Fasting To Lose Weight in 2 weeks
It is an eating pattern where you alternate between eating and fasting periods. You get to plan out your fasting and non-fasting periods, where you only take water.
You don't have to do intermittent fasting to lose weight every other day, but it's recommended at least twice a week, for those looking to lose weight, in this article, you will find a complete program 5:2 Fast Diet
important: "The first 2 weeks can feel difficult since your body is attempting to adapt however once you traverse it, fasting will feel more like a habit".
The 5:2 Fast Diet weight loss plan
The 5:2 Fast Diet can be an excellent plan for anyone who is otherwise healthy but would like to lose weight and shed body fat. However, it is not recommended for some people but women who are pregnant or nursing, People with a history of eating disorders, People with type 2 diabetes, adolescents and Children should not go on the 5:2 Fast Diet.
People who currently eat an unhealthy diet:
People who eat a good deal of fast food, processed foods, and sugar can benefit from the 5:2 Fast Diet’s nutritionally balanced approach. The focus of both fasting and non-fasting days is on whole foods: primarily lean meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, and whole grains. Many people find that after eating this type of diet for a few weeks, they are better able to appreciate healthier whole foods and have a better understanding of what makes a well-rounded diet.
People who are addicted to sugary foods or empty calories: Many people become addicted to sugary foods, high-carbohydrate processed snacks, and empty calorie beverages such as sodas and blended coffee drinks, which have lots of calories and little to no nutrition. For some of these people, the 5:2 Fast Diet can have the added benefit of helping them break those addictions.
This is not only because of the focus on whole foods but also because of the calorie restrictions on fasting days. When you only have 500 to 600 calories to use in a day, it’s hard to justify spending half of it on one cola. After a week or two of living without those foods, many people report that the cravings and withdrawal symptoms subside.
People who need an especially simple plan: Some people just naturally do better when steps and choices are very limited. A diet with too many variations and choices or that requires too much planning and decision-making are often hard for such people to maintain. The 5:2 Fast Diet is simple, straightforward, and mapped out step by step. Because of calorie limitations, the fasting day meal plans are extremely simple, and recipes often have just a few ingredients.
How the 5:2 Fast Diet Fits into a Long-Term Plan
Although the 5:2 Fast Diet can be used as a short-term solution for weight loss, it can also fit into your overall nutritional lifestyle.
the 5:2 Fast Diet can be a good way for some people to learn the guidelines for making healthy food choices and to begin appreciating healthier whole foods. This can have a very positive impact on your diet long-term.
You may also find it beneficial to occasionally follow the 5:2 Fast Diet if you feel that old habits are creeping back into your life. This can be helpful if you have been eating poorly for a short time, such as during the holidays or while on vacation. Even if you haven’t gained weight, you may feel the need to “clean out” your body and start fresh.
If you choose, you can certainly adopt the 5:2 Fast Diet as a permanent way of eating. If you reach your goal weight but want to be able to indulge a bit more on non-fasting days or if you just like the way you feel on the 5:2 Fast Diet, it’s perfectly fine to stay on the diet indefinitely. If you are at your target weight, you may want to increase your calorie allowance on non-fasting days so that you don’t continue to lose weight.
If your work or lifestyle requires a lot of eating out, or if your diet is not always under your control because of social commitments or scheduling, staying on the 5:2 Fast Diet long-term can help you to balance out your overall weekly calorie intake. Fasting two days per week can counter a less-than-ideal diet the rest of the week, but this is not an invitation to intentionally gorge on unhealthy foods and then “make up for it” later.
Regardless of whether you choose to follow the diet temporarily, occasionally, or permanently, the 5:2 Fast Diet can help you to lose weight, shed body fat, feel more energetic, and gain control over your eating habits.
People who eat a good deal of fast food, processed foods, and sugar can benefit from the 5:2 Fast Diet’s nutritionally balanced approach. The focus of both fasting and non-fasting days is on whole foods: primarily lean meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, and whole grains. Many people find that after eating this type of diet for a few weeks, they are better able to appreciate healthier whole foods and have a better understanding of what makes a well-rounded diet.
People who are addicted to sugary foods or empty calories: Many people become addicted to sugary foods, high-carbohydrate processed snacks, and empty calorie beverages such as sodas and blended coffee drinks, which have lots of calories and little to no nutrition. For some of these people, the 5:2 Fast Diet can have the added benefit of helping them break those addictions.
This is not only because of the focus on whole foods but also because of the calorie restrictions on fasting days. When you only have 500 to 600 calories to use in a day, it’s hard to justify spending half of it on one cola. After a week or two of living without those foods, many people report that the cravings and withdrawal symptoms subside.
People who need an especially simple plan: Some people just naturally do better when steps and choices are very limited. A diet with too many variations and choices or that requires too much planning and decision-making are often hard for such people to maintain. The 5:2 Fast Diet is simple, straightforward, and mapped out step by step. Because of calorie limitations, the fasting day meal plans are extremely simple, and recipes often have just a few ingredients.
