How to do intermittent fasting for weight loss: astonishing 45lbs lost!
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Last Updated on April 12, 2023 by Latrice
Learning how to do intermittent fasting for weight loss properly is the key to making this easy.
And yes, it can definitely be easy.
With the right intermittent fasting eating plan, the weight fell off. So much so that one morning I got up, stretched my arms to the sky, and my waist beads slid down to my feet.
I was shooketh!
Losing weight had always been a struggle for me. But learning what is the best intermittent fasting window to lose belly fat worked great. The right foods, schedule, and approach to exercise made weight loss effortless.
I know the struggle is real so I share the methods that work.
And you don't have to do intermittent fasting 20/4 for great, sustainable results!
Below I detail how I lost 45 lbs using the best intermittent fasting for weight loss that was relatively easy and didn't take much to follow.
Does intermittent fasting work?
As I update this post in April 2023, intermittent fasting has been pretty mainstream for some time now.
Countless people have achieved their weight loss goals and shared their journeys with intermittent fasting online. I can't help to think its popularity has something to do with how well it continues to work for people.
On my weight loss journey, intermittent fasting helped me lose 45 lbs in 4 months and a total of 75 lbs in 6 months to a year.
And I've tried all types of diets, too. Failing over and over like a majority of dieters do.
Intermittent fasting is what finally worked for me.
Learning how to do intermittent fasting for weight loss properly is what I believed really made the difference.
What are the benefits of intermittent fasting?
Experts have been sounding off for years about the numerous evidence-based benefits of intermittent fasting.
My favorite evidence-based benefits for weight loss have been lowering my insulin to levels that allow for fat burning, increasing levels of Human growth hormone (HGH) levels which helped build my shapely bottom nicely, and boosting my metabolism. (1)
This felt like a regulated appetite, getting rid of cravings, and super easy fasting windows. Finally being able to free myself from the restrictions of feeling hungry often and worrying about food.
Besides the weight loss, my hair also grew longer than its ever been, my toenails cleared up, I was accused of getting a BBL, my skin got healthy, and I saw improvement in my mental health.
So, intermittent fasting how does one get started and avoid common mistakes?
The common mistakes I've seen have been eating foods that increase hunger, not having a supportive, healthy lifestyle, exercising too hard too soon, and trying schedules that are too advanced for where their bodies are at.
The first thing I did was put together a healthy lifestyle and get clear on what humans are actually supposed to eat.
DESIGN A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Before learning how to fast to lose weight, we need to lock in the basics.
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.
LEARNED HOW TO EAT LIKE A HUMAN
The second most important thing I did to learn how to do intermittent fasting for weight loss properly 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 really informative.
Eat the Yolks debunks a lot of misinformation we've been force-fed about what is healthy eating including egg white omelets.
What to eat to lose weight intermittent fasting
First attempts at trying to lose weight I had the conventional understanding of healthy eating for weight loss: vegetables, fruit, low-calorie foods, healthy starches, brown rice, lean meats, and plant-based fats.
But the hunger, hunger headaches, moodiness, and intensified cravings made sticking to a caloric-restriction diet extremely difficult on these foods.
Doing fasts like the Master Cleanse and raw juice fasting was also too hard for me to do because I was so damn hungry.
I learned the best healthy foods for weight loss are foods that regulate appetite, keep blood sugar in check, and get rid of cravings. Taking insulin to fat-burning levels.
Intermittent fasting for weight loss became much easier to manage as my body started using stored body fat. Naturally and effortlessly lowering my caloric intake.
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.
BEST FOODS TO EAT TO LOSE WEIGHT WITH INTERMITTENT FASTING
- Fatty cuts of beef
- Fatty ground beef
- Bacon
- Dark chicken meat
- Butter
- Eggs
- Duck
- Ghee
- Tallow, lard, and duck fat
- Low-carb, low-sugar fruits in moderation: berries, avocados, citrus fruits (if you end up struggling with cravings and hunger, cut these out)
These foods fall within the keto, carnivore, and ketovore (a mix of keto and carnivore) diets.
Intermittent fasting on its own isn't a diet and can work with any healthy diet, really.
But eating foods that actually allow the body to tap into stored body fat and survive fasting windows will help improve discipline and make weight loss a breeze.
How to eat these foods to lose weight with intermittent fasting
Without regard of calories and until satisfied. I didn't even worry about the macros. I just ate.
This was a lot of food at the beginning of my journey to manage cravings. By the end, I was effortlessly eating much less and forgot to eat on super busy days. This is fat being burned for fuel. Easy, healthy weight loss.
