Why You Should Combine Keto Diet With Intermittent Fasting

author avatar Dr. Eric Berg 08/31/2023

Should you do intermittent fasting on keto? I’ll answer that by explaining the importance of combining the two diet programs.

RELATED: Keto Will Not Work Without IF

In this article:

  1. A Lot of People on Keto Do Not Lose Weight 
  2. How Does Fat Storing Hormone Affect Weight?
  3. Keto Diet Won’t Work If You Are More Than 45 and Have Specific Health Conditions
  4. What Are the Ways to Do Intermittent Fasting?
  5. Follow Intermittent Fasting Gradually

Why Intermittent Fasting on Keto Works for You

A Lot of People on Keto Do Not Lose Weight  

Recently, I received various questions from people on the ketogenic diet. One of the common questions is “Do I have to do intermittent fasting?” The answer is yes. You should do intermittent fasting on keto. Here's why.

There's a lot of people out there doing the keto meal plan who are not losing weight. Why? It's because they allow snacking between their meals, even though their snacks allow them to have a low carb intake, which is a step-up and much better. Still, the great majority does not lose weight because every time you eat, you stimulate Fat Storing Hormone. Frequent meals are a bad idea for keto and intermittent fasting.

How Does Fat Storing Hormone Affect Weight?

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You may be wondering how Fat Storing Hormone affects your weight. Let me explain it to you, so you have a clear understanding of the relationship between weight and Fat Storing Hormone. Weight gain and Fat Storing Hormone are usually closely related. Fat Storing Hormone is a hormone acting as a "key" to your cells so glucose can enter them for energy use. 

Every time you eat, your pancreas releases Fat Storing Hormone to do its job. The problem occurs when you consume too much sugar or carbs from your diet because it triggers the pancreas to produce more Fat Storing Hormone. This overwhelms your cells and won't allow Fat Storing Hormone to enter them anymore. This results in Fat Storing Hormone resistance. If your cells don’t take glucose from your blood anymore, your body stores it in your tissues as fat. This makes you gain weight over time if this situation keeps going.

Keto Diet Won’t Work If You Are More Than 45 and Have Specific Health Conditions

The big point about intermittent fasting on keto is if you are over the age of 45, are menopausal, and have a slow metabolism, keto will not work for you unless you do intermittent fasting. Keto with intermittent fasting is an important tool to help you get healthy and lose weight, so you can maintain a healthy weight. 

RELATED: A Beginner's Overview To Keto And Intermittent Fasting

What Are the Ways to Do Intermittent Fasting?

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Because intermittent fasting is getting more popular in fat loss programs, people follow several fasting methods that suit their lifestyle.

1. Meal Skipping

This method does not strictly follow a structured plan of intermittent fasting for weight loss because it's very simple. You only need to skip meals from time to time. This means if you are not hungry, you don't have to eat to experience the positive effects of fasting. 

2. The Warrior Diet

This method involves eating small amounts of raw vegetables during the day and eating a huge meal at night. The concept of the warrior diet is fasting during the day and having a feast at night. It also requires eating whole, unprocessed foods even on the meal at night to maximize the benefits of intermittent fasting.

3. Alternate-Day Fasting

This type of intermittent fasting lets you fast every other day. For some, alternate-day fasting might be too extreme, so you can consume 500 calories during the fasting days. If you want to follow this method strictly, it may not be suitable if you are a beginner. Those who have adjusted to how intermittent fasting works can try this one.

4. Eat-Stop-Eat Method

This type of fasting involves a 24-hour fast once or twice a week. You have the freedom to choose your fasting hours, like fasting from 7 pm to 7 pm the next day. You can drink water during the fasting days, but like the alternate-day method, this may not be suitable for beginners. 

5. The 5:2 Diet

This method allows you to stick to your diet plan normally for five days, but it follows a low-calorie diet. Women have a dietary restriction of 500 calories or fewer, while men can only have 600 calories or fewer during the days of fasting. Unlike other approaches to intermittent fasting, this method can be a good option for beginners. 

6. The 16/8 Method

This is the most popular approach for intermittent fasting. It involves fasting for 14-16 hours with 8-10 hours of eating time each day. The eating window encourages you to eat two meals a day. You may not eat after dinner and skip breakfast the next day to follow the fasting hours and enjoy the benefits of fasting.

Follow Intermittent Fasting Gradually

Follow keto intermittent fasting slowly to use stored fat for energy effectively. Start with three meals and no snacks in between. Add more fat to your meals to help you feel full longer without getting hungry in between meals. The fat should come from healthy sources like grams of nuts and seeds, avocado, fatty fish, coconut oil, and extra virgin olive oil. 

Once you have adjusted to the three-meal-only meal plan, start pushing your breakfast toward the latter part of the day until you can eventually skip it. The thing here is if you are not hungry in the morning, don't eat. Try to achieve only eating two meals a day to burn fat effectively.

Don't eat if you are not hungry at any point in the day, though. Just keep going without eating because your body is burning fat during keto fasting periods. You are also reducing the chances of raising your Fat Storing Hormone levels if you don’t eat between your two meals. A healthy keto diet is extremely important so you must understand the dynamic between protein and burning fat to make the best choices when it comes to your meals.

Doing intermittent fasting on keto is an effective way to lose and maintain a healthy weight. Just remember to follow intermittent fasting slowly to allow your body to adjust to the diet plan method, and don’t forget to perform your workout, too. Eat a low-carb, high-fat diet, and fast longer to achieve long-term health benefits for the brain and body.

When are you planning to do intermittent fasting on keto? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

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Disclaimer: Our educational content is not meant or intended for medical advice or treatment.

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