and potentially have effects, on your health.
In this article, I’ll discuss the three mistakes to avoid while practising intermittent fasting for reducing belly fat along, with helpful strategies to steer clear of them.
Mistake 1: Eating too much or too little during your eating window
Alright, you’ve got to find the perfect balance during your eating window.
Imagine this scenario: Overeating during your ‘eating window’ can destroy your calorie-cutting plan and your weight loss efforts. It’s like rowing a boat upstream while someone’s poking holes in it – counterproductive, right?
Now, if you don’t eat enough, your body might take it as a distress signal, thinking it’s stranded on a deserted island with no food in sight. In response, it might slow down your metabolism, which isn’t the best strategy for losing fat.
So, to win this game, the secret is to keep that perfect balance during your eating time.
Calorie management
Don’t worry. I will help you to get away from this dietary blunder and use a simple method of Calorie Management.
First, we’ll know about the ‘basal metabolic rate’ or BMR. Think of it as the number of calories your body spends while you’re in snooze mode, just hanging out. We calculate this number using an online calculator.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. We’ll introduce the ‘activity factor,’ which is like your personalized activity multiplier. It’s a scale that starts at 1.2 for those who take it easy and goes up to 1.9 for the high-energy, highly active people.
To complete our puzzle, we simply multiply your BMR by this activity factor. What you get is your ‘total daily energy expenditure,’ or TDEE. This magic number reveals the grand total of calories your body needs throughout a single day.
Calorie Deficit
Alright, let’s understand the science of shedding that extra weight. For that, I will help you to understand the concept of ‘calorie deficit’. It simply means ‘you’re eating fewer calories than your body burns’.
Now, here’s the twist: The sweet spot for the best and safest calorie deficit is roughly 20% of your ‘Total Daily Energy Expenditure’ or TDEE. Your TDEE is the grand total of calories your body needs every day. Let me tell you a simple example, if your TDEE is 2000 calories, your target would be around 1600 calories daily.
But you can do an interesting thing – you can divide those 1600 calories among the meals and snacks you plan to enjoy during your eating window. It’s like drawing a calorie treasure map for your day, ensuring that each meal and snack fits easily into your weight loss picture.
Healthy and Balanced Meals
Okay, here’s the juicy secret in winning the battle to lose belly fat: All calories are not equal. Some are more nutritious than others.
To lose your belly fat, your food should be whole, unaltered or unprocessed foods. These foods come packed with protein (your body’s repair crew), fibre (the satisfaction squad), healthy fats (the energy providers), and antioxidants (the inflammation fighters).
When you eat these superstar foods, they don’t just fill you up and keep you satisfied, but they also increase your metabolism, giving it a boost like a sports car hitting the open road. Plus, they’re like your body’s firefighters, putting out the flames of inflammation. So, eat smart, and you’ll get rid of that belly fat in no time.
Food Suggestions
Alright, We’re talking about meals and snacks that are like the superheroes of nutrition. Check these out:
- A bowl of oatmeal mixed with nuts, seeds, berries, and a sprinkle of cinnamon – it’s like a morning hug for your belly.
- Grilled chicken salad with leafy greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, creamy avocado, and olive oil dressing.
- Turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread, stacked with lettuce, tomato, cheese, and mustard – It’s like a flavour party in your mouth.
- Snack attack! Grab a handful of almonds for that crunch and a piece of dark chocolate for a sweet fix – the perfect duo.
- A salmon fillet, paired with roasted broccoli and fluffy quinoa – a meal fit for champions.
- Craving some creaminess? Greek yoghurt with granola and fresh fruits is like a healthy dessert.
- Smoothie blended with spinach, banana, almond milk, peanut butter, and a dash of protein powder – it’s like a green energy potion.
These are the foods that’ll keep you fueled and feeling great during your eating time. So, Enjoy!
Mistake 2: Not drinking enough water or drinking the wrong beverages during your fasting window
Water and its purpose during Intermittent Fasting
Alright, You’re on a mission to shed that stubborn belly fat using intermittent fasting. But, you are making another mistake by not drinking enough water or drinking the wrong beverages during your fasting window.
Water is like your body’s magical elixir for staying fit and healthy. It helps to get rid of toxins, keeps your temperature in check, lubricates your joints, plays delivery guy for essential nutrients, and even suppresses your cravings.
But, if you don’t drink enough water and get dehydrated, brace yourself for some unwelcome guests: hunger, pounding headaches, tiredness, unwanted cravings, and poor concentration on any activity you do. And guess what? These things can make you overeat or break you fast.
Also Read – 5 Myths about Carbohydrates
How to Solve this mistake
From my perspective, the easiest solution to this problem is – just drink, drink, drink! The standard recommendation is to drink around eight glasses of water each day. But that number can vary and depends on your age, weight, how much you’re active throughout the day, the climate you’re in, and any health conditions.
Now, here’s a quick tip to check if you are drinking enough water: Check out the colour of your Urine.