A huge transformation for someone like me that believed I was naturally a hungrier-than-most type of gal.
I highly recommend combining a low-carb, keto, carnivore, or ketovore diet with intermittent fasting for weight loss.
What not to eat to lose weight with intermittent fasting
I avoided the typical unhealthy foods, of course.
Highly processed foods, processed meats, sugar, trans fats, and refined starches.
What got me called crazy, but improved my weight loss results and overall wellness significantly, were the "healthy" foods I removed from my diet.
These were whole foods high in carbs, starch, and natural sugars that weren't doing anything for my out-of-control appetite and problem with cravings. If anything, they made them worse.
And contrary to doubts, I did not become malnourished or deficient in essential vitamins and my diet didn't feel too restrive to stick to.
My diet became easy to stick to giving me incredible weight loss results with intermittent fasting.
If you're eating healthy, but still struggle with hunger while intermittent fasting, try removing foods from the list below for 1 to 2 weeks. Pay attention to your hunger and cravings. If removing these foods improves things, continue not eating them.
Not only can feeling hungry often make intermittent fasting hard to stick to, but it can also be an indication that you're stressing your body, not eating what your body needs, and getting unsustainable weight loss.
Worst foods to lose weight with intermittent fasting
- Highly processed foods, processed meats, sugars, trans fats, and refined starches
- Beans
- Rice
- Oats, barley, cream of wheat, grits
- Pastas
- Bread, grains, wheat
- Bananas, apples, grapes, plantains, watermelon
- Dried fruit
- Nuts, nut butter, and raw nuts
- Fruit and vegetable juices
These are the types of foods that signal to the human body it's time to feast because plenty of food is around. Appetites and cravings increase. We've got an obesity problem because these foods are always available, telling us to eat more of them.
Removing these foods from the diet induces the human body's natural response to famine. The appetite is lowered and insulin gets to fat-burning levels more often. Burning fat for fuel.
Seems counterproductive to eat them while trying to lose weight, especially with intermittent fasting where going without food is part of the program.
What is the best intermittent fasting schedule for weight loss
Knowing how to do intermittent fasting for weight loss the best way FOR YOU is essential.
This requires working with the best schedule FOR YOU.
From my experience, it's better to cut out dinner than to cut out breakfast to start. But test out what will do well for you.
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.
Stop asking how long does it take for 16/8 intermittent fasting to work. Instead, ask yourself can you survive it.
Choose an schedule your body can manage and your mindset can get through.
Build the habit before worrying about weight loss. It's happening. Instead, get the habit down and the weight loss will be easy.
How to WORKOUT when intermittent fasting for weight loss
Another key tip for knowing how to do intermittent fasting for weight loss properly is allowing your body to adjust before jumping into a workout schedule.
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.
Check out my 16:8 fasting weight loss results 1 week here.
Ready to get started on your intermittent fasting journey?
Here are some more useful, powerful tips that worked to help get you started.
- 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
Awesome and helpful article!! And I was right there with you until you said no peppers!! Lol. I love red, yellow and orange bell peppers in my salad! Lol. I’ll figure it out! But thanks again. I’m inspired by your success!!
Hi Kami! Thank you! I'm grateful. And I love peppers too. lol They just don't love me back. lol But definitely keep 'em if they're showing you love.
This was a fantastic post! Very inspirational and motivational.
Very recently I started reading books like The Big Breakfast Diet and The Circadian Code, which both scientifically explain why the last meal should be eaten hours before bedtime and should not be carb-heavy.
Thank you for sharing your experience with your readers. I love your blog <3
Hi Mandy! Thank you! And I'll have to check those books out. I've heard often that going to bed on a full stomach wasn't good for you and from my own experience, it didn't feel good either.
Ok, thanks. I'm ready to start, just need to go to the store with my 1st week starters list. Thanks for your help and I'm looking forward to seeing your post. Have a blessed Sunday ?
You're welcome Sherrie! Hope your first week goes well. Let me know. And you have a blessed Sunday as well! Thank you! 🙂
Ok, I have read all of your post and your journey on YouTube. I think I understand what I have to do but I'm not sure of what time I should eat and fast. I normally don't eat breakfast. Most of the time I don't eat until around 11 or 12pm. So should I schedule my first meal around this time and what time should I end ma last meal?
