Fasting in itself is nothing new and is present in many religious cultures to this day where people willingly give up food, drink, or both for a set period of time - sometimes days!

Intermittent Fasting is a more tailored approach to this and has become increasingly popular in the health and fitness scene over the last couple of years.

Like regular fasting, the premise behind intermittent fasting is to give up food for a set amount of time. However these time periods would often be much more manageable to fit around a persons lifestyle. Water would also not be restricted, nor would drinks that don't include milk or sugar such as green tea or black coffee.

The most common breakdown used for intermittent fasting is the 16:8 approach; Meaning 16 hours with no food and 8 hours with food.

For example, a person might choose to have their first meal at 1:00pm. This means that their 8 hour window will take them up to 9:00pm. So it is between 1:00pm and 9:00pm where they can eat, but any hours outside of these they cannot.

It's during the 16 hours of not eating where the magic will happen and your body will start to use body fat as an energy source. It will keep doing this right up until you have your first meal, which is why it is important that you do not snack before this. Even some milk in your tea will be enough to stop your body's process of using body fat for energy.

If you're new to intermittent fasting then the 16:8 approach is a good place to start, but you don't have to do it every day. Instead you might want to intermittent fast for three days of the week (e.g. Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday), eating freely and normally on the other four days.

The first few days might be a bit of a shock to the system - especially if you're used to having breakfast and morning snacks - but you'll be surprised at how quickly your body will adapt to the changes.

Other types of intermittent fasting include:

- The 5:2 Diet (5 days normal eating and 2 days eating only 500-600 calories)

- The Warrior Diet (20 hours of fasting with 4 hours normal eating)

- Alternate day fasting

- A 24 hour fast with no food just once or twice a week

While fasting, be sure to drink plenty of water to help you stay full and satisfied. Drinking straight black coffee can help reduce any hunger cravings you may experience.

For more information on intermittent fasting and to discuss whether or not it's for you please speak to one of our TribeFit Personal Trainers who will be happy to help.

To view the latest news stories from TribeFit click here.

www.tribefit.com / 800 TRIBE (87423)