Beginners to Intermittent Fasting, do not miss these points for an effective fasting regime!

Intermittent Fasting(IF) is my go-to lifestyle choice during my weight loss and maintenance journey.

My initial attempts to fast during 2019 faced a lot of physical difficulties. I had set out without knowing how the body functioned during a fast. It was a blind attempt to get into the bandwagon. Later I got into the grove after I started with the Keto diet.

Few things I have learnt after putting IF into practice with Keto and later on with a normal diet (These are things I have picked from various sources on the Internet and found to be true according to my experience)

1. Just as Weight loss will be different for each person, fasting results and effects will change from person to person. For some, the experience will be smooth, while it may trigger anxiety in others due to body stress.
2. Fasting, along with keto, ensures that the glycogen stores to be burnt in the body are less, and the body will tap the stored fat for energy needs during the fast. With a carb-heavy diet, you may face more fatigue, and by the time the fasting scheduled as planned is over, you might have just depleted the glycogen stores. I faced fewer energy crashes whenever I fasted while practising the Keto diet.
3. It is always better to have the last meal before a fasting schedule consisting largely of proteins, vegetables, and good fat, even for those who do not practice the Keto diet.
4. Ending a fast is as important as the fasting schedule itself. Always include foods that do not spike your insulin levels which may cause more harm. My personal schedule is a cinnamon tea before breaking fast and, at least five-ten mins later, eggs.
5. Never combine sugar and fat; deadly combinations you can have in your diet. That would warrant you to throw out the majority of sweet treats on the table.
6. Working out in a fasted state is greatly beneficial even though it may feel strainful. For shorter fasts, I prefer to do some light exercises towards the end of the fast.
7. Keep your body well hydrated while fasting, and I drink water mixed with Himalayan salt once in a while.
8. Longer fasts will be harder in the first 18–24 hours, and you may face energy crashes. Stick with the plan. Don’t plan heavy exercise; keep your body hydrated and rest well during the period. The body will bounce back after the initial difficulty, and it will only get easier. Energy Crashes will happen at the beginning.
9. I drink water with a little Himalayan salt whenever I get a headache during a fast.
10. The longer the fast, the more careful you must be about fast ending eating schedule.
11. Avoid bullet coffee, bone broth, diet sodas, artificial sweeteners, cream etc., during fasting; it may break your fast. Please note that any insulin response will break your fasted stage.
12. It would be better to use a fasting app as it would allow you to complete schedules and stick with the fasting routing with all the features the apps provide. Even better would be to find a fasting buddy.
13. Green Tea does not magically help you lose weight. It does suppress hunger and has antioxidants and plants compounds beneficial to the body. Be careful when you choose a green tea brand as the cultivation process has many fertilizers added to it, especially during the young state of leaves. Feel free to take 3/4 cups of green tea during a day.
14. If you have any health condition, always consult your doctor before beginning a fasting lifestyle.