Top 5 Tips: How To Survive Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent Fasting is the talk of the fitness industry and you really want to try it out… but you’re not sure where to start? Use these Top 5 Tips for surviving (and thriving through!) IF as you begin this new aspect of your health journey!

As you know, the FASTer Way to Fat Loss is based on several cutting-edge nutritional strategies: Intermittent Fasting, carb cycling, and macro counting. However, the key distinguishing factor is our emphasis on fasting.

While fasting may sound a bit intimidating, most of our clients find that it’s actually much simpler than they thought it would be. In fact, it usually ends up being one of their favorite things about the program!

If you aren’t familiar with this trending term, here’s a deeper dive into why we use it as a highly effective strategy to burn fat throughout the program. Intermittent Fasting isn’t a diet or quick fix, it’s a lifestyle that incorporates periods of eating with periods of withholding food. There are several ways to practice Intermittent Fasting, but in the FASTer Way to Fat Loss, we suggest the 16/8 protocol. This means each day you will fast for 16 hours and consume all your food for the day in an 8-hour window. We do not cut calories, we simply eat them in a shorter window during the day.

Why Try Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent Fasting is a powerful nutrition strategy on its own, but when combined with balanced whole-food nutrition, carb cycling (another natural, highly effective fat-burning strategy), plus strategic workouts that maximize the fat loss cycle, you’ll experience results you never dreamed you’d achieve. You’ll reduce inflammation, maximize your metabolism, and naturally detoxify your body, just to name a few. 

You may be thinking I’ve tried all the diets and quick fixes, I’m sure this won’t work either. Friend, no matter how many other programs have failed you, you can still experience incredible fat loss, improved health, increased energy and so much more—when you start giving your body what it needs. The FASTer Way to Fat Loss has helped more than 115,000 women and men regain the health and confidence they thought they’d lost. 

But how do you survive Intermittent Fasting when you’re brand new? Here are a few tips!

Start Slowly

We practice 16/8 Intermittent Fasting: 16 hours of fasting, 8 hours of eating. However, if you’ve never fasted before, you don’t have to start with such a big fasting window. We highly recommend starting with a 12-hour fast. Cut off your eating at 7 or 8 pm, then don’t eat breakfast until 12 hours later. You can gradually increase the length of your fast an hour at a time, until you reach the 16-hour mark. In addition, don’t feel as though you have to start fasting every day. We recommend starting with Sundays. Cut your eating window off at 7 pm on Saturday night, then don’t eat anything until late-morning (or after church!) on Sunday. This will help you dip your toe into the Intermittent Fasting lifestyle without feeling overwhelmed.

Stay Hydrated

It’s really important to stay hydrated during your fast. In addition to water, it is totally acceptable to drink black coffee, herbal teas, and BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids—choose a clean brand!). Use these to get through your fast with ease and to keep your mind from wandering to the various snacks in your pantry! Did you know the same signal that tells us we are hungry is the same signal that tells us we’re thirsty?  True story! Understanding this will help when you feel those initial hunger pangs. Many of our clients reduce or eliminate their hunger signal just by adding in a few extra ounces of H₂O when they feel the urge to eat throughout their fasting period.

Stay Busy

The best tool for making it through your fasting period is to stay busy. In fact, productivity is one of my favorite side effects of Intermittent Fasting. Because you aren’t worried about fixing your next meal (or scarfing down a quick snack) you can focus on work and getting things done. Plus, staying busy keeps your mind from thinking about food and helps you get through your fasting period with ease!

Find Accountability

As day-to-day life leaves you feeling in a rut, overly busy, or just full of excuses (yes, we know the feeling!), it’s easy to fall back into old habits. A strong support system can make all the difference. Try it with a friend, family member, or even your spouse. You can share your struggles, thoughts, or even just motivate each other. But guess what? Through the FASTer Way, you’ll also be greeted with a community of thousands of others that took that initial step to lasting health, just like you. We will celebrate your wins and, on the hard days, we’ll encourage you and remind you why you started. But that’s just it. YOU HAVE TO START! So grab a colleague, your bestie, or a neighbor and go!

Put It All Together

Intermittent Fasting is a highly effective strategy, but when you combine it with whole foods, balanced macros, effective workouts, and carb cycling, you will become a fat-burning machine! Learning these other key strategies—which make the FASTer Way the most effective program in the marketplace today—is critical when it comes to taking back control of your health and weight through a sustainable lifestyle.