How the 5:2 Fast Diet Fits into a Long-Term Plan
Although the 5:2 Fast Diet can be used as a short-term solution for weight loss, it can also fit into your overall nutritional lifestyle.
the 5:2 Fast Diet can be a good way for some people to learn the guidelines for making healthy food choices and to begin appreciating healthier whole foods. This can have a very positive impact on your diet long-term.
You may also find it beneficial to occasionally follow the 5:2 Fast Diet if you feel that old habits are creeping back into your life. This can be helpful if you have been eating poorly for a short time, such as during the holidays or while on vacation. Even if you haven’t gained weight, you may feel the need to “clean out” your body and start fresh.
If you choose, you can certainly adopt the 5:2 Fast Diet as a permanent way of eating. If you reach your goal weight but want to be able to indulge a bit more on non-fasting days or if you just like the way you feel on the 5:2 Fast Diet, it’s perfectly fine to stay on the diet indefinitely. If you are at your target weight, you may want to increase your calorie allowance on non-fasting days so that you don’t continue to lose weight.
If your work or lifestyle requires a lot of eating out, or if your diet is not always under your control because of social commitments or scheduling, staying on the 5:2 Fast Diet long-term can help you to balance out your overall weekly calorie intake. Fasting two days per week can counter a less-than-ideal diet the rest of the week, but this is not an invitation to intentionally gorge on unhealthy foods and then “make up for it” later.
Regardless of whether you choose to follow the diet temporarily, occasionally, or permanently, the 5:2 Fast Diet can help you to lose weight, shed body fat, feel more energetic, and gain control over your eating habits.
THE 2-WEEK 5:2 FAST DIET WEIGHT-LOSS PLAN
The guidelines for the 5:2 Fast Diet are intentionally simple and straightforward. Diets that are too complicated or too time-consuming are very hard to follow long enough to see results.
The first thing you will need to do is calculate your daily caloric needs. On your non-fasting days, you will either be eating a diet equal to your caloric needs (for weight maintenance) or 500 calories less than your caloric needs (for weight loss of one pound per week).
There are several good caloric calculators online that you can use to determine your daily caloric needs. You’ll enter your gender, height, weight, age, and activity levels. Be sure that the calculator you use does allow you to calculate for regular exercise, a strenuous job, or anything else that will demand more calories each day. Don’t use a BMR (basal metabolic rate) calculator, as your basal metabolic rate only accounts for the calories you need to keep your body functioning.
There are several good caloric calculators available, including at:
• FreeDieting.com
• MayoClinic.com
• ACEFitness.org
Once you have calculated your regular daily caloric needs, you can determine your maximum non-fasting intake. For example, if you are an average woman, your regular daily caloric need is approximately 1,800 calories. If you are trying to lose weight, your maximum non-fasting daily calories would be 1,300. If you’re a male with a regular daily caloric need of 2,200 calories and you just want to maintain your weight, you would eat 2,200 calories each non-fasting day.
On the two fasting days, regardless of your regular daily calorie calculation, women are limited to 500 calories per day and men to 600 calories.
You’ll have five non-fasting days along with two non-consecutive fasting days. Your fasting days don’t have to be on the weekend; they can be any two days you think will be easiest for you to fast.
For the entire 2-week plan, you’ll observe five non-fasting days and two fasting days in each seven-day period. The fasting days should be non-consecutive. Sticking to a two-day-in-a-row fast can be difficult unless you have experience in fasting. It could also set you up for failure.
Although we provide a 2_week fasting plan for you, you can also feel free to mix and match recipes and meal suggestions once you get acclimated to the 5:2 Fast Diet.
You can use the recipes in (RECIPES FOR NON-FASTING DAYS) to create your meal plans for non-fasting days throughout the month and you can also use recipes of your own. Just be sure to get a wide variety of fruits and vegetables each day and try to vary your protein sources, rather than getting stuck in a chicken breast rut.
It’s important that you eat plenty of delicious foods that you really enjoy on non-fasting days, as this will help you stay motivated on fasting days. It’s a lot easier to fast if you know that you’ll be back to enjoying some of your favorite foods in a matter of hours.
• Fresh fruits
• Lean meats and poultry
• Fish and seafood
• Low-fat dairy
• Whole grains
• Legumes (such as beans and lentils)
• Nuts and seeds
• Healthy fats (such as avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil, and nuts)
• Limited amounts of sugar, honey, and sweet treats (see Chapter 11 for low-cal dessert and treat options)
• Deep-fried foods
• Artificial sweeteners
One of the purposes (and benefits) of intermittent fasting is the regulation of insulin levels and insulin sensitivity. If you’re taking in a lot of simple carbohydrates such as sugar, bread, and cereals on your non-fasting days, you’ll be more likely to have blood sugar spikes, which create a surplus of insulin in your bloodstream.
Switching back and forth between high-carb days and low-carb days (such as your fasting days) can make you more susceptible to developing insulin resistance. Insulin resistance, or metabolic syndrome, can lead to excess abdominal fat, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
You must drink a minimum of 64 fluid ounces of water per day! Some people find this easier if they freeze several water bottles to carry with them throughout the day. You can also pack several bottles in an insulated cooler bag to take with you to work.
