Last Updated on July 14, 2022 by Latrice
Yes, intermittent fasting for weight loss can be easy.
The weight seemed to fall right off of me. So much so that one morning I got up, stretched my arms to the sky, and my waste beads slid right off.
I was shooketh.
Below I detail how I lost 45 lbs using an intermittent fasting routine that was relatively easy and didn’t take much to follow.
I’m also going to share the foods I believe made it easy to intermittent fast. And I’m someone that used to be a really hungry person.
Let’s get into it!
How do I start intermittent fasting for weight loss
Put together a healthy lifestyle and learn how to eat an actual human diet.
Design a healthy lifestyle for weight loss
Learning how to do intermittent fasting for weight loss started with designing a healthy lifestyle for weight loss.
I had to get clear on my goals, determine what action steps would help me stay on track with those goals, and then turn those steps into routines I could track in a habit tracker.
Working on healthy habits in a schedule you can manage is by far the best way to start with intermittent fasting for weight loss.
Beyond the food choices and your fasting schedule, your daily habits need to align.
I’ve created a Weight Loss journal that’s been helping me out a bunch that you might find helpful as well. Check it out here. It’s also available in Happy Planner Classic and Big sizes.
I also have a Keto Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss lifestyle bundle available that includes meal plans, food lists, and action steps to take for success.
Learned how to eat like a human
The second most important thing I did to start intermittent fasting for weight loss was re-learn how to eat like a human.
There is so much about food that I had to unlearn and relearn. Once I did, intermittent fasting got easy as hell.
Figuring out how to eat clean, nutrient-dense foods helped me then figure out how to eat when I need to lose weight.
Here are a couple of my favorite books that have taught me the truth about food, the problems with the Standard American diet, and what to do to live a healthier life.
Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It by Gary Taubes
A great book to read that simply explains why we get fat, what foods to get rid of, and why get rid of them.
Eat the Yolks by Liz Wolfe
She’s funny and hella informative.
Eat the Yolks debunks a lot of misinformation we’ve been force-fed about what is healthy eating including egg white omelets.
Here are more books that helped me learn how to truly eat healthy and lose weight the healthy way
More posts on learning to eat like a human
- 3 surprisingly best foods for weight loss, appetite control, and sugar cravings
- How to lose 100+ lbs with a simple and satisfying diet
- 10 weight loss tips for women that work from my 75-lbs weight loss transformation
Which method of intermittent fasting is best for weight loss
From my experience, it’s better to cut out dinner than to cut out breakfast to start. You do most of your fasting when you’re asleep.
And I’ve actually experienced better weight loss when I ate breakfast, lunch, and an early, light dinner around 3 pm.
I lost most weight switching between a 16/8 and 20/4 schedule, but the best method for weight loss with intermittent fasting is to start with a schedule you can actually stick to.
Choosing the roughest, toughest intermittent fasting method you’ve seen because someone lost 20 lbs in 2 weeks with it can lower your chances of sticking with it if it’s beating you up relentlessly along the way.
Choose an intermittent fasting method your body can manage and your mindset can get through.
Build the habit before worrying about weight loss. Get the habit down and the weight loss is easy.
More posts on starting intermittent fasting
- Intermittent fasting – 5 simple tips for painlessly getting started
- How to choose the best intermittent fasting method for you
- How to intermittent fast on keto for weight loss: how I lost a total of 75-lbs after trying “everything”
- How to lose weight in a week: 5 simple steps I’ve used to lose 10 pounds in a week
What I DID NOT EAT when intermittent fasting for weight loss
Warning. This list might seem extreme to you.
This is a list of foods I stopped eating when I learned that they triggered my cravings and out-of-control appetite.
They include some foods we’ve been calling healthy that actually aren’t.
Once I cut them out, intermittent fasting got super easy.
I’ve included a food list for transitioning to clean eating and intermittent fasting with a transitioning plan in my FREE Quick Weight Loss and Intermittent Fasting cheat sheets and worksheets.
This FREE bundle also includes worksheets that help you plan your health and wellness goals and healthy meals.
What I DID EAT when intermittent fasting for weight loss
If you’ve also had challenges with sticking to a clean diet, find yourself feeling addicted to foods, and have a tendency to binge eat if you slip off of a super strict routine, give this list a try.