Hi Sherrie! I think it's best to go with what feels most comfortable to you. If you don't eat until 11 or 12 pm, it's good to schedule your meal around then. Fit your windows around what's going if it's what'll work the best. And you would have your last meal depending on how long you plan to fast. Fasting for 20 hours means your last meal will be around 4 pm. Fasting for 16 hours, and it'll be around 8 pm.
Thanks for writing this post....it feels like one of the more upfront and honest posts about IF and Keto/Paleo!
I am working on my plan to do gf, vegan keto and IF. I have a good supplement regime, and lots of recipes...and like you and a few people mentioned I hope to blog about it to have accountability...as well as hopefully make it that much easier for the next person.
I was wondering if you have tried medicinal herbs to cook with? Like tumeric, ginger, parsley, cilantro...and mushrooms?!?
I saw the post about inflation....tumeric is a powerful herb for that. I take it in capsule form and use as much as I can for cooking. I’m working on some keto curries to add lots of flavor without any or many carbs.
Thanks again!
Hi Jackson! Thanks! Accountability is a pretty good tool. And I do use turmeric, ginger, and parsley. Sometimes cilantro.
Hello! I have been thinking about this IF I have done all of the above diets as well lol! And keep it off for a year and boom it’s back again. I have been doing the HCG but feel so depleted after. Can you help me figure out the best fasting times I work from 8am to 5pm. I want to do most of it in my sleep lol! I know how to eat healthy. I want to also put my hubby on this as well. Thank you!
Hey Misty! Thank you for your comment! And you're welcome! With your schedule, if I was going 20 hours, I'd have my first meal at noon and then my second meal between 3 pm and 4 pm with no eating after 4 pm. That way, I've done most of my digesting while awake and winding down. And I can do most of the fasting while sleep and likely during the time of my day when I've got the most to do. Or, if I was doing 16 hours, I'd eat my first meal when I got to work and then my second meal around 3 pm. Hope this helps.
Hello, it’s like your post was sent to me as a blessing. I been thinking about trying something new to lose weight. I have tired everything under the sun and thought there is nothing left to try. But, I woke up to open Pinterest and there your pictures and your store about your weight loss. I think I have found something that sounds like something I can maybe stick with. Please can you tell me is there any other ways to follow you besides Facebook because I don’t have an account on there? Also, is there any other post that shares your beginning up till now? Keep up the good work and I hope all of your followers have much success and can share their weight loss stories as well....???
Hi Sherrie! Thank you so much for your lovely comment! I too tried everything under the sun before finding keto, paleo, and intermittent fasting. And you can follow me on Instagram at GeekyTricee. I haven't been posting their lately, but will be getting back on IG very soon. And I do have a YouTube video that documents my journey from the beginning (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUaDMvEVcyg) that I'll be sharing here on the blog soon, but you can check it out before then at that link.
I enjoyed reading your post. I have been IF for 3 weeks. I didn’t eat the healthiest at first but now I am a little more conscious. I plan on eating mainly fruit and veggies because I want to be healthy along with losing weight. It was encouraging to read your post. Thanks again.
Thanks Corissia! I'm happy you've found my post encouraging. 🙂 It's cool you found a method of getting started with IF that worked best to get you there.
I have been trying IF for a few weeks. I do it on most days (fell off for a couple of days this weekend), and for the most part I cook Whole30/low carb recipes. We avoid dairy at our house, but I do occasionally have some with a salad. Anyway, I've put on over 30 pounds since developing Rheumatoid Arthritis and going on some medications for that. I got depressed a bit, stopped exercising, and gave in to my old eating habits. I can't blame all the weight gain on the meds. I've lost about 18 pounds since toying around with IF but still have a good 50-60 more I could stand to lose. Because of my work schedule, I find fasting between 7pm and 11am to work best for me. My husband has started doing this same schedule over the past week. Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your experience as it encourages me to stick with IF.
Hey Mandy, you're welcome and thank you for sharing your experience with me! I'm happy you find my story encouraging. Your's is also encouraging to me as I've too gained and had to work my way back on it.
Hey! I'm very interested in this sort of fasting. I'm doing weight watchers and a connected mentioned it in a post she made and I'm curious to how this would affect me since I'm a breastfeeding mom? Will it effect my milk supply? Will it be ok on my body? Thank you so much!
Hey Marie! Thanks for your question! I'm not sure about intermittent fasting while breastfeeding. I personally don't have children, but after doing a quick search I've seen a couple of articles and videos say it's fine with the proper prep, nutrition, and routine. Please check out YouTube and Google on the topic and ask your physician.
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!