On fasting days, beverages are limited to:
• Water
• Unsweetened black coffee
• Unsweetened hot tea (without milk)
• Unsweetened iced tea
You’ll find that the 5:2 Fast Diet is quite easy to adjust to after just a couple of weeks, perhaps even less. It’s best to stick with the menu plans we’ve provided for the fasting days for at least the first 2 weeks since the calories have already been calculated and the menus have been created to ensure that you get a good balance of proteins, carbohydrates, nutrients, and healthy fats.
Once your body has gotten used to this healthier way of eating and you have a good idea of proper portioning and the types of foods you should eat, you can feel free to create your own meal plans and use outside recipes for fasting days.
The first thing you will need to do is calculate your daily caloric needs. On your non-fasting days, you will either be eating a diet equal to your caloric needs (for weight maintenance) or 500 calories less than your caloric needs (for weight loss of one pound per week).
There are several good caloric calculators online that you can use to determine your daily caloric needs. You’ll enter your gender, height, weight, age, and activity levels. Be sure that the calculator you use does allow you to calculate for regular exercise, a strenuous job, or anything else that will demand more calories each day. Don’t use a BMR (basal metabolic rate) calculator, as your basal metabolic rate only accounts for the calories you need to keep your body functioning.
There are several good caloric calculators available, including at:
• FreeDieting.com
• MayoClinic.com
• ACEFitness.org
Once you have calculated your regular daily caloric needs, you can determine your maximum non-fasting intake. For example, if you are an average woman, your regular daily caloric need is approximately 1,800 calories. If you are trying to lose weight, your maximum non-fasting daily calories would be 1,300. If you’re a male with a regular daily caloric need of 2,200 calories and you just want to maintain your weight, you would eat 2,200 calories each non-fasting day.
On the two fasting days, regardless of your regular daily calorie calculation, women are limited to 500 calories per day and men to 600 calories.
You’ll have five non-fasting days along with two non-consecutive fasting days. Your fasting days don’t have to be on the weekend; they can be any two days you think will be easiest for you to fast.
For the entire 2-week plan, you’ll observe five non-fasting days and two fasting days in each seven-day period. The fasting days should be non-consecutive. Sticking to a two-day-in-a-row fast can be difficult unless you have experience in fasting. It could also set you up for failure.
important: "The first 2 weeks can feel difficult since your body is attempting to adapt however once you traverse it, fasting will feel more like a habit".
Fasting Days
(Fast day recipes), you’ll find several delicious recipes for meals that are 250 calories or less. While you can use these on non-fasting days, they were created to make it easy for you to plan your daily eating on fasting days. On fasting days, if you have calories left over, you can choose items from the list of snacks provided at the end of the (Fast day recipes).Although we provide a 2_week fasting plan for you, you can also feel free to mix and match recipes and meal suggestions once you get acclimated to the 5:2 Fast Diet.
Non-Fasting Days
HERE you’ll find many delicious recipes based on nutritious whole foods. The focus of your non-fasting days should be fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and seafood, lean meats, nuts and seeds, legumes, whole grains, and healthy fats such as avocados, olive oil, and coconut oil.You can use the recipes in (RECIPES FOR NON-FASTING DAYS) to create your meal plans for non-fasting days throughout the month and you can also use recipes of your own. Just be sure to get a wide variety of fruits and vegetables each day and try to vary your protein sources, rather than getting stuck in a chicken breast rut.
It’s important that you eat plenty of delicious foods that you really enjoy on non-fasting days, as this will help you stay motivated on fasting days. It’s a lot easier to fast if you know that you’ll be back to enjoying some of your favorite foods in a matter of hours.
What You Can and Cannot Eat on the 5:2 Fast Diet
The following are few hard-and-fast rules about what you can and cannot eat on the 5:2 Fast Diet.Allowed Foods:
• Fresh vegetables• Fresh fruits
• Lean meats and poultry
• Fish and seafood
• Low-fat dairy
• Whole grains
• Legumes (such as beans and lentils)
• Nuts and seeds
• Healthy fats (such as avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil, and nuts)
• Limited amounts of sugar, honey, and sweet treats (see Chapter 11 for low-cal dessert and treat options)
Foods Not Allowed:
• Fast foods• Deep-fried foods
• Artificial sweeteners
A Note about Carbohydrates and Sugar
There are no specific rules about how many grams of carbohydrates you may consume on the 5:2 Fast Diet, but your non-fasting days should be fairly low-carb. This just means that you should get more carbohydrates from vegetables than from fruit, and more from fruit than from grains. Sweets and desserts are allowed on non-fasting days, but they should be once-a-day or every-other-day treats.One of the purposes (and benefits) of intermittent fasting is the regulation of insulin levels and insulin sensitivity. If you’re taking in a lot of simple carbohydrates such as sugar, bread, and cereals on your non-fasting days, you’ll be more likely to have blood sugar spikes, which create a surplus of insulin in your bloodstream.
