Diets and different food-eating practices are not novel concepts. In fact, these methods of staying healthy and combined with regular physical activity can be dated far back into early human civilization. And, with the recent boom of awareness toward health and wellness, we’ve seen more and more people grow health-conscious and become mindful of their food and lifestyle choices.
However, in recent trends, we’ve seen more professionals and avid healthy lifestyle enthusiasts incorporate and integrate different diets and methods of weight loss together, to reap the benefits of both programs. One such example is the practice of intermittent fasting with a keto diet to maximize weight loss and directly target the fat in the body and burn them off as quickly as possible. So, today we’ll be going over some of the drawbacks of this weight loss regimen and how you can overcome the hurdles in the most effective way possible.
Why Combine The Two In The First Place?
The science behind intermittent fasting with a keto diet falls within the logic of compounding benefits. Normally doing each alone would net you one thing; intermittent fasting helps release stored glucose into energy, and a keto diet would put you in a state of ketosis wherein you burn fat into energy. However, when you put the two together, you get a lengthened and more effective state of ketosis, especially during your fasting periods, which means burning fat for much longer.
- Improved Physical Function: Apart from the aspect of burning fat, studies have shown that intermittent fasting can lead to many benefits, including improved physical function. And, combining this with a keto diet, you can experience better mental clarity whilst maintaining your muscle mass and burning away the unsightly fat with weight training.
- Comprehensive Weight Loss: Intermittent fasting with a keto diet works exceptionally well for people looking for a comprehensive weight loss regimen. Unlike common diets that would have you calorie-count religiously every single day, intermittent fasting with a keto diet can be more manageable and give better results. Plus, for those who are overweight, combining the two can reveal their figure underneath the fat.
But, What Are The Drawbacks?
Despite the effectiveness of integrating intermittent fasting and keto diets, they are by no means perfect and experience their share of drawbacks. And it is important that we acknowledge these challenges before we consider adopting these habits into our lives. The last thing we want to happen is to go through unbearable pain, experience withdrawal, and wind back up worse-off than we started.
#1 Feeling Tired And Lethargic
Common in both intermittent fasting and ketogenic diets is feeling tired and lethargic during your first couple of days. As a result, since your body is not used to not having anything to eat for the past hours and running solely on fat, you will end up feeling very weak and experience lightheadedness. In some cases, when your body doesn’t bode well with a lengthened state of ketosis, it can be a bit too much to handle. And, if you had any plans of being productive, you might want to schedule them for another time.
#2 Restrictive And Stressful
We all have different levels of tolerance and self-control, and trying to combine both intermittent fasting and a ketogenic diet can be very mentally draining for those unprepared. Yes, the body can go perfectly normal without food for a couple of hours, and ketosis is a natural process, but not everyone handles these restrictive habits the same. So, unless you’re fully determined and motivated, expect the first couple of days to be extra stressful.
However, You Can Solve Them With A Bit Of Determination
However, just like how a company finds an expert on website design or how an athlete adapts their training methods, you can also solve and overcome these challenges of intermittent fasting with a keto diet with a bit of heart and determination. Humans are more than capable of adapting and overcoming stressors, and the same goes for the preliminary drawbacks present with this weight loss regimen.
- Consistency Is The Key: To overcome the feeling of tiredness and weakness, you need a strong personal drive to stay consistent. Many of these feelings stem from changes in the body that won’t last forever, and the more your body adapts, the sooner these side-effects will subside. So, just stay consistent and trust in the process.
- Practice Food Variety: Keto diets don’t have to be restrictive and stressful, and to overcome this challenge is to practice some food variety. You don’t need to eat the same steak and eggs for breakfast every single morning for the whole year. You’re more than welcome to try different recipes like grilled chicken with avocado salad and many more.
Intermittent Fasting With Keto Can Work
Overall, to dispel any doubts about intermittent fasting with keto diets, we want to emphasize that this method of weight loss can work and potentially be more effective. All it takes is to acknowledge the drawbacks and find innovative ways to overcome these specific challenges. And, if you follow the advice mentioned above, we can guarantee you that you’ll reach your body and weight goals in no time.
