I want to get into intermittent fasting but I keep reading all this different information where some people talk about fasting for 12 hours then some say days while others say weeks it’s just so much information that conflicts with each other and because of this I’m not really sure where to even start. So how long is an appropriate intermittent fast if I want the benefits of doing so?
16:8 works great for me as a long term (permanent) schedule to maintain at my target wt. Longer fasts up to 4 days for weight loss as needed. I lost 60 lbs this way, reached my goal wt and have maintained for over 4mo.
You should start slow. 16:8 for a while then go from there and see how you feel. Set yourself up for success. I use the longer fast to overcome plateaus. Also, plan your meals around times you think you are most hungry. For example, I prefer meals in the morning. It’s motivating to think about the large meal I’m going to have when I wake up.
what are your goals?
the short answer is to start slowly. try skipping breakfast and fasting for 18 hours (6pm to 12pm the next day for example). do that for a week or two and see how you feel. if it feels right, increase the number of hours you go without food.
this was my path. and i got a lot of my info and inspo from dr jason fung on youtube.
You can alternate your fasting times. Maybe 16:8, then 22:2, then 14:10. Slowly build until you can fast longer. If you want it for healing I’ve heard 72 hours, but I find 20:4 and above still helps my inflammation. I believe minimum to get benefits is 14:10, but if that’s tough you can start with 12:12.