Switching back and forth between high-carb days and low-carb days (such as your fasting days) can make you more susceptible to developing insulin resistance. Insulin resistance, or metabolic syndrome, can lead to excess abdominal fat, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
A Note about Beverages and Hydration
It is very important that you maintain proper hydration for good health. This is especially important on the 5:2 Fast Diet, as staying hydrated will help you to feel less hungry, particularly on fasting days.You must drink a minimum of 64 fluid ounces of water per day! Some people find this easier if they freeze several water bottles to carry with them throughout the day. You can also pack several bottles in an insulated cooler bag to take with you to work.
On fasting days, beverages are limited to:
• Water
• Unsweetened black coffee
• Unsweetened hot tea (without milk)
• Unsweetened iced tea
You’ll find that the 5:2 Fast Diet is quite easy to adjust to after just a couple of weeks, perhaps even less. It’s best to stick with the menu plans we’ve provided for the fasting days for at least the first 2 weeks since the calories have already been calculated and the menus have been created to ensure that you get a good balance of proteins, carbohydrates, nutrients, and healthy fats.
Once your body has gotten used to this healthier way of eating and you have a good idea of proper portioning and the types of foods you should eat, you can feel free to create your own meal plans and use outside recipes for fasting days.
EXERCISE ON THE 5:2 FAST DIET
Exercise is essential for both overall health and healthy weight loss. You can lose eight pounds without exercise, but you still might not like the results. We’ve all seen thin men and women who looked soft, pale, and flabby. The purpose of losing weight should be to look fit and healthy and to feel strong and energetic. That requires not only good nutrition but regular exercise as well.
A complete exercise program needs to include both cardio activity and some form of strength training. Cardio helps you to burn calories, improves cardiovascular health, and can also help with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Strength training builds lean muscle (which helps you burn more calories throughout the day), improves bone health, and has been shown to improve longevity.
You should aim to get at least thirty minutes of cardio activity three times per week and at least twenty minutes of strength training three times per week. These are minimums and you can certainly do more, but if your schedule is tight you can get a great workout in less than thirty minutes.
You can do this to combine strength training with cardio or use it for cardio alone. For instance:
• Do three sets of bench presses, followed by two minutes of jumping rope, followed by three sets of biceps curls, and so on.
• Walk on a flat terrain for five minutes and then walk up two flights of stairs. Then walk on flat terrain for another five minutes, and so on.
• Alternate five laps using the breaststroke with five laps using the backstroke stroke and so on.
With high-intensity interval training, you alternate very short bursts of very hard work with longer periods of more moderate work.
The high-intensity intervals generally last from ten to thirty seconds and the moderate periods from two to four minutes. Almost any cardio activity can be adapted to high-intensity interval training. You can run at a moderate pace for two minutes, sprint for thirty seconds, and then go back to running.
Repeat this pattern for a total of about twenty minutes, beginning and ending with a moderate period. You can also adapt HIIT to cycling, stair climbing, and several other cardio activities in which it’s easy to change your pace.
HIIT has been shown to have a huge impact on metabolism. You can expect to burn more calories (even when you’re resting) for about forty-eight hours after a HIIT workout. HIIT workouts also typically burn as many calories in twenty minutes as sixty minutes of the same activity in the steady-state version.
Whether you choose to do interval training or not, be sure to get at least three strength training workouts and three cardio workouts per week. You can do these on the same day or on alternating days, but as you’ll soon read, strenuous exercise is not recommended on fasting days. Schedule your workouts so that you can get by with a moderate walk or some stretching on your fasting days. Cardio doesn’t have to be tough to be good for you.
Some good cardio choices are walking, swimming, cycling, dancing, and rowing. Strength training can be done at home or the gym, with weight machines or dumbbells. You can also get a complete and effective workout using body-weight resistance moves such as push-ups, pull-ups, lunges, and the like.
It will be helpful for you to know more about how your body adjusts to the diet, how you feel on fasting days, and what times of day may be best for you to work out. Most people report improved energy levels and strength when following an intermittent fasting diet, but everyone adjusts to the diet in their own time. Until then, a thirty-minute walk or some stretching exercises will still do your body good.
Our bodies are extremely adaptable mechanisms, but each body adapts in its own time frame. While one person’s metabolism may adjust itself to sourcing stored energy (in the form of stored fat) more readily, others may take longer. This is due to differences in eating and exercise habits prior to starting the diet, as well as hormone fluctuations.
On fasting days, you’re eating enough to function and even function well, but you may not have the stored energy from non-fasting days or from stored fat to support a strenuous workout. The most benign result would be that you simply lack the energy or strength to perform the workout to a standard that makes it worthwhile. Even if you do get through your workout, you might find yourself far hungrier than you should be afterward.
More serious effects of working out too hard on fasting days could range from dizziness or feel faint to muscle cramping or even injury.
On fasting days, we recommend that you do get some physical exercise, but only at an easy or moderate level. This might mean swimming laps at a moderate pace, taking a thirty-minute walk, or doing yoga or stretching exercises.
All physical activity is good for your body and will help you lose weight. Keep your strenuous workouts for non-fasting days and give your body a bit of a break when you’re fasting.
A complete exercise program needs to include both cardio activity and some form of strength training. Cardio helps you to burn calories, improves cardiovascular health, and can also help with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Strength training builds lean muscle (which helps you burn more calories throughout the day), improves bone health, and has been shown to improve longevity.