““FASTer Way has completely changed my life! Truly. When I started I felt lethargic. I was constantly out of breath, tired, and had no control over my appetite. While FASTer Way has allowed me to lose the weight and exhaustion, I gained a few things as well. I gained a community of women that hold me accountable, a newfound confidence in myself, the ability to get rid of clothes bc they’re too big (hallelujah), and a toned figure. I can’t be happier with the progress I’ve made, and am still making. FASTer Way all the way!”⁣” –Martha, FASTer Way Community Member*

Because the benefits of Intermittent fasting are so phenomenal, our clients now understand how to burn fat effectively and feel their absolute best. The overall improvement in health, energy, and productivity makes this strategy a lot simpler to implement you might expect. In fact, most people are not usually hungry at all during the fasting window AND find that the longer they practice IF, the more accustomed to their bodies become! 

*Results may vary from person to person.

FASTer Way clients know the power of Intermittent Fasting. Try it out for yourself! Check out the next round of the FASTer Way to Fat Loss and learn how to lose that stubborn weight, find more energy, and feel like YOU again!

5 Benefits of Combining Intermittent Fasting and Carb Cycling

Throughout time there have been some pretty incredible dynamic duos:

• Eggs and bacon

• The beach and a fruity drink

• Chandler Bing and Joey Tribbiani

• Pumpkin spice and, well—everything

Thousands of FASTer Way clients would all agree to add another to the list: intermittent fasting and carb cycling!

Intermittent Fasting 

Not only does this power-punched duo come with a significant impact on your health, but research has shown it can aid in weight loss, which will leave you feeling more radiant than Rachel and Monica!

But let’s get down to it: what exactly are these strategies and why do you need them in my life?

Intermittent Fasting and carb cycling are two of the best ways to achieve your goals in terms of fat loss. Period. In fact, we’ve shared testimony after testimony of women who have lost inches in their mid-section, gotten stronger, and improved their health through the FASTer Way to Fat Loss—which is based on these two nutritional strategies that make up this dynamic and effective duo.

Intermittent Fasting isn’t a diet or quick fix; it’s a lifestyle that incorporates periods of eating with periods of withholding food. Although this strategy is all the buzz in the industry, it’s actually been practiced for thousands of years! 

The best part? It’s free and convenient for even the busiest of people. There are several ways to practice Intermittent Fasting, but in the FASTer Way to Fat Loss we suggest the 16/8 protocol. This means each day you will fast for 16 hours (most of which while you’re sleeping) and consume all your food for the day in an 8-hour window. 

We do not cut calories; instead, we simply eat them in a shorter window during the day, thus simplifying our lives in the process. Although this window can be flexible, most people like to start their eating window around noon and end around 8pm just before catching their favorite rerun of Friends. 

Carb Cycling

Remember when everyone decided to ditch carbs hoping for a quick fix? Oh wait, it’s actually happening now! But not without its downfalls. Not only do our bodies need carbs, but it may cause internal damage from removing them from our diets. Science shows that restricting carbs intensely over time can add up to a struggling metabolism. 

Carb cycling is a safer strategy that can help many frustrated clients break through plateaus. This strategy allows an intentional variation of carbohydrate intake each week with some days being higher in grams than others. In the FASTer Way, we base our macro cycle on the workouts we will be doing to maximize fat burn and energy levels. 

Fun fact: Jennifer Aniston tried to remove carbs from her diet when filming Friends, and soon after reported that she switched back over to a healthy balance of fats, proteins, and—you guessed it—CARBS! 

So does that mean we suggest enjoying donuts along with strategic planning? YES! Can we guarantee that you’ll look like Jennifer Aniston? No! 

But what we CAN say is that carb cycling can help with fat loss, higher energy levels, and improvement to overall body composition. So you’ll optimize fat loss by increasing thyroid output and controlling hunger. This will leave you jumping for joy with more excitement than Phoebe!

5 Benefits of Combining Intermittent FASTing and Carb Cycling

1. Increased Energy

Countless clients have reported an incredible increase in energy after just a couple of weeks living the FASTer Way. This is by far the most consistent side effect reported, and the one that we get the most excited about. The truth is, the world around you deserves your best self, and energy is definitely a requirement for being the best version of you!

2. Better Sleep

Perhaps one of the reasons our clients are seeing such an increase in energy is because they are sleeping better. This lifestyle positively affects hormone levels—so you sleep like a baby!

