Intermittent Fasting 201 | Le Stylo Rouge

Extra LSR: Intermittent Fasting 201.

Extra LSR, 66 Comments

by Ashley

Ashley Style Blogger + Creative Director

So just how do I fast?

A few weeks ago, I shared a little bit about intermittent fasting + why I’ve adopted an intermittent fasting protocol (IFP) approach to my diet. You guys have indicated you want to know just how I do this– because not eating for a predetermined amount of time is hard; food is so good.

I agree with you. Totally.

For the past few months, I’ve been following an IFP. I went with the 16:8 at first– which meant a 16-hour fasting window followed by an 8-hour feeding window. Fasting isn’t about what time of day you eat, just scheduling fasting windows and eating windows; this is great for tailoring a fasting schedule to what works for you.

I started by using sleep to take up the bulk of the fasting hours, skipping breakfast, and making lunch my first meal of the day after 16 hours of fasting. (I know, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Turns out, not always. Read this article for more on all that jazz.) That was giving me the benefit of a 16-hour fast (inflammation reduction, insulin sensitivity), and limiting my calorie consumption from noon to 8:00 p.m. (essentially, two full meals and a snack or two a day).

Intermittent Fasting 201 | Le Stylo Rouge
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Update August 2018: No matter what you hear, you cannot consume anything with calories during the fasting period, or else you will break your fast. I had previously read that you could do “assisted fasting” with supplements and high-quality-but-low-calorie dark chocolate, but this is inaccurate. Anything that triggers a metabolic response (ie, anything that causes your insulin to spike) will break your fast.

Here’s what you can have while fasting:

  • Water
  • Salt (adding a little salt to your water helps fight off the dizziness, headaches, etc., many people experience when attempting to fast)
  • Black coffee (no creamer, no sugar, no nothing)
  • Tea
  • Lemon juice (ie, straight up fresh lemon juice– not a sugary lemon-flavored something)

I want to try a longer fast, as the benefits of fasting increase with the number of hours logged. I have attempted a few 24 to 36-hour fasts before, but those were only completed via the assisted fasting protocol I was following (so I wasn’t actually getting the fasting benefits I believed I was getting).

Note: this is what works for me. IF in general accounts for many, many different types of approaches, and there is room in each protocol for customization to what the individual wants/needs. Also, I’m not a doctor/certified dietitian. I’m just some random Midwestern girl with the Internet and a curiosity about something with some scientific backing that I wanted to try. If this is something you want to test drive, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to do a lot of research and check with your doctor first.

If you have any questions, I’m happy to answer ’em. Shoot me an email or drop a comment.

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66 Comments

    1. Haha, it’s definitely a new type of approach to eating, that’s for sure. 🙂 Thanks for swinging by, lady!

    1. I’m not usually a breakfast person, either- so I was definitely game to try that type of fasting first! 🙂 Let me know if you give it a try, lady!

    1. I definitely like using the sleeping hours to take up most of the fast- you can’t miss eating if you’re sleeping. 😉 Skipping breakfast and then having the first meal at lunch was a great way to start, too- way easier to manage. Let me know if you try it, lady!

  9. I’ve never really fasted before. I just learned about juicing fast where you only dink natural juice that would include all the nutrients you would normally need in day, for 2 or 3 weeks. It sounds really interesting and it also works as a cleanse. I really want to try that one.
    I didn’t really know about intermittent fasting before. I’m going to try and read more about it. I don’t really like taking pills so we’ll see.
    Thank you for sharing Ashley. Have a lovely Sunday 🙂
    xo
    Sauniya | Find Your Bliss ♡

    Reply

    1. Natural juice cleanses are interesting to me, too- they’re definitely something I want to explore in the future. Two to three weeks sounds crazyyyyy- I would be so curious to read an account of someone who had tried it. 🙂

  10. I have never heard of this before but it sounds intersting indeed. I think I need some longer breaks between my meals too but it definetly is more difficult with a toddler who needs meals regularly and does not like to eat all alone 😀
    Rosa Larissa Klara
    conscious lifestyle of mine

    Reply

    1. Very true, lady- having a toddler would make it tougher to adopt! My boyfriend and I follow a similar intermittent fasting schedule, and having someone who is right there with ya makes all the difference!

  13. When I begun reading I was like “oh my god I could not do this because all I think about is food” but then when I saw that you eat from noon to 8pm it sounds like a great idea. I normally do this all of the time and if it makes you feel better that is great!

    Camila,
    My Vogue Style | http://www.myvoguestyle.com

    Reply

    1. There are different types of intermittent fasting, so you can find one that works for you (and hopefully isn’t miserable). The 16:8 approach with a 1-day a week 36-hour fast is what I’m currently trying. 🙂 Thanks for swinging by, lady!

    1. Haha, right? I’m impressed with the list of health benefits- so we’ll see how it goes for me trying it for the longer term! 🙂

  21. Nice post, thanks for sharing all these tips. I would really like to try something similar 🙂
    Would you like to follow each other ? Let me know: shoppingholic-dreamer.blogspot.com

    Reply

  26. Thanks for sharing more of your secrets to such a beautiful figure, Ashley! I am intrigued about the effects of fasting on insulin and will definitely be doing some more research on that. I hope you will write about your workouts some time. Have a great week! XO

    Janea
    http://theSTYLetti.com

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much, lady! I’m glad you find it interesting- and workouts are definitely coming! Right now, a lot of my workouts are on Snap (ashrockchalk) if you want to follow along!

    1. Health is the number one priority, for sure! I need to have enough energy to sustain lifting + cardio workouts, so any weakness/feelings of ickiness wouldn’t be okay. 🙂

  29. It’s so nice if it’s suiting you. I can never fast.. Acidity develops n creates a lot of problem for me.. Good luck!

    Thank you for your wonderful comment in my previous post 🙂

    Maybe you’d like to see my new post Mama Mia How I spent Diwali 🙂

    Love
    Akanksha

    Reply
  34. Pingback: Extra LSR: Cozy Favorites for Winter. | Ashley from LSR

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