This article is a quick review, without full explanations. Understanding all the benefits, along with the research backing the conclusions of intermittent fasting, ketosis, etc, requires following the links within the corresponding sections.
Daily intermittent fasting is very effective not only for weight loss, but also for overall health. Daily calorie intake need not change, yet you will be healthier and lose weight.
You only eat in an 8 hour window, and especially not too late, at least 3-4 hours before bed. Preferably you stop eating 6 hours before sleep. Not eating late will help maintain your circadian rhythm. Consider that your body's repair metabolism happens during deep sleep, and digestion competes with that. Consider it takes 2 hours to fully empty the stomach from a big meal, and another 6 hours for transit through the small intestine.
As you are fasting, your body uses up available glucose (glycogen) and your body will begin to invoke ketosis. If you never fast, your body is very inefficient at burning fat, and you will feel weak. After “working out” your body's ability to use fat for fuel, you won't feel as weak during fasting periods. After 12 hours of fasting, you might start to have increased ketones, but full ketosis will not be achieved until about 2200 calories of glycogen in the liver and muscles are used up. The ketogenic state is not an on/off switch. The change is gradual as the use of glucose and fat for fuel overlap.
You have less appetite while maintaining the ketogenic state. Nothing drives hunger more than tanking insulin levels after a simple carbohydrate meal.
Details about cycling off of fasting
Other ways to be in ketosis is to eat a ketogenic diet.
You can try extending your daily ketosis by having your first meal be mostly fat. A small first meal keeps you from crashing, as a large meal will have all your energy going towards digestion. It's also good timing for your supplements, as most nutrients require fat for absorption.
Coffee helps curb hunger, so you can skip breakfast and drink plain black coffee. I drink one cup of cold brew every morning. You can also keep from being hungry towards the very end of your fast by exercising. At least for me, I seem to not be hungry while cycling or running. I fast from 18 to 20 hours a day, but beginners can start with 12 hours a day.
Besides coffee, some herbal teas, ginger, yerba mate and dark chocolate are known to reduce hunger.
It's important to have a positive attitude, and that is achieved by treating yourself well, through positive reinforcement and meditation.
Also, if you are not bored, if you are busy with projects, it will be a lot easier to maintain your fast. You'll likely be too busy to notice you are hungry.
There are important reasons to get enough sleep, and one of them is to keep from having a raised craving for food. When you are tired you tend to be hungry. alaskasleep.comsleepfoundation.org
I often wake up too early, after 5-6 hours of sleep and I soon feel both tired and famished. I skip the morning coffee and go back to sleep for another 2-3 hours and wake up refreshed and not feeling hungry at all. The same hunger is there late at night when I feel tired. The best you can do for yourself is avoid snacking and go to sleep.
Also, if you don't get enough rest your metabolism slows. Not only do you feel hungrier, but your metabolism consumes less calories. Getting enough sleep is vital and as important as intermittent fasting.
Aside from many other health benefits of fiber, it helps to reduce the calorie density of the food you are consuming. See articles by mangomannutrition.com and forksoverknives.com.
Fiber reduces the calorie density of food so you will feel full after consuming less calories.
A natural and low-gas fiber supplement can help you when your currently available meal is lacking in fiber.
Another benefit of eating high-fiber foods, or supplementing with fiber, is that you will have a lesser glycemic response. Your digestive system will take more time in absorbing the calories, giving you steady energy. Steady energy will offset sugar cravings.
Soluble fiber will also keep you hydrated, because the fiber will absorb the water and release it slowly as your body has need for it. Without fiber you pee out more of the water you drink.
There are times where you may confuse hunger with thirst. There are also times when plain water just doesn't seem at all appetizing. It can be hard to consume sufficient water to keep you well hydrated.
Water can be more appetizing if you squeeze in some fresh lime or lemon juice. That can make all the difference in turning water into a satiating drink, because in addition to your thirst, you may be craving antioxidants, like vitamin C. A squirt of lemon juice has very few calories. You are ok to cheat during your fasting period with some lemon flavored water.
Drinking plain herbal tea, such as peppermint, also helps if you feel hunger in the evenings, or whenever you are in your fasting period.
I have a hypothesis that hunger levels may be partly dependent on satisfying needs for nutrition, such as vitamins and minerals and phytonutrients, and not just the amount of energy intake. If you eat foods that are high in carbs, but low in nutrients, you will remain hungry until your nutrient requirements are satisfied. Thus, the hunger you feel while consuming high carb low nutrient foods will lead to the consumption of more carbs than you need, which leads to weight gain.
Aside from eating healthy, one way to increase the nutrient to calorie ratio of your food intake, is with dietary supplements. Processed foods are lower in nutrient density. Also, with modern commercial farming, the nutrient density of foods is less due to GMO engineered for food size, and due to the lesser quality of soil.
You may have to look into making your gut microbiota more diverse. A good book to read about the importance of gut health is “I Contain Multitudes” by Ed Yong.
Avoid antibiotics:
Studies have reported a link between antibiotic usage and obesity (Del Fiol et al., 2018). Some studies suggest that an increased ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes rather than specific levels is associated with obesity (Kasai et al., 2015), though results are conflicting (Duncan et al., 2008; Schwiertz et al., 2010). While the microbial component of obesity is debated, studies have reported a common change at functional microbial levels. Indeed, obese individuals have higher short‐chain fatty acid (SCFA) content compared to lean individuals (Schwiertz et al., 2010; Turnbaugh et al., 2006). Furthermore, obesity is associated with metabolic alterations related to glucose homeostasis and insulin resistance and linked to the development of diabetes (Cani et al., 2012). In a study in 96 humans (48 each antibiotic group and controls), researchers reported significant and persistent weight gain after an episode of infectious endocarditis in patients who had been treated with vancomycin and gentamycin (Thuny et al., 2010). Impact of antibiotics on the human microbiome and consequences for host health, Patangia et al 2022
If you follow all these guidelines, it's super easy to lose weight. Hard is not fasting, eating lots of meals throughout the day, and just trying to cut down calories. When you eat after a fast, the food is so delicious and it is well worth the wait to have it. It is living in the best sense. Eat slowly and relish in every bite. Have as much as you want, just don't binge or eat so much your belly hurts!
Related article: Zero Calorie Sweeteners