Starting intermittent fasting: 7 things you need to know

Intermittent fasting has become a real hype in recent years. You see it everywhere on social media, and even a lot of BV's are fans (Pieter Loridon, Louis Talpe, Martine Prenen…) Intermittent fasting is good for you, because you literally give your body a new start. You give the body the chance to recover. The result: you lose excess kilos, get a high dose of energy and feel better about yourself. Sounds fantastic, right?

But how do you start with that, with periodic fasting or intermittent fasting? These are 7 important things you should know before you start intermittent fasting.

1. There are several methods

If you start with intermittent fasting, you should know that there are different methods. You have to do what feels best for you, because a lot also depends on your personal situation.

These are some popular methods:

• 16/8 method: this is the method where you don't eat breakfast, this is also one of the most popular forms of intermittent fasting. You limit eating to a period of 8 hours, after those 8 hours you don't eat anything for 16 hours. An example: you do not eat until 12 noon, and then you can eat until 8 pm. After that you don't eat anything until 12 o'clock the next day.
• Eat Stop Eat: With this method, you fast once or twice a week for 24 hours straight. This is of course a bit more difficult, because you have to take your agenda into account.
• The Warrior Diet: you fast for 20 hours straight, then eat one big meal. You do this all week.
• Alternate day: with this method you fast every other day.

2. Build it up slowly

As a beginner you prefer to build up the fast. For example, you can start with two fasting days a week, or skip a meal. It is not the intention that you starve yourself, and if you are hungry or feel weak, it is important that you eat something.

In those first weeks, your body really has to get used to your new eating habits. Take it easy and build it up.

3. Which methods do you choose as a starter?

The 16/8 method is the most popular method. Many people choose this form of intermittent fasting because it is simple. You eat nothing for 16 hours and then eat for 8 hours. For example, you can have brunch at noon, simple and efficient!

4. Why skipping breakfast is good for you

With intermittent fasting you often skip breakfast, isn't that unhealthy? If you believe companies, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but that is of course mainly because they want to sell their products. A manufacturer of cornflakes or chocolate spread will of course always say that breakfast is super important.

As long as you eat healthy and get all your necessary nutrients every day, you choose when you eat during the day. There are many benefits to skipping breakfast:

1. Fats are burned faster. Because your body does not receive any food, your body starts burning fats to release energy.
2. Your blood sugar level remains stable. If you postpone a meal, you give your pancreas a rest. In our Western world we are used to eating small meals throughout the day, but this will only make your blood sugar levels fluctuate. Skipping breakfast gives your pancreas a rest and reduces your risk of diabetes.
3. Intermittent fasting gives your body some rest. When you eat breakfast, your body has to work hard afterwards to process this food. That takes a lot of energy. If you eat small meals throughout the day, your body is constantly working. This is also a major advantage of intermittent fasting: many people indicate that they feel much more energetic by fasting.

5. Disadvantages of intermittent fasting

Of course, everything has one or more disadvantages, that also applies to intermittent fasting. These are the main drawbacks:

• You need perseverance. In the beginning your body has to get used to, the first days are often tough.
• Although you eat fewer calories, there are still people who gain weight. This is often because they binge eat after fasting and therefore consume an excess of calories at that time.
• Are you an athlete? Intermittent fasting doesn't work for everyone. Some people can exercise well on an empty stomach, but you may not like that at all. Do what makes you feel good.
• It is important that you continue to eat healthy. With intermittent fasting they often say that you can eat anything, but that does not mean that you have to live on junk food all week. Eat healthy, especially if you want to lose a few pounds.

6. Matcha does not interrupt your fast

I often get asked if matcha interrupts the fast. I can give you a clear answer to that: no! During intermittent fasting you can drink low-calorie drinks such as coffee, water and tea.

In fact, matcha will only boost your metabolism even more. This means that your daily cup of matcha tea enhances the result. It also provides a huge energy boost, so only benefits!

7. How do you suppress a feeling of hunger?

If you feel weak and are really extremely hungry, then I would still eat a meal. You should always listen to your body and sitting with a terrible feeling of hunger is anything but nice.

But there are also solutions for 'little cravings'. Is your stomach starting to growl but do you absolutely want to continue? Then it's just a matter of drinking a lot, which can suppress your hunger. So I come back to point 6: matcha is really fantastic for intermittent fasting. I don't say that because I sell matcha, but because matcha powder has been proven to support your metabolism.

Have you heard of intermittent fasting, and do you have experience with intermittent fasting?