Guided intermittent fasting plan?

Nakeshia88
Nakeshia88 Posts: 119 Member
edited November 22 in Health and Weight Loss
Is there somewhere I can find a guided intermittent fasting (IF) plan? Ideally a plan that includes weekly menus and shopping lists etc?

I've wanted to give IF a go for some time now but I'm having trouble finding a guided plan. I'm hoping I can work it in with my current plan of building a daily yoga practice (and hopefully in time reaching an intermediate/advanced yoga level) and following a low gluten & dairy diet (not strictly gluten and dairy free - small amounts are both are OK but I try to not eat too much of either as both give me digestive issues). My initial Google searches have led to a mind-boggling amount of information and I'm having trouble putting it all together.

I really do think that IF could work well with yoga, I think it would lead to more mindful eating and help me to be in the moment (which to me is what yoga is all about).

Peace :blush:

Replies

  • Zedeff
    Zedeff Posts: 651 Member
    IF is not a diet; you don't need any meal plans or shopping lists. Eat what you currently do, at specific time intervals.
  • kgb6days
    kgb6days Posts: 880 Member
    IF is so very simple you do not need guided plans. Eat your normal foods on non fasting days. IF days, you can eat up to 500 calories of your choice. there is a learning curve, but it is pretty short (I eat nutrition rich foods that are low in calories) because volume you eat is dependent on the quality of food you eat. We eat a lot of veggies, especially cauliflower, salads, broccoli, green beans, etc.
  • Nakeshia88
    Nakeshia88 Posts: 119 Member
    It just seems like there are so many methods - fasting for 24 hours once a week, fasting for 3 days or 5 days with maybe one meal each day... even fasting has different definitions - no food at all, 500 calories, 800 calories, one meal only, fruit or vegetable juice only... I have no idea which one to go with!
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    IF is not a diet... it's a protocol.

    Go with the 16:8 protocol. You fast for 16 hours, and you have an 8 hour eating window.

    Just do that. Eat what you want - eat in a deficit or surplus according to your goals... it's really not that hard.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Try one for a week and see how you like it.
  • Nakeshia88
    Nakeshia88 Posts: 119 Member
    I think I like the idea of a 24 hour fast once per week... something like starting a fast at 6pm to 6pm the following day.
  • Ruth1212
    Ruth1212 Posts: 6,326 Member
    There is an intermittent fasting group here on Mfp. Search groups and you will find it. Lots of good info on there.
  • angelexperiment
    angelexperiment Posts: 1,917 Member
    If you have never done id say don't do a 24 hr at 1st bc itl b too hard. Try starting at 6 pm and Stopping at 11 or 12. Or 4 to 12. To start with.
  • Nakeshia88
    Nakeshia88 Posts: 119 Member
    angelexperiment wrote: »
    If you have never done id say don't do a 24 hr at 1st bc itl b too hard. Try starting at 6 pm and Stopping at 11 or 12. Or 4 to 12. To start with.

    Thanks, that's really helpful to know!
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Zedeff wrote: »
    IF is not a diet; you don't need any meal plans or shopping lists. Eat what you currently do, at specific time intervals.

    Yep.

    No matter how you choose to arrange your dietary plan, it has to be sustainable for you.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    I wish I could find an IF calculator link for you... It's detailed by day but not down to the shopping list level. It's on my desk PC which is being difficult ATM.

    I've done 2 kinds. I did 5:2 for 5 months because it fit my crazy schedule. 2 different commitments made dinner extremely difficult Mon & Thu. I was so stressed about getting home and trying to stuff dinner down before 10 pm. Hate eating dinner late. Then I realized, why not just skip dinner and skip the stress? I ate 500-600 kcal two days a week. Oh, it was such a relief! I had no problem on the low cal days, but I did kind of crash and have to eat a lot the following days. It was such a relief at the time and worked great for less than ideal circumstances. When my schedule changed, it wasn't worth continuing.

    Now I do the 8:16. I'm just not a natural breakfast eater, so it's easy for me to have coffee in the AM and my first meal around noon. I totally agree with SSL that you need to find what works easily and conveniently for you. If you are curious about 24 hour fasts, try it. If it's too hard, don't try it again. In a spiritual context, I have experienced longer fasts, and while I would acknowledge it's not good for your health, I have always learned something profound. Experimenting helps you find what works for you!
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