Can I Do Intermittent Fasting on the Keto Diet? | Green Chef (2024)

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Can I Do Intermittent Fasting on the Keto Diet? | Green Chef? ›

Now that you know what keto and intermittent fasting can do on their own, you may be wondering if you can combine the two. The answer is absolutely, yes!

Most keto and low-carb intermittent fasting meal plans provide two meals per day to be eaten within a compressed eating window, usually eight hours per day. For this reason, they're called 16:8 intermittent fasting meal plans, meaning you fast for 16 hours and eat within an eight-hour window.

Individuals on a keto diet can lose an average of 10-12 pounds in their first month if they stay consistent with the diet and maintain a calorie deficit. However, weight loss can vary depending on starting weight, age, and activity level. At first, there may be a quick drop in weight, but it's mainly due to water loss.

Anything that contains calories can break a fast. This means that you are to avoid any kind of food, beverages, and supplements with calories. It doesn't matter if it's ketogenic, paleo, vegan, carnivore, etc. because any amount of calories will provide your cells the energy they require.

Your body may go into ketosis after just 12 hours of not eating, which many people do overnight before they "break fast" with a morning meal. (A midnight snack obviously sabotages this process.) A keto diet keeps you in ketosis for much longer time periods because you avoid carbohydrates, which supply glucose.

It's common for people to pair the keto diet with intermittent fasting, usually 16:8, which means someone only eats during an 8-hour window each day and fasts for 16 hours. Speed Keto takes this further by advocating for one meal a day. The meal should be keto-approved, of course.

“If the patient can maintain a steady calorie deficit, I expect them to lose one to two pounds per week,” says Dr. Seeman. So after 12 weeks, her clients are usually down around 20-25 pounds.

Generally speaking, while fasting with time-restricted intermittent eating, you don't eat any food at all and only drink beverages with very few calories, such as water or unsweetened coffee and tea without milk. When you're not fasting, it's important to eat a healthy and varied diet that's good for your body.

Adding a small amount of lemon to water is unlikely to break a fast, as it contains minimal calories. However, it's important to use lemon sparingly to avoid consuming too many calories that could potentially disrupt the fasting state.

As previously stated, any amount of calories will, technically, break your fast. Even foods with extremely low calories, like celery, still contain fiber and other nutrients that could potentially trigger your body's digestive process.

What is the best intermittent fasting window to lose belly fat? ›

A 2023 review of research found that the 16/8 method and 16/8 combined with restricting calories were effective strategies for weight control in adults with overweight or obesity. An eating window starting before noon led to greater weight loss than one that began after noon.

Studies show that you can lose between seven and 11 pounds after 10 weeks of intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting (IF) is a dieting technique where you focus on timing instead of counting calories.

1 Week. The great news is, you'll start to see the weight drop off straight away - in the first week of going Keto. Anywhere between 2-10lbs of weight loss can be expected after 1 week. This is an incredible amount, however it isn't due to losing fat, but rather water!

The answer is absolutely, yes! Studies have shown that combining keto with intermittent fasting can help you kick your body into ketosis faster than on the keto diet by itself. And this could also lead to greater fat loss overall. Basically, the two methods, when combined, help each other out!

Many people consider the 16/8 method the simplest and most sustainable form of IF — you might want to try this practice first. If you find it easy and feel good during the fast, then maybe try moving on to more advanced fasting methods. Another approach is to fast whenever it's convenient.

Fast for 12 hours a day

According to some researchers, fasting for 10–16 hours can cause the body to turn its fat stores into energy, which releases ketones into the bloodstream. This should encourage weight loss. This type of intermittent fasting plan may be a good option for beginners.

Research shows people tend to lose weight following a keto diet within two to three weeks, whereas it can take a month or more to see any weight change with intermittent fasting [1,4].