Discover the Benefits of Intermittent Fasting in Bacup
Many folks in Bacup have attempted intermittent fasting as a means to manage their weight or support healthy insulin and cholesterol levels. However, most don’t stick with it long enough to see real benefits.
Good news is, there’s more than one way to succeed at intermittent fasting—and the efforts are worth it. Keep these do’s and don’ts in mind as you incorporate intermittent fasting into your lifestyle in Bacup.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
First off, let’s clarify what intermittent fasting is. Put simply, intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that cycles between eating and fasting each day. The idea is to extend periods of time (say, 16 hours, a lot of which occur while you’re sleeping) without eating. This allows your body to tap into stored fat for energy and support healthy blood sugar levels.
With that in mind, let’s start with tips that will help you get the best results from intermittent fasting right here in Bacup.
Do:
- Start Slow: You wouldn’t jump straight from being a couch potato to running a marathon, would ya? The same principle applies to intermittent fasting. Although for some going full cold turkey works, it’s generally recommend starting with smaller, more achievable goals, like not snacking after dinner or eating breakfast an hour later. Then, gradually work toward a longer fasting period as your body adjusts.
- Pick the Intermittent Fasting Schedule that Works for You: Many find the best results with the 16:8 method, which means fasting for 16 hours between dinner and your first meal the next day. (For example, you’d eat all your meals between noon and 8 p.m., and then fast until noon the next day.) Adjust your fast start and end times to fit your lifestyle in Bacup. If you need to eat earlier in the day, try starting your fast at 5 or 6 p.m.
- Drink Lots of Water: While it’s beneficial to give our bodies breaks from food, it’s crucial to stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water helps us feel fuller and stave off cravings.
- Eat Wholesome Meals: Regardless of how long your eating window is, ensure it’s filled with fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, lean protein, and fiber. These foods help you get the nutrients you need and make it easier to go longer periods without eating. Avoid high-sugar and simple carbohydrate foods that leave you feeling hungry soon after.
- Keep an IF Journal: When you’re starting out, keep track of what you eat, the different schedules you’ve tried, and how you feel each day. This will help you determine what works best, so you can build a long-term plan customized to your needs, tailored to life in Bacup.
Don’ts:
- Binge During Your Eating Window: Just because you fasted for 16 hours doesn’t mean you get a free pass to eat excessively for eight hours. Focus on wholesome foods and avoid high-calorie options that aren’t filling.
- Don’t Eat Too Little: Intermittent fasting isn’t a diet; it’s a time-based eating pattern that helps your body rely on stored fat for energy. Ensure you’re eating enough during your eating window.
- Don’t Give Up Too Soon: To see the benefits of intermittent fasting, you need to stick with it for at least 30 days. If you’re finding it difficult, try fasting for a shorter duration rather than giving up altogether. After getting used to fasting for 12 or 14 hours, you might extend it to 16 hours without too much trouble and maximize the benefits.
- Don’t Expect Perfection: You don’t have to be perfect at intermittent fasting to succeed. Interruptions are part of life, and your eating habits will be affected from time to time. Aim for consistency rather than perfection. If you’re fasting correctly most of the time, you’ll achieve success.
When Willpower Isn’t Enough
When it comes down to it, willpower alone may not be enough to succeed at intermittent fasting long term. But with a little help, intermittent fasting becomes much more doable.
Two Unicity products—Unimate and Balance—work together to help you extend the time between dinner and your first meal the following day.
- Unimate: A yerba mate drink that contains up to 10 times the amount of chlorogenic acid (the feel-good, “get-up-and-go” component) found in a premium cup of coffee. It helps boost the mood and supports mental stamina, focus, and motivation. It also helps you fend off cravings and reenergize between meals.
- Balance: A pre-meal drink with a patented fiber matrix that includes bioactive plant compounds, polysaccharides, and micronutrients. The fiber matrix is designed to help ease some of the impacts that excess carbohydrates and cholesterol can have, and the soluble fibers help curb your appetite.
We refer to these two products plus intermittent fasting as the Feel Great program because, well, folks really do feel great when they stick to this method. Learn more about Feel Great and see how it can help you get the most out of intermittent fasting without making it harder than it should be in Bacup.