If it’s as clear as a mountain stream or has a light yellow colour, you’re drinking enough water. But if it has a deeper yellow or a brownish hue, that’s your body’s way of signalling, ‘Hey there, buddy, I’m dehydrated!’ So, grab that water bottle and take a sip to quench your body’s thirst.
Avoid these during Intermittent Fasting
Alright, so it’s not just water that you can drink when you’re fasting. There’s a whole menu of other beverages that you can drink.
Here’s the little catch: Avoid any kind of drink that brings calories or artificial sweeteners. Why? Because these drinks can destroy your fasting plans by messing with your blood sugar and insulin levels.
Now, let’s dive into the beverages list that you have to avoid:
- Soda
- Juice
- Milk
- Coffee with cream or sugar
- Tea with milk or honey
- Energy drinks
- Sports drinks
- Alcohol
Try these during Intermittent Fasting
But hold on tight, because here’s the interesting part: Not all drinks will ruin your fasting; some are your friends. These beverages help with your hunger, increase your metabolism, and enhance your health.
Here is the list of some of them:
- Black coffee (Bold Brew, Pure Flavor)
- Green tea (Sip the Freshness)
- Herbal tea (Nature’s Sip of Serenity)
- Apple cider vinegar (Nature’s Wellness Elixir)
- Lemon water (Level Up Your Hydration)
Mistake 3: Not listening to your body or adjusting your fasting schedule to your lifestyle
Listen to your body
Alright, buckle up, because here’s the third mistake people often make when they dive into intermittent fasting to get rid of that belly fat: They forget to tune in to what their body’s saying, or they try to force themselves into a fasting plan that just doesn’t fit with their lifestyle.
Here’s the deal: Intermittent fasting isn’t a ‘one-size-fits-all’ deal. It’s like working for your best friend but not for you. Your body is unique, giving feedback like hunger pangs, changes in energy levels, mood swings, and weight fluctuations.
If you ignore these signals and push yourself into a tough fasting routine, you could end up in a stress spiral, messing with your hormones, reducing your sleep quality, and slowing down your metabolism. And guess what? That can destroy your getting-rid-of-belly-fat mission and your overall well-being.
The solution to this Mistake
Time to dive into how to avoid this mistake. You’ve to become your body’s best friend and customize your fasting plan to match your own preferences, your goals, and your everyday life.
There’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ when it comes to intermittent fasting. It’s like finding the perfect choice for your plan– lots of factors come into play, such as:
Your Age
Alright, let’s dive into the science of getting older. As you get older, your body undergoes a few transformations. Your metabolism, the engine that powers your body, starts to become slower. Plus, your hormones start to change.
Now, here’s the twist: This combination makes it tough to reduce belly fat. But, don’t worry! To stay on the healthy track, you might need to do some fine-tuning.
That means adjusting your fasting routine, maybe by having a bit more to eat or not going as long without food. This helps you hold onto your muscle strength and keeps your health in check.
Your Gender
Now, let’s dive a little deeper into the world of hormones, especially for women. You see, women’s hormones can be a bit like a rollercoaster, especially when it’s that time of the month, during pregnancy, or when they reach menopause. These hormone shifts can play some games with their appetite, mood, energy levels, and weight.
Here’s the deal: To stay in sync with their body’s rhythm, sometimes women might need to be a bit more flexible with their fasting schedule or even give it a pass during certain times of the month or when they’re going through significant life changes.
Your Activity Level
Alright, fitness enthusiasts, let’s dive into the science of staying active. When you’re hitting the gym or being physically active, your body craves extra calories and specific nutrients to fuel your workouts and help your muscles recover like champions.
You might need to adjust your eating window to match your exercise schedule, or maybe include some more protein onto your plate. That way, you’ll keep those muscles in tip-top shape and increase your strength.
Your Health Conditions
If you have any conditions or are currently taking medications that have an impact, on your blood sugar levels blood pressure, heart rate or digestion it is advisable to consult with your doctor before initiating fasting.
Your doctor can provide guidance on how to modify your fasting schedule in accordance with your needs. Certain conditions such, as diabetes, hypoglycemia, hypertension, ulcers and acid reflux may require attention and adjustments.
Your Daily Routine
Think about your daily life and how it can mess with your fasting plan. Let’s say you work at night or travel a lot to places with different time zones. It can be tough to eat at the same time every day.
So, you might need to change your fasting plan to match your lifestyle or pick a more flexible way of fasting.
Conclusion
Alright, to sum up, intermittent fasting is like this powerful move for getting rid of that stubborn belly fat and supercharging your health. But hold on tight, because there are three common mistakes that can totally throw you off track and, well, harm your health.
You just have to avoid these mistakes and follow smart tips so you can win the intermittent fasting game and conquer your goals like a pro!
*Disclaimer – The information in this article is collected from various resources like online articles, books and magazines. Always consult a healthcare professional or doctor before applying it to your life.