3. A Happy Gut

Good-bye bloating and discomfort, hello happy gut! FASTer Way clients tell us that after just a few days in the program they are feeling less bloating and discomfort almost across the board. Who doesn’t love a happy gut?!

4. More Time

Having all of that time in the morning, without having to worry about what to eat OR clean up means you can be more productive each day. This is a side effect that we love because as busy people, we all know the value of a few extra minutes!

5. A Better Mood

So many of our clients report far better moods after just a couple of weeks living the FASTer Way. This, again, is due to the effect of Intermittent Fasting and carb cycling on hormones. Not only that, our focus on whole-food nutrition has a big effect on feeling better—good food tends to do that! In addition, the workouts paired with these nutritional strategies can also have a positive effect on mood and anxiety levels.

“I don’t have a ton of before/after in the same clothing because, quite honestly, I was anxious to get rid of everything that was TOO big. I thought it would be too tempting to revert back if I had “safety clothes” that I held onto. But, you can ask Clay, any time I purge my clothing, I have a really tough time getting rid of anything Carolina related. I have an irrational fear someone else won’t take care of them like I do (I said it was irrational) 😂 It’s yucky outside, I’m feeling a little under the weather, and my plans today involved ONLY school work. So getting ready was not in the cards today. I just threw on this pullover and some leggings. And then I remembered my sister snapped the picture on the left a couple of years ago. And I love it because I love my sweet little niece, but man, what a difference. Not just a difference in what I look like, but a difference in how I feel, how I see myself, how I fuel my body, and how I treat myself. It’s amazing what a little guidance, a little tracking app, some macros, and some knowledge can do for you.” 

–Stephanie, FASTer Way Community Member*

*Results may vary from person to person.

When it comes to winning the weight loss battle and improving body composition, Intermittent Fasting and carb cycling are the way to go! Reward yourself with that treat after your effective workout and you are living your best life. Are you ready? 

FASTer Way Snack Ideas

In our FASTer Way family, we work with busy parents, professionals, and students who are striving to improve their overall health. While many of them eat meals on the run, snacks are often essential to ensure our clients are hitting their daily macro goals. Not sure where to start with planning or packing your snacks on the FASTer Way? We’re here to help!

Changing Your Mindset

The FASTer Way program emphasizes balancing macros (carbs, fat, and protein) at each meal, with the exception of a piece of fruit here or there. We always focus on whole foods to get the very best in nutrition, but sometimes clean pre-packaged snacks are a must. 

In planning some snack options, it’s helpful to change your mindset. Prior to the FASTer Way, your snacks may have consisted of whatever you could grab from the vending machine or a leftover donut from the breakroom. Instead, think of snacks as a mini-meal. Whether that means a clean protein bar, or packing some organic deli meat with veggies to enjoy on the run, prioritize balanced macros.

Another mindset shift to make is in regard to portion control. Mindless grazing is always a temptation in snacking. While we don’t mandate exact measurements for everything you eat (nor do we think that’s healthy for your mental state), instead of plowing through a bag of beef jerky, shoot for limiting yourself to one serving size. Changing the way you think about snacks will help you be more intentional with your macros and ultimately help you reach your daily goals.

Snack Ideas

You’ve changed your mindset about what a snack is and how much to have. But what in the world should you eat?? We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite clean snacks. Consider combining two or three of these for a balanced mini-meal snack.

• Clean beef jerky

• Nuts

• Veggies (carrots, celery, tomatoes, or cucumbers) with hummus

• Berries

• Smoothie with almond or coconut milk and 1 cup frozen berries

• Hard-boiled egg

• Clean protein bar (Larabar, RX Bar, Perfect Bar)

• ½ avocado topped with Everything But The Bagel seasoning

• Lean organic meat (turkey or chicken)

• Edamame

• Apple with peanut or almond butter

• Oatmeal with honey

What are your favorite FASTer Way snacks? Share with us in the comments!

If you’re not a FASTer Way client yet and you’d like to learn more about our strategies, check out these articles!

Intermittent Fasting and Carb Cycling 101

What are Macros and Why do we Track them in the FASTer Way?

How to Make the Most of Your Leg Day

5 Tips for Eating Out on the FASTer Way

Something we tell all of our clients is that the FASTer Way is truly a lifestyle, not a diet. Focusing on whole-food nutrition while still getting to enjoy your favorite treats is what separates the FASTer Way from any other nutrition plan on the market. We know that life doesn’t stop just because you’re on the FASTer Way, and chances are you’ll be eating out at restaurants over the course of the program. Choosing what to order can feel overwhelming for our new clients, but it doesn’t need to be! 