You should aim to get at least thirty minutes of cardio activity three times per week and at least twenty minutes of strength training three times per week. These are minimums and you can certainly do more, but if your schedule is tight you can get a great workout in less than thirty minutes.
Interval Training for Fast Results in Less Time
One way to get fast results in a very short time is through interval training. Interval training is simply alternating periods of physical work.You can do this to combine strength training with cardio or use it for cardio alone. For instance:
• Do three sets of bench presses, followed by two minutes of jumping rope, followed by three sets of biceps curls, and so on.
• Walk on a flat terrain for five minutes and then walk up two flights of stairs. Then walk on flat terrain for another five minutes, and so on.
• Alternate five laps using the breaststroke with five laps using the backstroke stroke and so on.
High-Intensity Interval Training
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a variation of interval training that is much more effective, but also much more intense. It’s a cardio workout that can get you incredible results in just a few minutes per day, but it’s not for everyone.With high-intensity interval training, you alternate very short bursts of very hard work with longer periods of more moderate work.
The high-intensity intervals generally last from ten to thirty seconds and the moderate periods from two to four minutes. Almost any cardio activity can be adapted to high-intensity interval training. You can run at a moderate pace for two minutes, sprint for thirty seconds, and then go back to running.
Repeat this pattern for a total of about twenty minutes, beginning and ending with a moderate period. You can also adapt HIIT to cycling, stair climbing, and several other cardio activities in which it’s easy to change your pace.
HIIT has been shown to have a huge impact on metabolism. You can expect to burn more calories (even when you’re resting) for about forty-eight hours after a HIIT workout. HIIT workouts also typically burn as many calories in twenty minutes as sixty minutes of the same activity in the steady-state version.
Whether you choose to do interval training or not, be sure to get at least three strength training workouts and three cardio workouts per week. You can do these on the same day or on alternating days, but as you’ll soon read, strenuous exercise is not recommended on fasting days. Schedule your workouts so that you can get by with a moderate walk or some stretching on your fasting days. Cardio doesn’t have to be tough to be good for you.
Some good cardio choices are walking, swimming, cycling, dancing, and rowing. Strength training can be done at home or the gym, with weight machines or dumbbells. You can also get a complete and effective workout using body-weight resistance moves such as push-ups, pull-ups, lunges, and the like.
It will be helpful for you to know more about how your body adjusts to the diet, how you feel on fasting days, and what times of day may be best for you to work out. Most people report improved energy levels and strength when following an intermittent fasting diet, but everyone adjusts to the diet in their own time. Until then, a thirty-minute walk or some stretching exercises will still do your body good.
Exercise on Fasting Days
Although you’ve probably read or heard assertions that you can continue doing intense workouts even on fasting days, we don’t recommend it—at least not in the first days of the 5:2 Fast Diet.Our bodies are extremely adaptable mechanisms, but each body adapts in its own time frame. While one person’s metabolism may adjust itself to sourcing stored energy (in the form of stored fat) more readily, others may take longer. This is due to differences in eating and exercise habits prior to starting the diet, as well as hormone fluctuations.
On fasting days, you’re eating enough to function and even function well, but you may not have the stored energy from non-fasting days or from stored fat to support a strenuous workout. The most benign result would be that you simply lack the energy or strength to perform the workout to a standard that makes it worthwhile. Even if you do get through your workout, you might find yourself far hungrier than you should be afterward.
More serious effects of working out too hard on fasting days could range from dizziness or feel faint to muscle cramping or even injury.
On fasting days, we recommend that you do get some physical exercise, but only at an easy or moderate level. This might mean swimming laps at a moderate pace, taking a thirty-minute walk, or doing yoga or stretching exercises.
All physical activity is good for your body and will help you lose weight. Keep your strenuous workouts for non-fasting days and give your body a bit of a break when you’re fasting.
4-WEEKS FASTING-DAY MEAL PLAN
Each fasting day includes two of the recipes from (Fast day recipes), plus delicious snacks from the list that follows. Women will eat 500 calories per day, while men will eat 600 calories per day.
You are not restricted to eating breakfast foods for breakfast or dinner foods for dinner. You’re free to switch your meals around. For instance, on Week One, Day #1, you’ll have Parmesan Egg Toast with Tomatoes, a Curried Chicken Breast Wrap, and snacks totaling either 100 calories (for women) or 200 calories (for men).
If you’d like to eat a snack for breakfast and have the meals for lunch and dinner, that’s fine. If you’d like to have the Parmesan Egg Toast for breakfast, the chicken wrap for dinner, and your snacks during the day in between, that’s also fine.
For this reason, the meal plans are not broken up into specific times of day, but instead into meals and snacks. This makes it much easier to plan your fasting-day meals around your schedule and helps keep you from falling off track.
Each fasting day, you’ll have two meals and two snacks. Men simply need to double the portions of the snacks to get the required number of daily calories. Feel free to choose items in the 50-Calorie Supplemental Food and Snack List below that appeal to you.
On all fasting days, allowed beverages are limited to water, unsweetened hot or iced tea, and black coffee.
