Keto Fasting Is the Best Way To Lose Weight

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent Fasting

Updated on 12/5/2024
Martin AlvarezBy Martin Alvarez
Nutritionist/Dietitian Professional Guide
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Along the same lines as the ketogenic diet, fasting has emerged as a recent fad that many individuals find beneficial to them. Regular fasting has various positive effects, including positive effects on one's health and the ability to simplify one's life. These positive effects can be amplified when combined with a ketogenic diet.

In the following paragraphs, we will go over some fasting fundamentals. Then we will go into the advantages of following a keto fasting while you are fasting.

The Fundamentals Of Keeping A Fast

There are several variations of fasting, but the one that is known as intermittent fasting is the form that is practiced by most people today:

How The Practice Of Intermittent Fasting Operates?

mediterranean diet

mediterranean diet

Only eating inside a predetermined window of time is required to practice intermittent fasting, often called "IF." There are a few distinct approaches to intermittent fasting, the most common of which involves restricting food to a window of time that lasts anywhere from four to seven hours.

For instance, a person might decide to restrict their eating to the period between noon and seven in the evening, allowing their body to go without food for 17 hours followed by a "feeding" period of 7 hours. This window can be moved about as needed, but doing so will not change the fact that the body will be allowed to rest and fast during the period that it is not in use (including while you sleep).

Other intermittent fasting types include skipping meals or fasting for several days at a time. (It is important to note that if you fast for several days, it is best to do a modified fast, such as a diet that mimics a fast, to reduce the risk of re-feeding syndrome, a deficiency in vitamins, and minerals that can cause.)

It has been demonstrated that just cutting calories can have the same positive effects on health as fasting occasionally or engaging in intermittent fasting daily. Most people will find intermittent fasting much more feasible and a fantastic alternative to calorie restriction.

The Numerous Advantages Of Fasting

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent Fasting

Even when very little or no food is available, the body will naturally go into a state of fasting to preserve itself. Even though this is very rarely the case for us now, the benefits of fasting are still valid, and regularly subjecting our bodies to fasting allows us to take advantage of those benefits, which include the following:

  • A healthier metabolism Contrary to the widespread notion, fasting does not harm metabolism and can assist enhance metabolic processes and disorders related to such as type 2 diabetes.
  • Reduced inflammation occurs when the body is fasting and in a state of ketosis, as ketosis involves using fat rather than glucose for energy. This prevents blood sugar and insulin surges, which can lead to the production of free radicals, an increase in inflammatory indicators, and even the onset of disease.
  • Like the ketogenic diet, fasting may positively affect longevity and shows promise in treating aging-related illnesses. Anti-aging properties:
  • Autophagy is when the body consumes its waste to cleanse and restore itself. When the body is not occupied with digesting food and generating insulin throughout the day, as it is when fasting, autophagy is given a boost.

Let's look at how the combination of fasting and ketosis can benefit our health now that we are aware of the several compelling arguments in favor of the practice of fasting.

Advantages Of Skipping Meals While Following A Ketogenic Diet

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent Fasting

Although fasting in and of itself has various positive effects, doing so while adhering to a low-carb diet carries even more advantages.

The Numerous Advantages Of Entering Into Ketosis While Fasting

You are already utilizing fat and ketones as energy sources since you have reached the state of ketosis, which indicates that your body's glycogen and glucose stores have been exhausted. This implies a few different things:

  • It not only makes the body more efficient during fasting periods, but it also reduces any initial negative side effects (like keto flu or stomach upset) that a person who eats a "normal" diet (high amounts of carbs during feeding periods) can experience. This is because it makes the body more efficient at burning fat during fasting.
  • If you are already attuned to ketosis, your body won't have to make the continual switch from burning glucose to burning fat for energy like it would if you were just starting.
    In addition, consuming a ketogenic meal before beginning a fast will assist your body in entering ketosis more quickly, allowing you to start reaping the benefits of the fast sooner. During this time, supplementing with exogenous ketones can also help speed up the process.
Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent Fasting

Weight Loss Benefits

If you have already been in ketosis for some time before starting a fast, your body is already acclimated to using fat and ketones as a source of energy. This was discussed in the previous section. Consuming foods high in ketones can help suppress your appetite and keep you feeling fuller for longer, both of which can make it simpler to adjust to going longer between meals.

If you want to lose weight quickly, combining ketosis with intermittent fasting can be an excellent strategy to achieve that objective. Your body will be able to burn fat more efficiently. The ability of ketosis to burn fat, in addition to the natural reduction in calories that comes from fasting (due to a naturally narrower eating window), gives a one-two punch that can help you attain (and maintain) healthy body weight and break through a weight loss plateau.

The practice of intermittent fasting also makes the body accustomed to consuming the calories needed for an entire day in a shorter amount of time, which is beneficial for promoting a healthy food and calorie intake for the day. When you become accustomed to fasting and eating a ketogenic diet, you learn to eat when you are hungry and not necessarily at times traditionally designated for meals.

Nutrition Benefits

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent Fasting

Even though you'll be breaking your fast in between times of intermittent fasting, following a ketogenic diet will cause you to remain in a state of fasting even though you'll be consuming food during those "breaks." Your body will continue to function as if it were fasting even though it will receive many nutritious foods and an adequate number of calories from the foods you eat when following a ketogenic diet.

Mental Benefits

It is possible to experience brain fog and wild swings in blood sugar if you combine fasting for extended periods with eating large amounts of carbohydrates. This is not healthy for either your body or your brain. You may support your brain through the process of ketosis and help prevent mood difficulties like depression if you continue to run on ketones while eating meals.

The Important Takeaway Message

It is important to emphasize that abstaining from food is not necessary to achieve one's goals when following a ketogenic diet. If you don't think that fasting is for you or if you have a history of eating disorders, you could be better off just eating keto instead of trying too fast.

On the other hand, if you want to take your health to the next level and find out what else might be beneficial for you, combining a ketogenic diet with intermittent fasting is a choice you have. These things are wonderful for our bodies and overall health, and they are excellent complements to one another.