Many people have had weight loss success following a ketogenic diet by cutting way back on carbs, eliminating sugar, and increasing healthy fats to fuel their bodies. Intermittent fasting is another weight loss approach where you eat only during a specific time of the day, and abstain from eating the remaining hours of the day. Both approaches can be done individually, or combined to possibly improve your results!
When following a ketogenic diet, it’s important to eat the proper ratios of fats, proteins and carbohydrates to ensure you are in a state of ketosis and using fat for fuel. Intermittent fasting considers when you eat, how much you eat, and how often you eat and can have a serious impact on your health and weight loss goals. The best part of combining the two is that when you are fat-adapted on a keto diet, you feel less hungry in general which provides a perfect opportunity to reap all the benefits of intermittent fasting!
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It should be noted that it is not necessary to intermittent fast while following a keto diet to get results. If you feel unwell, dizzy, or ‘hangry’ (hungry+angry) you may want to consider just sticking with a keto diet instead. It is more important to find a healthy lifestyle that works for you, that you can stick with because you enjoy it - rather than forcing something that makes you miserable.
Intermittent Fasting (IF) is when you specifically schedule a time during the day in which you refrain from eating. This time in between meals is often referred to as a Fasting State or Fasting Window. In turn, you also specifically schedule a time during the day where you will consume all of your food or meals for the day. This time is often referred to as a Feeding State or Eating Window.
BENEFITS OF IF + KETO
There are numerous benefits to intermittent fasting such as:
Blood levels of insulin drop which increases fat burning
Induces cellular repair processes
Enhances hormone function to help facilitate weight loss
Helps restrict the amount of calories we consume
Reduces insulin resistance and helps lower blood sugar levels
Helps fight inflammation in the body
Increases autophagy which removes waste material from our cells and may help prevent various diseases
Provides more mental clarity
May help to increase lifespan
Weight loss by limiting the amount of time you can eat in the day, which often reduces calories and mindless eating.
WHO SHOULD TRY IF + KETO AND WHO SHOULD AVOID IF + KETO
One of the biggest benefits of being on keto when you start incorporating IF, is that keto foods tend to be high in healthy fats and protein, which helps you feel satiated and full for longer periods of time. This makes intermittent fasting easier because if you don’t feel hungry, you won’t be tempted to eat. It is recommended to be on a keto diet for at least 3 weeks to become fully fat adapted before incorporating intermittent fasting for the best results. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself with starting too many things at once, so wait a few weeks before playing around with your eating window.
If you have ever suffered from an eating disorder in the past, it may be recommended to avoid intermittent fasting. Fasting is not the same as intentionally starving yourself, but it is not worth triggering any past emotions or behaviours if you have been diagnosed with or are recovering from an eating disorder.
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
This may be the most crucial and important tip of them all when it comes to intermittent fasting. You may have a predetermined length of time you are planning to fast, but if you are feeling truly hungry during your fasting window - EAT! Don’t force it if you’re feeling hungry, dizzy, “hangry”, have a headache or feel nauseous. How do you know if you are feeling real, actual hunger? Usually true hunger starts from within the body and travels up to the brain to cue when it is time to eat. If “hunger” starts in your mind first with thoughts or mental chatter about food but you do not feel anything physically, you are likely not actually hungry.
A quick trick to test your true hunger is to drink a big glass of water and wait. It often happens that dehydration can be the culprit of hunger cues, not actual hunger. Sometimes, your stomach may even be growling, but your mind knows you’re not hungry. Chug a bunch of water, wait for 20-30 minutes, and if you are still feeling a strong sense of hunger then consider breaking your fast and eating.
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INCREASE YOUR FASTING WINDOW SLOWLY
If you are new to the concept of intermittent fasting it’s probably not wise to jump right in with a big, 3 day fast. Simply start by setting a fasting window and eating window that works for you. Or just try skipping a meal like breakfast, then eat whenever you get hungry for lunch. Be aware that your body will take time to adjust to your new eating schedule, and be mindful of true hunger cues vs cravings. Another great tactic is to mentally “close your kitchen” after you’ve finished your final meal of the day to eliminate any late night snacking or desserts. Slowly increase this window over time, always being mindful of your hunger cues and listening to your body.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO FAST EVERY DAY
Just because you intermittent fast most days, doesn’t mean you necessarily have to do it every single day. Do whatever works best for your schedule, and lifestyle. Maybe you only do IF Monday-Friday, and are more lenient on weekends. The most important thing is to do whatever feels best for you, that you can actually commit to, and stick with over time.
TRY DIFFERENT TYPES OF FASTING
There are multiple different types of intermittent fasting that you can try and incorporate into your lifestyle. Skipping meals such as breakfast and simply eating when you get hungry for lunch is a great first step and easy way to introduce intermittent fasting into your keto weight loss approach.
The most common type of intermittent fasting is to establish a set Fasting Window and Eating Window. For example, 16:8 means you fast for 16 hours of the day, and only eat food within your 8 hour eating period. Other common times are 18:6, and 20:4. It’s important to note that your sleeping hours count towards fasting hours too!! Once again, the most important factor is listening to your own body, and doing what feels best for you, and works with your lifestyle and schedule.
The final way to incorporate intermittent fasting is by extended fasts. Extended fasts typically range anywhere from 24-48 hours, but can even be upwards of 60-72 hours in length. The main benefits of longer fasts is autophagy. This is essentially a process where your cells have a chance to clean up and remove any damaged proteins and toxins, and eliminate them. Autophagy has been linked to slowing the aging process and decreasing or reversing some disease.
ELECTROLYTES & WATER
Water and electrolytes are both an essential part of living a healthy ketogenic lifestyle. Carbohydrates hold onto water in the body. When we restrict the amount of carbohydrates we consume, water is excreted more readily, and often important electrolytes such as sodium and potassium go with it. Dehydration is the most common side effect of keto, so ensuring you drink lots of water is a non-negotiable. Intermittent fasting may actually help increase your water intake as you are more likely to sip away during your fasting window, instead of reaching for a snack! Supplementing with electrolytes is essential on keto and during extended fasting periods to maintain balance and feel our best.
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DO NOT USE INTERMITTENT FASTING AS PUNISHMENT
Intermittent fasting is a helpful tool that can help you achieve your weight loss goals. By limiting the amount of time during the day that you consume foods may automatically decrease your caloric intake. That being said, it should never be used as a way to punish yourself for overeating. It should never be used as a negative compensatory behaviour. If you’ve indulged in some extra calories or carbs, do not use any type of intermittent fasting or extended fasting to “fix it”. Simply take note of what may have triggered a binge, how you can prevent it in the future, forgive yourself, and move on. Resume your regular eating and fasting windows, and keep moving forward toward your goals.
I have personally lost 40+lbs and maintained it for nearly 3 years using both keto and intermittent fasting successfully. If you want to learn more about how I may be able to help you lose weight and maintain it using a holistic - mind, body, spirit approach to a ketogenic diet, learn more at theketolisticcoach.com/workwithstephanie. Or you can click here to join the FREE Facebook group KETO WEIGHT LOSS FOR WOMEN full of like-minded, keto supportive women.