First Meal (150 calories): Parmesan Egg Toast with Tomatoes (#2)
Second Meal (250 calories): Curried Chicken Breast Wrap (#3)
Snacks (50 calories each): ½ medium apple, baked and sprinkled with cinnamon; 1 slice crispbread with 1-ounces cottage cheese
Fasting Day 2
First Meal (200 calories): Protein Power Sweet Potatoes (#5)
Second Meal (200 calories): Lemon-Sesame Chicken and Asparagus (#10)
Snacks (50 calories each): ½ medium frozen banana; 1 mini-box raisin
First Meal (200 calories): Grilled Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing (#12)
Second Meal (200 calories): Baked Salmon Fillets with Tomato and Mushrooms (#4)
Snacks (50 calories each): 4 ounces unsweetened applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon; 1½ cups air-popped popcorn
Fasting Day 2
First Meal (250 calories): Hearty Shrimp and Kale Soup (#8)
Second Meal (150 calories): Spinach and Swiss Cheese Omelet (#11)
Snacks (50 calories each): ½ cup strawberries with 2 tablespoons fat-free vanilla yogurt; ½ cup shelled edamame with sea salt
First Meal (250 calories): Quinoa with Curried Black Beans and Sweet Potatoes (#15)
Second Meal (150 calories): Quick Miso Soup with Bok Choy and Shrimp (#13)
Snacks (50 calories each): 1 medium peach; 2 tablespoons hummus with 2 slices red bell pepper
Fasting Day 2
First Meal (200 calories): Broiled Halibut with Garlic Spinach (#14)
Second Meal (200 calories): Penne Pasta with Vegetables (#7)
Snacks (50 calories each): 1 small celery stalk with ½ tablespoon almond butter; 2 slices avocado with lime juice
First Meal (250 calories): Greek Breakfast Wrap (#1)
Second Meal (150 calories): Avocado and Fennel Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette (#6)
Snacks (50 calories each): 10 frozen grapes; 1 light Babybel cheese
Fasting Day 2
First Meal (250 calories): Pork Loin Chop with Mango Salsa (#9),
Second Meal (150 calories): Toasted Pepper Jack Sandwiches (#16)
Snacks (50 calories each): 12 cherries; ½ small apple with 1 teaspoon almond butter
Feel free to indulge when you have a craving, but make sure that you’re limiting these treats to just once a day or rewarding yourself even more occasionally. It’s still important to try to keep sugar intake to a minimum, even on non-fasting days, so that your body’s insulin and glucose levels begin to reach a healthier, more balanced state.
Apple juice or cider, ½ cup 60 calories
Blueberries, 1 cup 85 calories
Caramels, 2 pieces 80 calories
Cherries, ¼ cup dried 100 calories
Chocolate milk, ½ cup fat-free 75 calories
Chocolate pudding, 1 fat-free (4-ounce) container 60 calories
Chocolate sandwich cookies, 2 100 calories
Dark chocolate, 1 ounce 100 calories
Figs, 2 80 calories
Fruit yogurt, ½ cup fat-free blended 90 calories
Frozen yogurt, ½ cup fat-free 95 calories
Jelly beans, 20 small 90 calories
Kiwis, 2 medium 95 calories
Oatmeal cookies, 2 small 100 calories
Pineapple, 1 cup fresh 75 calories
Pomegranate juice, ⅔ cup 90 calories
Prune juice, ½ cup 90 calories
Strawberry sorbet, 1 small scoop 100 calories
Vanilla low-fat frozen yogurt, 1 small scoop 90 calories
Watermelon, 2 cups 90 calories
You are not restricted to eating breakfast foods for breakfast or dinner foods for dinner. You’re free to switch your meals around. For instance, on Week One, Day #1, you’ll have Parmesan Egg Toast with Tomatoes, a Curried Chicken Breast Wrap, and snacks totaling either 100 calories (for women) or 200 calories (for men).
If you’d like to eat a snack for breakfast and have the meals for lunch and dinner, that’s fine. If you’d like to have the Parmesan Egg Toast for breakfast, the chicken wrap for dinner, and your snacks during the day in between, that’s also fine.
For this reason, the meal plans are not broken up into specific times of day, but instead into meals and snacks. This makes it much easier to plan your fasting-day meals around your schedule and helps keep you from falling off track.
Each fasting day, you’ll have two meals and two snacks. Men simply need to double the portions of the snacks to get the required number of daily calories. Feel free to choose items in the 50-Calorie Supplemental Food and Snack List below that appeal to you.
On all fasting days, allowed beverages are limited to water, unsweetened hot or iced tea, and black coffee.