Here are 5 tips for eating out on the FASTer Way:

1. Check the Restaurant Menu Ahead of Time

Have a game plan in place. If you have a say in where to eat, prioritize restaurants with grilled, blackened, or baked protein options. Check the restaurant menu and enter your meal macros to help you plan for the rest of your day. 

2. Have a “Mini-Meal” Before Going to the Restaurant

A game plan is only as strong as your mental state. If you get to the restaurant feeling hangry, you might throw your game plan out the window and order whatever sounds good in the moment. Instead, have a mini-meal before you go out. Prioritize protein and veggies. It doesn’t need to be fancy—something as simple as organic deli meat with carrots and hummus will do the trick!

3. Pass on the Bread or Chips

We’ve all been there. You get to the restaurant with a game plan, and you’re not starving because you had a mini-meal beforehand. But then the waiter places the huge basket of bread or tortilla chips in front of you. GAME OVER, right? Wrong! Make the decision easy and pass on the bread and chips altogether. Focus on drinking lots of water while waiting for your meal. 

4. Double Up on the Veggies

Don’t be afraid to customize your meal to work for your lifestyle. Replace a non-compliant side with extra veggies, or double up on salad (dressing on the side) and steamed veggies. They’ll fill you up and provide lots of vitamins and nutrients.

5. Remember Your Why

Look around the table. The people you see are usually the reason you’re there. Are you celebrating a special event? Catching up with a friend? Sitting down with your family at the end of a busy day? Don’t let the food steal the show. Remember your why, and focus on the relationships.

You’re not a client yet, but you’d like to know more? Check out these helpful articles!

Intermittent Fasting and Carb Cycling 101

Why We Track Macros Instead of Calories

FASTer Way to Fat Loss FAQs

Let’s hear it—what tips would you add to the list for eating out on the FASTer Way?

Will Coffee Break Your Fast?

It’s a hot topic in the world of Intermittent Fasting: will coffee break your fast? We invited Dr. Stephen Cabral to share his insights with us on our FIRST EPISODE of the brand-new FASTer Way Podcast! We are beyond excited to bring you this incredible resource for upper-level information about all things health, wellness, fitness, nutrition, and so much more! 

Dr. Cabral is a naturopathic doctor, Ayurvedic doctor, functional medicine and integrative health practitioner, and Intermittent Fasting expert; naturally, we wanted to gain his insights about coffee and fasting!

It’s one of the most frequently asked questions we get from our FASTer Way clients, Will Coffee Break My Fast?

And the answer to that is, it depends. 

We get it, this isn’t a very helpful answer for understanding right now if you can drink coffee without breaking your fast, but luckily there IS a way to find out without going to a doctor for testing.

But first, let’s find out why coffee may or may not break your fast.

It all starts with hormones. When the body is stressed, it releases cortisol (also known as the “stress hormone”), and the only way to cut cortisol is with carbohydrates, so the body will release glucose (sugar!) into the bloodstream. If there’s glucose available, the body will use it for energy rather than tapping into fat stores—even if you are still fasting.

So, what does that have to do with coffee? 

Well, a lot, actually. When you drink a cup of coffee, even if it’s black and has zero calories, it can spike your cortisol and adrenaline, which we now know will prompt the body to release glucose, the body’s go-to fuel source (if it’s available, it will get used first!).

How do you know if coffee is breaking your fast? 

Luckily, it's super simple. With an inexpensive glucometer (which you can find for about $20 on Amazon or at your local drug store), test your blood about 30 minutes after drinking your coffee. If your number is above one hundred, you’ve spiked your blood sugar from the coffee. This may only last for an hour or so, maybe less, but it’s important to know that you’ll be pulled out of your fat-burning state.

Another (less scientific) sign that coffee may be breaking your fast if you need coffee to start your day. This is a sign of adrenal fatigue, a condition in which the adrenals can’t produce enough of the hormones you need, especially norepinephrine and cortisol. The adrenals need a boost, and caffeine is the kick that makes them produce more of those hormones you need. 

What can I do if coffee spikes my blood sugar?

If black coffee spikes your blood sugar and you suspect you’re dealing with adrenal fatigue, then please get tested by your naturopath or functional medicine doctor and pursue treatment under their guidance. 

