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12 Intermittent Fasting Tips on the Keto Diet

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  Published on January 21st, 2021
  Reading time: 4 minutes
  Last modified April 15th, 2023
intermittent fasting on keto

Countless keto dieters and health advocates alike use the effective tool of intermittent fasting (IF). Intermittent fasting involves fasting and feeding windows and strategic times for eating and for abstaining from eating. One of the goals is to strengthen metabolism and help regulate blood sugar and insulin levels. Many athletes also advocate intermittent fasting as a way to boost athletic performance, endurance, strength, and physique. If you’re new to intermittent fasting and keto, if you’ve hit a plateau, or if you’re just beginning on your intermittent fasting journey, check out these useful tips: 

1.   Stay Hydrated!

When you’re fasting, it’s equally important that you stay hydrated and drink plenty of water. You might choose to add lemon and salt to your water to make it more refreshing and nutritious.

2.   Shift Your Focus

When you’re fasting, it can be helpful to shift your focus to another activity. Focusing on something else can serve as a distraction from eating, so you make it through your fasting window.

3.   Exercise

Exercise not only improves blood sugar and cravings, but it also gets you closer to your health and fitness goals and distracts you from eating! Are you exercising during your fasting windows? You might also need to switch up your exercise routine and incorporate strength and resistance training, cardio, and different types of exercise to determine what feels best.

4.   Rest

If you’re not getting enough sleep, you’re likely to have more cravings and be more tempted to fall off the keto track and break your fasting and feeding windows. One of the simplest intermittent fasting tips is to make sure you’re getting plenty of restful sleep and work on improving your sleep environment.

5.   Switch Up Your Fasting Schedule

Most people choose 16:8 and similar fasting and feeding windows. This means you fast for 16 hours and eat food for 8. With IF, you can easily amend your schedule to better suit your needs.

Most people naturally fast while sleeping, so you could practice shutting your kitchen down around 9 pm and not eating again until breakfast around 8, which is a natural 11 hour fast. Experiment to see what feels best.

6.   Ease into It and Choose Smaller Windows

If you’re new to fasting or you’re not sure which windows are right for you, it’s best to ease into it and choose smaller windows. An 11-hour fast overnight might be a good place to start, and 24-hour water fasts might be too long for those just starting off with IF.

7.   Know the Difference Between Needing and Wanting

Recognize the difference between needing and wanting to eat. Is your stomach rumbling because it’s really time to eat and because you need nutrients, or are you just hankering after a salty, sweet, or crunchy snack?

8.   Avoid Overeating

Just because you’ve stopped fasting doesn’t mean it’s time to overeat and feast. Eating too much can leave you feeling uncomfortable and bloated and sabotage your health and weight loss goals. Remember, it’s not how much you eat, it’s more the quality of your food. The right nutrient-dense foods can help you feel fuller for longer and nourish your body.

9.   Break Your Fast Slowly

After several hours food-free, you might be ready to devour any food in sight. However, it’s best to take it slowly and chew your food properly to allow your digestive system to fully process the food. This also gives you a better idea of your fullness, so you’re less likely to overeat.

10.   Track Your Progress

Especially if you’re switching up your fasting and feeding windows, tracking your progress can help you figure out which window is most optimal for your body and schedule. You can write down and log how you feel, what you eat, and your fasting and feeding windows.

11.   Maintain Balanced Meals

When you’re eating, go for more balanced keto-friendly meals with a nice portion of good fats, protein, fiber, and nutrients. A balanced keto dish curbs your hunger and keeps you satiated, nourished, and on track with keto! Choose low-glycemic keto-approved fruits and veggies that are more slowly digested, absorbed, and metabolized.

12.   Listen to Your Body

Always listen to your body because your body knows best. When it comes to nutrition, intermittent fasting, and general health, take a step back and listen to what your body’s telling you.

How do you feel after fasting for that time period? How does your digestion feel after that keto meal? Which type of exercise feels more invigorating?

Do You Practice Intermittent Fasting as Part of Your Ketogenic Lifestyle?

Share your top intermittent fasting tips with other keto dieters!

Steph Green is a content writer specializing in and passionate about healthcare, wellness, and nutrition. Steph has worked with marketing agencies, written medical books for doctors like ‘Untangling the Web of Dysfunction,’ and her poetry book ‘Words that Might Mean Something.’ In 2016, after four years of struggling with her own health problems and painful autoimmune disease, Steph developed a life-changing and extensive knowledge of keto, nutrition, and natural medicine. She continues on her healing journey and enjoys helping others along the way.

Discussion

  1. dldixon1223@gmail.com says:

    I believe one of the greatest challenges is paying attention to & knowing your body. As you become more aware and introduce the tips above as well as the techniques of the ketogenic diet & Intermittent fasting along with consistency and making adjustments suitable for you, you will find the success you are desiring!! So don’t quit & love on yourself through the process.
    For me, mananging Type 1 diabetes & living a ketogenic lifestyle can be very challenging but I refuse to give up & I will reach my desired goals!! Believe & tell yourself you are a winner!! Winners never lose or quit!! Blessings 🙏🏾❤️

  2. Janette says:

    I found that without the carbs I naturally have moved to 16:8 IF. Has anyone else found the same?

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