Do you need to fast to lose weight?
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If you’re just beginning your journey of reaching your weight loss goals, a question you might be asking is, do I need to fast to lose weight? Intermittent fasting is becoming a popular method which people are incorporating into their weight loss journeys. Intermittent fasting can be a safe, controlled practice of reducing calories, monitoring your daily eating and prioritising foods that can fuel your body.
Pairing with The Man Shake, intermittent fasting can be a great incorporation into your weight loss plan but it’s important that you understand the purpose and process that comes along with this form of eating lifestyle.
What is intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting is an eating program designed to limit your food consumption for periods of time throughout the day. As well as being beneficial for losing weight, intermittent fasting can promote improved brain function and heart health. Intermittent fasting focuses less on what you put in your body, and more on when you put it in your body.
Intermittent fasting is often referred to as a ‘diet’, however as it doesn’t provide a strict meal plan, it is best referred to as an ‘eating program.’ By using The Man Shakes, our meal plan guide and intermittent fasting as a golden trio, you’re sure to achieve your weight loss goals.
Intermittent fasting meal plan
We recommend eating all your food within a 10-hour window, for example, 8am-6pm. This will help your body burn more fat!
The time that you’re asleep is also included within your intermittent fasting period – so if you’re sleeping for 8 hours, having three hours of ‘awake time’ of your intermittent fasting schedule is a great strategy in managing the hunger you might feel.
A day of eating/shaking on our plan could look something like this;
7:00AM – wake up time
8:00AM – Man Shake morning shake (we recommend 350-500ml of water for this)
10:30AM - morning snack (you can find our snack suggestions in our Man Guide, but we recommend something like rice crackers and tuna, or a Man Bar) - as a rule of thumb we suggest keeping under 5mg of sugar, and 150 calories per snack. High protein options are the best to fuel your body!
1:00PM – Man Shake lunch shake (we recommend 350-500ml of water for this)
3:00PM - afternoon snack - as a rule of thumb we suggest keeping under 5mg of sugar, and 150 calories per snack. High protein options are the best to fuel your body!
6:00PM - dinner - a balanced, nutritious meal to end the day. We have lots of recipes on our website, but a good mix of protein (eg. Chicken/small steak), veggies/salad is the way to go!
9:00PM – sleep/slow down time
Best times intermittent fasting for weight loss
There are a lot of different time intervals designed for intermittent fasting and weight loss. Which brings the question, which one is the right one for your weight loss journey? If you’re new to intermittent fasting, we recommend the 14:10 plan.
The 14:10 plan is where you fast for 14-hours and eat within a 10-hour window. This intermittent fasting schedule is the most realistic for a working adult to manage, and to align with the sociable hours of eating with family members and friends.
However, another popular intermittent fasting schedule is the 16:8 plan, which is fasting for 16 hours, and an eating window for 8 hours. This option is like the 14:10 plan that we typically recommend, however requires more discipline as it involves either a later breakfast or earlier dinner.
What to eat after intermittent fasting
After your fasting period ends, it’s recommended to ease out or ‘break’ your fast with small portioned, easily digestible foods. This is for a number of reasons, such as not to overwhelm your digestive system. When you’re fasting, your body is finishing its digestive cycle, dropping your blood levels, increasing your Human Growth Hormones (HGH levels).
Some foods that we recommend eating to break your fast could be,
Man Shake Tip: Another great way to track your progress is to take before and after photos!
Pairing with The Man Shake, intermittent fasting can be a great incorporation into your weight loss plan but it’s important that you understand the purpose and process that comes along with this form of eating lifestyle.
What is intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting is an eating program designed to limit your food consumption for periods of time throughout the day. As well as being beneficial for losing weight, intermittent fasting can promote improved brain function and heart health. Intermittent fasting focuses less on what you put in your body, and more on when you put it in your body.
Intermittent fasting is often referred to as a ‘diet’, however as it doesn’t provide a strict meal plan, it is best referred to as an ‘eating program.’ By using The Man Shakes, our meal plan guide and intermittent fasting as a golden trio, you’re sure to achieve your weight loss goals.
Intermittent fasting meal plan
We recommend eating all your food within a 10-hour window, for example, 8am-6pm. This will help your body burn more fat!
The time that you’re asleep is also included within your intermittent fasting period – so if you’re sleeping for 8 hours, having three hours of ‘awake time’ of your intermittent fasting schedule is a great strategy in managing the hunger you might feel.
A day of eating/shaking on our plan could look something like this;
7:00AM – wake up time
8:00AM – Man Shake morning shake (we recommend 350-500ml of water for this)
10:30AM - morning snack (you can find our snack suggestions in our Man Guide, but we recommend something like rice crackers and tuna, or a Man Bar) - as a rule of thumb we suggest keeping under 5mg of sugar, and 150 calories per snack. High protein options are the best to fuel your body!
1:00PM – Man Shake lunch shake (we recommend 350-500ml of water for this)
3:00PM - afternoon snack - as a rule of thumb we suggest keeping under 5mg of sugar, and 150 calories per snack. High protein options are the best to fuel your body!
6:00PM - dinner - a balanced, nutritious meal to end the day. We have lots of recipes on our website, but a good mix of protein (eg. Chicken/small steak), veggies/salad is the way to go!
9:00PM – sleep/slow down time
Best times intermittent fasting for weight loss
There are a lot of different time intervals designed for intermittent fasting and weight loss. Which brings the question, which one is the right one for your weight loss journey? If you’re new to intermittent fasting, we recommend the 14:10 plan.
The 14:10 plan is where you fast for 14-hours and eat within a 10-hour window. This intermittent fasting schedule is the most realistic for a working adult to manage, and to align with the sociable hours of eating with family members and friends.
However, another popular intermittent fasting schedule is the 16:8 plan, which is fasting for 16 hours, and an eating window for 8 hours. This option is like the 14:10 plan that we typically recommend, however requires more discipline as it involves either a later breakfast or earlier dinner.
What to eat after intermittent fasting
After your fasting period ends, it’s recommended to ease out or ‘break’ your fast with small portioned, easily digestible foods. This is for a number of reasons, such as not to overwhelm your digestive system. When you’re fasting, your body is finishing its digestive cycle, dropping your blood levels, increasing your Human Growth Hormones (HGH levels).
Some foods that we recommend eating to break your fast could be,
- Man Shakes, or smoothies. These are a great meal supplement that are easy on your stomach and digestion. A great option to add to your shakes would be to include probiotic yoghurt, as this is full of healthy fats, vitamins and gut-loving proteins. Some delicious recommendations from our website are, Dan and Steph's Immunity Smoothie and our Veggie Buddha Bowl
- Meals containing protein and easily digestible carbs. Some great proteins to include in your diet could be tuna, salmon, eggs, avocado, lentils, turkey and chicken breasts. We've got lots of healthy options perfectly suited to this program, such as our Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Salmon Patties and our Pesto Protein Pasta Salad.
- Cooked vegetables such as potatoes that are dense in starch can be a great option for breaking a fast, as well as raw fruits, bone broths, cooked vegetables and fermented foods such as yoghurt, probiotic juices and kefir
Man Shake Tip: Another great way to track your progress is to take before and after photos!
