December 20, 2019
Keto Fasting Results for Women
Writen by Adam Hanin |
Published on: December 20, 2019
Intermittent fasting results can truly magnify the benefits of the keto diet for women, however, because a women’s body is so unique and often sensitive, let’s dive into how to keto fast safely and effectively.
First, and most importantly for women, it is particularly crucial to balance keto and intermittent fasting while meeting your body’s nutritional needs through food. Often, because hunger can decrease and because both keto and intermittent fasting can naturally cause you to eat less food, I see women begin to under eat. This might produce some desirable results, such as weight loss, in the short-term, but over the long-term, nutrient deficiencies can develop and you might notice hair loss or the loss of your cycle, which is certainly not the goal of this lifestyle combo.
Here are my top tips for getting the best keto fasting results:
- Track your food intake – and fasting hours – this will help you to see if you are eating enough food during eating windows and getting all of the nutrition you need. You likely won’t need to track forever, but it can be a great way to check-in with yourself for a few days as needed.
- Track your ketones – this can be fun to see what your ketone levels are and how they shift with adopting a keto lifestyle or adding intermittent fasting into your routine. Remember that more ketones aren’t always better and the optimal fat burning zone seems to be between 1.5-3.0 mmol/L (ketosis is considered 0.5-3.0 mmol/L).
- Listen to your body – Your body is your best compass when experimenting with new lifestyle tools. Remember that more fasting and stricter keto isn’t always better. Sometimes less is more. It’s okay to go slow. For example, you may want to start with a 12 hour overnight fast if you are new to intermittent fasting, and then slowly work up to a 14 hour and 16 hour fast as it feels good to your body.
- Cycle your fasting – One big misconception about intermittent fasting is that it has to be done every day! It’s effective to practice intermittent fasting just a few times per week. In fact, by alternating fasting and non-fasting days, as I recommend in my book, Glow15, you might actually achieve better results because you are “pulsing” autophagy and other body processes.
- Consider Keto Cycling – Especially for women, keto cycling can be a wonderful practice as well. Our ancestors weren’t in ketosis 100% of the time, and you don’t need to be either. The body is designed to cycle in and out of ketosis and this will become easier as you gain metabolic flexibility. You can keto cycle weekly, monthly or even seasonally as it feels good to you.
- Check your mindset – To me, intermittent fasting and keto are so much more than diet tools or quick fixes, these two tools are integral to my lifestyle and I hope they will be integral to yours as well. When I shifted my mindset from a dieting mentality to focus on my long-term health and longevity, day to day choices became so much easier and better aligned with my goals.
- Integrate supplements – Supplements are just that, supplemental to a healthy diet and lifestyle. When it comes to keto and fasting, supplements can support the body and enhance results. In my medicine cabinet, I currently have powerphenols for autophagy support, berberine for metabolic health and keratin for hair and nails.
By following these tips, you can safely utilize keto fasting to help boost and keep long-term results. Implementing intermittent fasting into your keto lifestyle can truly be favorable.