Getting Lean With The Help Of 24 Hour Fasts
A 24 hour fast is exactly what it sounds like.
You restrict yourself from consuming food for 24 hours.
While this might seem like just starving to some, it is a completely different process.
While the claims of significant health benefits achieved by fasting are still debatable, we can all agree that it can assist you in your goal of improving your body composition.
Everyone should try a 24 hour fast at least once.
It is one of those things which will help you improve your discipline and will power.
Besides, it can help you boost your fat loss process.
Don't get me wrong, a calorie deficit is still the key driver of fat loss.
The fast just makes it easier for you to adhere to this deficit.
If you’re someone who has a bad relationship with food, this isn’t for you.
Also, to execute a safe and effective fast, you have to listen to your body and work with it, not against it.
Getting that out of our way, here is why you would want to consider a 24 hour fast.
*I am not a medical professional and hence you should take these as a general guideline. Consult a medical professional if you wish to decide whether the information given below is appropriate for you.
Uses of a 24 hour fast
Help you kickstart your fat loss
This is a great reason to consider the 24 hour fast. If you have been finding it difficult to start your fat loss phase, a 24 hour fast might be the tool you need. When I say that, I don’t want you to expect this to magically get you ripped. I repeat that losing fat still comes down to calorie restriction. The 24 hour fast just helps you kickstart your dieting phase with a larger deficit.
Get back on track after falling off your plan
Not only is it often difficult to get back on track after a short period of falling off the wagon, but it is even more difficult to recover the damage done. While getting back on track by sticking to your plan is always a great idea, a more advanced approach such as the 24 hour fast can help you recover some of the damage done.
Stay lean while bulking
Staying in a calorie surplus is very important to improve your body composition. This means you will have to enter periods where you’re eating more than what you burn. It is very easy to go overboard with your calories while bulking, and you only realize its impact on your physique in the long run. To overcome this problem, you can throw in a 24 hour fast to help you reduce your overall calorie surplus to prevent any unwanted fat gain.
Intuitively maintain on vacation
There is nothing worse than being in a caloric deficit on vacation. If you’re anyone like me, you wouldn’t want your fitness goals to ruin your quality of life. To counter this problem, a great way is to intuitively eat around maintenance while on vacation. While this gives you the freedom to enjoy, it does put you at the risk of putting on a few extra pounds since you can't be accurate with your calories. Thus, a 24 hour fast can be thrown in once every 1-2 weeks to help you negate the effect of the extra calories you might end up consuming.
How to do a 24 hour fast
Day before fast
Stop eating the previous day at around 8pm.
You can consume your next meal on the next day at 8pm.
Day of fast
Wake up in the morning and consume water.
After a few hours, have a cup of black coffee or green tea.
Do not consume coffee or green tea right in the morning. Utilize these only when you start feeling hungry. Make sure you spread out the consumption of these and do not overdo it.
When it's time to break the fast, start with a serving of fruit.
Consume a small meal with a serving of veggies. After 24 hours of fasting, you will notice that even a small meal is enough to fill your stomach up.
Make sure that the meal is very low in calories otherwise you defeat the purpose of fasting all day.
Day After Fast
Continue with your normal diet schedule and eat as per your meal plan.
Points to remember
Stay hydrated at all times. Drink plenty of water throughout the day.
Stay busy and do not think about food all day.
The busier you are, the easier this gets.
Be mindful when you finally eat after a whole day of fasting.
Chew your food and eat slowly. If you eat fast, you will not feel full and could end up binging.
Make sure you have an idea of how many calories you’re eating after you break your fast.
Do not attempt to do this more than once a week. As a general suggestion, you could try doing this once every 2-4 weeks.
Listen to your body! Do not push it too far, especially if you haven’t fasted before. You can end your fast whenever you feel like as the time isn’t set in stone.
Sample of a 24 hour fast schedule
Saturday
Last meal - 8 pm
Sleep - 11 pm
Sunday
Wake up - 7 am
Drink water - 7 am
Drink water - 9 am
Drink green tea - 11 am
Drink water - 1 pm
Drink water - 3 pm
Drink coffee - 5 pm
Drink water - 6 pm
Eat an apple - 8 pm
Eat main meal - 9 pm
Sleep - 11 pm
Monday
Wake up and get back to your normal routine and diet plan.
*Drink water to stay hydrated as and when required. Shown above is just an example.
Conclusion
A 24 hour fast can assist you in your goal of improving your body composition.
Not only will it improve your discipline and will power, but it can also help you kickstart your fat loss, get back on track after falling off your plan, stay lean while bulking and intuitively maintain while on vacation.
While executing a 24 hour fast, make sure you stay hydrated at all times and listen to your body.
In the end, fat loss comes down to being in a calorie deficit and hence it is important to make sure you have an idea of how many calories you are consuming after you break your fast.
If you need help with figuring out how much you should be eating to lose fat, click here.
If you want to get ripped with a sustainable approach, check out the 3 Steps To Get Ripped.
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