Week 1 Plan
Fasting Day 1First Meal (150 calories): Parmesan Egg Toast with Tomatoes (#2)
Second Meal (250 calories): Curried Chicken Breast Wrap (#3)
Snacks (50 calories each): ½ medium apple, baked and sprinkled with cinnamon; 1 slice crispbread with 1-ounces cottage cheese
Fasting Day 2
First Meal (200 calories): Protein Power Sweet Potatoes (#5)
Second Meal (200 calories): Lemon-Sesame Chicken and Asparagus (#10)
Snacks (50 calories each): ½ medium frozen banana; 1 mini-box raisin
Week 2 Plan
Fasting Day 1First Meal (200 calories): Grilled Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing (#12)
Second Meal (200 calories): Baked Salmon Fillets with Tomato and Mushrooms (#4)
Snacks (50 calories each): 4 ounces unsweetened applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon; 1½ cups air-popped popcorn
Fasting Day 2
First Meal (250 calories): Hearty Shrimp and Kale Soup (#8)
Second Meal (150 calories): Spinach and Swiss Cheese Omelet (#11)
Snacks (50 calories each): ½ cup strawberries with 2 tablespoons fat-free vanilla yogurt; ½ cup shelled edamame with sea salt
Week 3 Plan
Fasting Day 1First Meal (250 calories): Quinoa with Curried Black Beans and Sweet Potatoes (#15)
Second Meal (150 calories): Quick Miso Soup with Bok Choy and Shrimp (#13)
Snacks (50 calories each): 1 medium peach; 2 tablespoons hummus with 2 slices red bell pepper
Fasting Day 2
First Meal (200 calories): Broiled Halibut with Garlic Spinach (#14)
Second Meal (200 calories): Penne Pasta with Vegetables (#7)
Snacks (50 calories each): 1 small celery stalk with ½ tablespoon almond butter; 2 slices avocado with lime juice
Week 4 Plan
Fasting Day 1First Meal (250 calories): Greek Breakfast Wrap (#1)
Second Meal (150 calories): Avocado and Fennel Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette (#6)
Snacks (50 calories each): 10 frozen grapes; 1 light Babybel cheese
Fasting Day 2
First Meal (250 calories): Pork Loin Chop with Mango Salsa (#9),
Second Meal (150 calories): Toasted Pepper Jack Sandwiches (#16)
Snacks (50 calories each): 12 cherries; ½ small apple with 1 teaspoon almond butter
Everyone likes a little something sweet now and then, especially when they’ve been behaving well on a low-calorie diet. Fruits are always a great sweet treat, and for those times when you’d like something a little more special, we’ve added some choices that can be had for 100 calories or less.
Feel free to indulge when you have a craving, but make sure that you’re limiting these treats to just once a day or rewarding yourself even more occasionally. It’s still important to try to keep sugar intake to a minimum, even on non-fasting days, so that your body’s insulin and glucose levels begin to reach a healthier, more balanced state.
LOW-CALORIE DESSERT
Everyone likes a little something sweet now and then, especially when they’ve been behaving well on a low-calorie diet. Fruits are always a great sweet treat, and for those times when you’d like something a little more special, we’ve added some choices that can be had for 100 calories or less.Feel free to indulge when you have a craving, but make sure that you’re limiting these treats to just once a day or rewarding yourself even more occasionally. It’s still important to try to keep sugar intake to a minimum, even on non-fasting days, so that your body’s insulin and glucose levels begin to reach a healthier, more balanced state.
Apple juice or cider, ½ cup 60 calories
Blueberries, 1 cup 85 calories
Caramels, 2 pieces 80 calories
Cherries, ¼ cup dried 100 calories
Chocolate milk, ½ cup fat-free 75 calories
Chocolate pudding, 1 fat-free (4-ounce) container 60 calories
Chocolate sandwich cookies, 2 100 calories
Dark chocolate, 1 ounce 100 calories
Figs, 2 80 calories
Fruit yogurt, ½ cup fat-free blended 90 calories
Frozen yogurt, ½ cup fat-free 95 calories
Jelly beans, 20 small 90 calories
Kiwis, 2 medium 95 calories
Oatmeal cookies, 2 small 100 calories
Pineapple, 1 cup fresh 75 calories
Pomegranate juice, ⅔ cup 90 calories
Prune juice, ½ cup 90 calories
Strawberry sorbet, 1 small scoop 100 calories
Vanilla low-fat frozen yogurt, 1 small scoop 90 calories
Watermelon, 2 cups 90 calories
Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
It may be hard to believe but there are tremendous benefits to intermittent fasting. The main thing it does is rest many of the vital parts and organs of your body so they can do their job better. Some of these are:
❇ It rests the digestive system. This, in turn, helps many other parts of the body.
❇ It reduces blood sugar. This decreases the production of insulin and makes it more sensitive and effective. Furthermore, it rests on the pancreas.
❇ High blood pressure is controlled.
❇ Detoxification occurs. Fasting helps clear out your body and detoxify it. For this, it is important to drink lots of water.
❇ It increases your energy and makes you feel better.
❇ It helps protect you against heart disease and stroke.
❇ It helps rev up your immune system and as a result, it fights excess (of chronic) inflammation.
❇ It reduces oxidative stress caused by free radicals in your cells.
This is important since as you grow older it appears to have adverse effects: it accelerates aging and can even lead to cancer. So it's not something you want high levels of when you're older. And studies have shown that intermittent fasting decreases it.
Also, in your brain is a protein referred to as BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). It is important because it has been shown to help stem cells turn into new neurons. This takes place in a section of the brain called the hippocampus, which is critical in relation to memory and learning.
BDNF has many effects: it appears to protect against dementia and Alzheimer's disease, and it also acts as an anti-depressant, suppressing anxiety.
