Intermittent Fasting Diet: How to Do It?

Intermittent fasting is commonly practiced with the 16/8 method, involving a 16-hour fasting period and an 8-hour window for eating. During the fasting hours, it is recommended to consume sugar-free and calorie-free liquids. While solid food is avoided for 8 hours after the first meal, fluid intake is unrestricted during this period. Individuals struggling with hunger control between morning and evening meals can optionally include a snack.
After the evening meal, fluid consumption is allowed, but no solid food is consumed until the following morning meal. This timeframe corresponds to a 16-hour fast, including sleep hours. Intermittent fasting can be adopted for a few days, weeks, months, or even throughout the entire year. It can be done optionally, such as twice a week, once a month, or consistently for one week. Before starting intermittent fasting, one should assess their habits, identify any existing health conditions, and decide when to commence the fasting regimen.
Common types of intermittent fasting diets include:

• Time-restricted feeding (16/8 or 14/10)
• Two days of restricted eating per week (5/2)
• Alternate-day fasting
• 24-hour fasting (Eat-Stop-Eat)

16/8 Method or 14/10 Method:
The 16:8 rule in intermittent fasting involves a 16-hour fasting period with adherence to a diet plan and fluid intake during the designated 8-hour window. The 16-hour fasting period includes sleep hours. Alternatively, the 14/10 method involves a 14-hour fasting period followed by a 10-hour window for eating. In the 16:8 method, meals are consumed only between 10 am and 6 pm, while in the 14/10 method, eating occurs between 9 am and 7 pm.
5/2 Method:
In the 5:2 method of intermittent fasting, normal eating occurs for 5 days, followed by 2 days of fasting. However, fasting does not mean complete abstinence from food. On these two fasting days, very limited calorie intake is allowed, with a maximum of around 500 calories for women and approximately 600 calories for men.
24-Hour Fasting (Eat-Stop-Eat Method):
The Eat-Stop-Eat method aims for a 24-hour fasting period, practiced once or twice a week. If your last meal was at 7 pm the previous day, you would need to fast until 7 pm the next day. This particular intermittent fasting method may lead to side effects such as headaches, dizziness, and irritability due to the extended fasting period. Those following the Eat-Stop-Eat method should maintain a normal diet on non-fasting days.
Alternate day fasting It is a very variable intermittent fasting method. For example, on fasting days, a certain percentage of the normal calories is consumed, while the normal eating pattern is continued on the remaining days.