Connect with Dr. Cabral by visitng stephencabral.com or equilibriumnutrition.com, listen to his podcast here, or follow him on Instagram.

To learn more about

• Micronutrients (can we actually get them all from our diet?)

• Carbs (are they really that important?)

• Intermittent Fasting (is the 16/8 protocol best for everyone?)

• The law of diminishing returns (when it comes to IF and HIIT)

Then be sure to listen to the full episode it is packed FULL of helpful information that will give you clarity and direction for living your healthiest life!

Does coffee break YOUR fast? Tell us in the comments below!

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Show Notes

Will coffee break your fast? If this question is holding you back from trying Intermittent Fasting, then don’t miss today’s episode so you can feel confident that you’re getting the most out of your fasting window!

Dr. Stephen Cabral is a naturopathic doctor and an expert in Intermittent Fasting. In this episode, he and Amanda discuss IF, micronutrients, the importance of carbohydrates, and modifications to the Intermittent Fasting protocol.  

• [06:49] intro to Dr. Cabral

• [12:08] Intermittent Fasting

• [20:21] why carbs are important for hormone health

• [30:27] will coffee break your fast?

• [35:15] all about micronutrients 

• [41:49] Dr. Cabral’s best advice

• [44:05] where to find Dr. Cabral

Links mentioned in this episode:

• stephencabral.com 

• equilibriumnutrition.com 

• The Rain Barrel Effect

• Dr. Cabral on Instagram

• FASTer Way to Fat Loss
  
  
  
  
  

Jesus Fasted

*Disclaimer: results may vary.

I’ve been singing the praises of an intermittent fasting lifestyle for years now, long before it started trending in the fitness world. It has truly changed my health in such a significant way, and because of that I am committed to helping as many women as possible incorporate this strategy into their own lifestyles. I have never felt stronger, healthier, more athletic, or more energetic than I have since I started IF.

In the past, I’ve shared the countless benefits of fasting in terms of physical and emotional health, but today I wanted to touch on the benefits of fasting for spiritual health as well.

While I know some of you are not coming from a Christian background, I am writing from a truly authentic place and have to be true to my own beliefs. However, when you look across the history of most world religions, there is an element of fasting in each of them.

Why believers should fast:

For 40 days and 40 nights Jesus fasted in the wilderness. During that time, He was tempted to make bread from the stones, something He could have easily done. Yet, His response to this temptation was:

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” —Matthew 4:4

Jesus made a practice of fasting for several reasons, and as believers we are to follow his example and incorporate this spiritual discipline into our lifestyle.

Here are a few reasons believers should fast on a regular basis:

Fasting requires you to build dependence on God.

We live in a world that is constantly promising us fulfillment in things other than God. The practice of fasting requires you to rely on God’s strength when you are hungry. It requires you to rely on God to give you the energy and fuel you need to keep going. Fasting allows for more room in your day to spend time with God through His word and in prayer. While this is NOT a requirement of the FASTer Way to Fat Loss program, it is a benefit for those who are coming from a Christian faith. The daily time available because of fasting allows you to pour more into your relationship with God.

Fasting requires you to build self-control, which is a fruit of the spirit.

Fasting requires a significant amount of self control, especially when you are just starting out. The daily practice of fasting allows you to build those self-control muscles while relying on God to meet your physical need. Fasting has LONG been considered a spiritual discipline with both early and modern day believers incorporating regular days of prayer and fasting into their busy lives.

Fasting’s incredible health benefits help you care for your body.

As believers, we are to care for our bodies in a way that honors God. These bodies are truly temples and it is very much within our realm of responsibility to nourish, strengthen and care for these bodies in an excellent way. Fasting allows our bodies to rest, restore, and recover from the daily stressors of life. Fasting’s health benefits allow believers to rightly care for their bodies.

Whether you are a Christian or not, fasting will give you more time in your day while helping you to strengthen self-control. Ultimately, those are fantastic reasons to consider implementing IF into your life. As a believer, there is such a depth to being able to truly rely on God throughout your fasting periods. If you have not tapped into this particular spiritual discipline and used it to enhance your prayer life, you are truly missing out on an opportunity to grow closer in your relationship with God.

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FASTer Way to Fat Loss is not a faith-based program, but easily fits into any type of lifestyle. If you are interested in joining our next round, be sure to click here to sign up! Rounds fill up quickly, so if you’ve been considering this cutting-edge healthy lifestyle, don’t wait!