Finally, intermittent fasting also helps increase autophagy, which is a system in the cells that get rid of damaged molecules that could lead to serious neurological diseases.
Insulin is produced in the pancreas according to the amount of glucose in the blood; its role is to allow the glucose to enter the cell.
Most of the cells in your body have what are called insulin receptors that bind to the insulin that is circulating in your blood.
When a cell has insulin attached to its surface it allows glucose in, so it obviously plays an important role in your body. But too much can be detrimental.
Insulin increases your hunger, promotes the storage of fat cells, and it has been linked to diabetes and heart problems.
One of the major problems associated with insulin is what is called insulin resistance. In this case, the pancreas produces insulin, but insulin receptors on the cells no longer work properly and don't allow glucose to enter as they should.
With no place to go, the glucose continues to circulate in the blood, and the cells soon begin to starve.
The body realizes that something is wrong and the pancreas produces more insulin in an attempt to get sucrose into the cells, but this causes the pancreas to overwork, and it eventually begins to wear out. The result is diabetes II.
Studies have shown that intermittent fasting improves your insulin sensitivity.
This, in turn, allows your body to do a better job of controlling your blood glucose levels after meals and therefore helps rest your pancreas. Both of these are important in relation to the prevention of diabetes II.
❇ The first 2 weeks can feel difficult since your body is attempting to adapt however once you traverse it, fasting will feel more like a habit.
❇ Stay hydrated. Drink Plenty of water; it helps flush out toxins.
❇ When not on fasting days (and even when fasting), keep your nutrition maximized. Specifically, eat adequate vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
❇ Keep in mind that 12 hours of fasting is required for the impact. From 12 to 18 hours is ideal. It plateau's beyond 18.
❇ It rests the digestive system. This, in turn, helps many other parts of the body.
❇ It reduces blood sugar. This decreases the production of insulin and makes it more sensitive and effective. Furthermore, it rests on the pancreas.
❇ High blood pressure is controlled.
❇ Detoxification occurs. Fasting helps clear out your body and detoxify it. For this, it is important to drink lots of water.
❇ It increases your energy and makes you feel better.
❇ It helps protect you against heart disease and stroke.
❇ It helps rev up your immune system and as a result, it fights excess (of chronic) inflammation.
❇ It reduces oxidative stress caused by free radicals in your cells.
Some Surprising and Different Benefits:
One of the hormones in your body is called IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1); it helps your cells grow and is particularly important for growing children. As you reach adulthood, however, it decreases significantly.This is important since as you grow older it appears to have adverse effects: it accelerates aging and can even lead to cancer. So it's not something you want high levels of when you're older. And studies have shown that intermittent fasting decreases it.
Also, in your brain is a protein referred to as BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). It is important because it has been shown to help stem cells turn into new neurons. This takes place in a section of the brain called the hippocampus, which is critical in relation to memory and learning.
BDNF has many effects: it appears to protect against dementia and Alzheimer's disease, and it also acts as an anti-depressant, suppressing anxiety.
Finally, intermittent fasting also helps increase autophagy, which is a system in the cells that get rid of damaged molecules that could lead to serious neurological diseases.
Diabetes
Diabetes comes in two forms: diabetes I and diabetes II. We will be mainly concerned with diabetes II. As we saw earlier, all cells use glucose as fuel. But it can't get into the cells without insulin.Insulin is produced in the pancreas according to the amount of glucose in the blood; its role is to allow the glucose to enter the cell.
Most of the cells in your body have what are called insulin receptors that bind to the insulin that is circulating in your blood.
When a cell has insulin attached to its surface it allows glucose in, so it obviously plays an important role in your body. But too much can be detrimental.
Insulin increases your hunger, promotes the storage of fat cells, and it has been linked to diabetes and heart problems.
One of the major problems associated with insulin is what is called insulin resistance. In this case, the pancreas produces insulin, but insulin receptors on the cells no longer work properly and don't allow glucose to enter as they should.
With no place to go, the glucose continues to circulate in the blood, and the cells soon begin to starve.
The body realizes that something is wrong and the pancreas produces more insulin in an attempt to get sucrose into the cells, but this causes the pancreas to overwork, and it eventually begins to wear out. The result is diabetes II.
Studies have shown that intermittent fasting improves your insulin sensitivity.
This, in turn, allows your body to do a better job of controlling your blood glucose levels after meals and therefore helps rest your pancreas. Both of these are important in relation to the prevention of diabetes II.
Rules for Fasting
❇ It is best to use a 5-2 or 4-3 approach, with regular meals 5 days a week, and two days of restricted food (500 calories for women, 600 for men)or eating 4 days during the week and fast 3 non-consecutive days of the week.❇ The first 2 weeks can feel difficult since your body is attempting to adapt however once you traverse it, fasting will feel more like a habit.
❇ Stay hydrated. Drink Plenty of water; it helps flush out toxins.
❇ When not on fasting days (and even when fasting), keep your nutrition maximized. Specifically, eat adequate vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
❇ Keep in mind that 12 hours of fasting is required for the impact. From 12 to 18 hours is ideal. It plateau's beyond 18.