What I’ve noticed with sticking with these foods was healthy management of my appetite, getting rid of cravings, and being able to comfortably fast.
From research, these foods do not raise insulin as high as starchy vegetables, substitute flours like almond and coconut, or Paleo-Friendly sweeteners like agave or coconut nectar.
More posts on what to eat that make intermittent fasting easier
- 15 grab-n-go keto breakfast recipes that are deliciously guilt-free
- 20 keto brunch recipes for you and your just-as-bougie pals
- 10 keto recipes that make awesome weight loss dinners
How to WORKOUT when intermittent fasting for weight loss
I gave myself time to adapt to intermittent fasting before starting a workout routine. My body wasn’t adapted to fat burning and fasting when I first started.
And I felt it. Working out can be a pain in the ass as well as damaging to the body. Taking it easy was and is important.
I started with workouts that I can manage, made me feel good, and I could do consistently enough to build a habit.
My favorite exercises to start are step-ups and sit-downs on a short plyo box for less inensity and a taller plyo box for higher intensity.
I still get a great workout, but not too much of a workout that I make exercise too hard on my body.
The boxes I use are the Champion Sports PXB12 Plyo Training Box, 12″ and the Ader Plyometric Platform Jump Box, 18″.
They’re just like the ones I used at my favorite 24 Hour Fitness.
Here are some popular workouts to try at home:
Is intermittent fasting a healthy way to lose weight?
I lost 45 lbs in 4 months by keeping it simple. Eating foods that kept my blood sugar in check, skipping dinner, doing most intermittent fasting while asleep, and lifting weights.
I tried what seemed like everything to lose weight including meatless diets and juice cleanses.
They made me hungry as all to be damned which made them hard to stick to.
With intermittent fasting and a clean diet, I also saw my cravings go away, my knees stop hurting, and my skin get clearer.
Nothing has worked for fat loss, appetite control, and keeping cravings in check like intermittent fasting.
Want more tips?
If you’re looking for more information on weight loss and healthy living, I’ve put together resources full of action steps, tips, and tools:
- Start Here guide for weight loss and healthy living with GeekyTricee.com
- How to Lose Weight resource guide
- Stop Counting Calories resource guide
- Design a Healthy Lifestyle resource guide
- Browse My Bookshelf for health and wellness book suggestions
96 Responses
Could you share with me some of your go-to recipes? I’d love to try some that worked for you! Love the blog and your story, keep up the good work ?
Thanks Melody! I’m happy you love it! Sure, I can share a few. I’ll put together a post.
This is the truth! I’ve been doing this for a month and lost 10lbs already. Add some exercise and I’m sure I could double it. Thanks for putting it all in the words I couldn’t.
Yaasss! Intermittent fasting at night works wonders. Happy you found the post helpful!
I did to intermittent fast for two weeks and lost 10 lb my only problem is I have to be to work for 5 in the morning so I wouldn’t know when to start so it was like from 3 to 11 I didn’t eat anything and then from 11 to 7 is when I ate and I didn’t even after 7
I feel you Avian. I had a similar issue with my 3am to 11:30am work schedule. I don’t eat until I get home after work.
This is great and I’m so glad you found something that had worked for you. I have a few pounds I need to lose and it’s been difficult and I’ve been researching Keto so I think I may just go ahead and give it a go. I just have one question. Did you do any type of working out at all during the weight loss?
Thanks! Keto has been the truth. It can be challenging at first, but I think by gradually transitioning, it’s easier.
And I did workout at home. I did HIIT training with some kettle bells and a resistance band.
Hey! Love your blog! I found you on Pinterest. I also lost weight doing intermittent fasting and like you, struggled with trying to lose weight on different diets and such for YEARS. IF really works. I lost 10lbs pretty effortlessly in May but fell off when I went on vacation in June and gained back a little less than half. Back on it this month. Blogging about it is giving me accountability… taking before pics and sharing the afters means I HAVE to get it right and tight lol. Good to meet another fitness blogger chick. Keep up the good work 🙂
-Allie
Hey Allie! Thanks for coming by my blog! Your experience sounds like mine. I too fell off, gained a bit of it back, and will be using my blog for accountability. I’ve got to get my before pics up before my inner pig convinces me of otherwise. lol Nice to meet you too! Oh, and I just realized that I’ve come by your blog before and love it!