The five common mistakes people make when intermittent fasting

… and everything you need to know to avoid them!

Broccolini and bean chicken salad with pistachio mint dressing

There’s a lot of talk about intermittent fasting these days. And while alternating periods of fasting with normal eating has certainly been shown to be a powerful tool for improving overall health, are you doing it right?

We’ve put together the top 5 mistakes you might be making with intermittent fasting.

Overindulging

While you don’t need to calorie count on your non-fasting days, don’t derail your efforts by reaching for the take-out and chips. You still need to cut calories over the course of the week to keep on track. On the days you aren’t fasting, you should enjoy a normal diet, which is about 1800-2000 calories for adult women and 1900-2400 calories for adult men, or a lighter version of a normal day (around 1500 calories per day). And snacking on lower-calorie foods, such as vegie sticks and fresh berries, is a great way to avoid hunger on fasting days too.

Not eating enough

Fasting doesn’t mean you are quitting food altogether. Fasting appears to help the body reset, which explains why intermittent fasting may be important for optimising health and longevity. But fasting for too long can lead to starvation, depriving your body of important nutrients and can lead to vitamin deficiencies or worse. As the name suggests, intermittent fasting means fasting for short periods (for example, two days per week). Your body still needs fuel to function, so make sure you enjoy healthy, flavourful food on non-fasting days.

This fibrous, high-protein Cypriot grain salad is a great option.

Not drinking enough water

Feeling light-headed and sluggish? Make sure you’re drinking enough water throughout the day, on fasting and non-fasting days. Water is essential to keep your body functioning at its best. Water helps to maintain your blood volume, regulate your body temperature and carry nutrients and waste products. So keep that hydration up!

Pushing yourself too hard

Any new diet means change to old habits and routines. But that doesn’t mean your new way of eating should come with feelings of guilt or shame. Intermittent fasting should help you to enjoy life, not deny life’s pleasures. Sure, you’ll probably be dialling down portion sizes for high-calorie treats, but it shouldn’t be about banning food or going on a shame spiral if you’ve tripped up on a fast day. Fasting diets aren’t appropriate for everyone and if you find yourself obsessing over every meal and calorie, talk about it with your loved ones or consider seeking medical advice.

rainbow-power-salad

Overthinking it

Intermittent fasting is such a popular weight-loss strategy because it’s often much more sustainable than simply cutting calories day in, day out. Many people find the daily grind of calorie counting too difficult. So don’t overthink it!

Originally published as The five common mistakes people make when intermittent fasting