Intermittent fasting and keto are two diet plans that have been making headlines recently. If you are convinced that they may work, you may have taken your thoughts to the next step and wondered what might happen if these two plans are put together.
It turns out that some people do believe in doing intermittent fasting and keto at the same time. You might have periods of fasting and eating, and keep your carb intake very low. These eating patterns can lead to weight loss and associated health benefits. Just be sure to talk to your healthcare provider before starting any weight loss plan, and while following extreme diets.
Keto Diet Basics
A keto diet is a very low-carbohydrate diet. You might have 20 to 50 grams of carbs a day, which is only about 10 to 20 percent of the amount that many people have. The theory behind a keto diet is that you force your body to shift to using body fat instead of dietary carbohydrates for fuel.
A keto diet tends to be very high in fat, somewhat high in protein, and very low in carbohydrates. This is a list of low-carb foods.
- Meat, poultry, and seafood
- Eggs
- Cream and cheese
- Non-starchy vegetables
- Peanuts, nuts and seeds
- Berries
A keto diet is low in grains, starchy vegetables, and sugary foods and beverages.
How Intermittent Fasting Works
With intermittent fasting, you fast, intermittently. That means that you have some periods of fasting, or not eating, interspersed with periods of time during which you can eat. There are different patterns of intermittent fasting. They may vary in the periods during which you fast and eat. They can also vary in terms of what “fasting” means; it can mean that you avoid eating entirely, or it can mean that you eat only small amounts of food during that time.
These are some common patterns of intermittent fasting.
- 5:2, or eating normally for five days, while restricting your intake dramatically for the other two days. You might have about 500 calories daily on those two days, and it is important not to overeat on the other five days.
- 16:8, or fasting for 16 hours, and having your meals and snacks during the remaining 8-hour window of the day. Again, it is important not to overeat during that 8-hour window. Remember, it is not designed for you to eat for 8 straight hours, but rather to keep your meals and snacks within 8 hours.
- 24-hour fasts, or going for 24 hours without eating sometimes.
So now, can you put intermittent fasting with a keto diet?
Putting Intermittent Fasting Together with a Keto Diet
Intermittent fasting plus keto can lead to weight loss. If you follow the plan’s rules, you are likely to cut calories enough to lose weight. Here are some reasons why.
- Cutting out sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, such as sodas, ice cream, desserts, and coffee beverages, can save a lot of calories.
- Grain products, such as pasta, bread, and rice, and starchy snack foods, such as pretzels, chips, and crackers, are often high in calories.
- Eating only during certain windows can mean you skip high-calorie foods during your non-eating, or fasting, times.
You are likely to lose weight if you do both plans.
Sample Menus for Intermittent Fasting and a Keto Diet
Here’s a sample menu for a diet with intermittent fasting and keto.
Health and Safety Reminders for Intermittent Fasting and Keto
If you and your doctor decide that you should consider a combo diet with intermittent fasting and keto, be sure to work closely together to develop a plan and to stay safe. Be sure you know the rules, such as how many carbs you should have per meal and per day, and which times of day you are allowed to eat.
These are a few more tips for reducing health risks on an extreme diet plan like this.
- People with difficulty controlling blood sugar, such as people with prediabetes and diabetes, should be especially wary of intermittent fasting.
- Be aware of possible side effects, such as nausea, headaches, and bad breath linked to a keto diet, or low blood sugar linked to intermittent fasting.
- Make healthy choices, such as choosing heart-healthy fats instead of saturated fats, even though both are free from carbs.
- Be aware that long-term effects of these diets are not known, and could be risky.
- It is critical to stay hydrated during intermittent fasting and a keto diet.
It is also good to think about the long term and to establish eating habits that you think you can maintain even after you hit goal weight.
Keto Foods to Make Weight Loss Easier
Weight loss is easier when you can stick to your diet. Sticking to your diet is easier when you love the foods, when the foods are convenient, and when you do not feel deprived. Those may sound like impossible standards to meet, but Netrition makes it easier.
Netrition has a variety of products that are keto-friendly and ready to eat or prepare. You can find delicious snacks, entrees, and ingredients for every occasion. These are some examples of low-carb options.
- Keto Pasta, Rice, and Single-Serve Entrees
- Keto Protein Bars and Protein Chips, Pretzels, and Crackers
- Keto Crunchy Snacks
- Keto Cake, Cookie, Pancake, Bread, and Pizza Mixes
- Keto Flour, Sugar, Baking Chips, and seasonings
In addition, you can even find products that can help during your fasting periods. For example, staying hydrated can be easier when your fluids taste good or have electrolytes in them. Check out our collections of Hydrating Tea, Electrolyte Helpers, and even Low-Sodium Sipping Broth to keep you hydrated.
Combining a keto diet with intermittent fasting may sound like getting the best of two worlds for a weight loss bombshell. The two diets are extreme and are only safe when under a healthcare provider’s supervision. If you do decide to go ahead with them, you can get best results by following them according to your provider’s instructions. With products from Netrition, you may find it easier to stick to the plan and see results faster.
