Intermittent Fasting 16/8 Fasting Plan

I use intermittent fasting every day to kelp me stay keto adapted. I am on the 16/8 intermittent fasting plan - meaning I do not eat for 16 hours, and then feed during an 8 hour window.

Make sure you have read the Keto Diet - A Year on Keto post first so you know how this all fits into my keto life.

How does intermittent fasting work?

We try to eat by 6:30 pm each evening (I'm married with a teen-age kid, so this is always a moving target). If we are done with dinner by 7 pm, then I won't eat again until 11 am the following day.

Using intermittent fasting with my keto diet, I went from 221 pounds to 165 pounds, and think that the fasting is an important part of keeping me in a state of ketosis as part of my keto approach. In many ways, it helps my body make sure that it is feeding off of fat as fuel (the goal of keto), especially in the morning during hours 12-16 of the fast. It also instills some discipline, knowing that I don't snack after dinner (which was a problem for me), or eat things I probably didn't need for breakfast. Even though I'm keto for last 16 months (so far), I have to admit I loved a good cake donut. Perhaps too much given that I was 221 pounds. Even better than a cake donut? A chocolate cake donut... sorry, I lost my focus!

I'm not a scientist, but I know for me I do better with an all or nothing diet. I never did well with the, just cut out french fries diets - I was much more successful with the Whole30 approach that helped reduce inflammation, and cut out everything. At least then, I knew that for 30 days, I couldn't have anything I like.

Coffee and Intermittent Fasting?

This is a topic of great debate. I did a lot of research on it, and I encourage you to do the same. That said - I drink coffee during while intermittent fasting and do not consider it breaking the fast, or see it as having a negative impact on my daily 8/16 intermittent fast. Since I'm on keto diet, IM fasting, and water fasts - coffee is really my only vice, and I do enjoy a nice cup of joe.

Alcohol and Intermittent Fasting?

Nope. None. I see plenty of debate in keto and fasting worlds that alcohol is ok. A glass of wine (um, sugar), or hard alcohol (since it has 0 carbs). But my understanding is that the body processes alcohol as its own fuel, even before fat or sugar, when its in the body, and can mess with the goal of a keto diet, or intermittent fasting. If you really want the benefits of this for weight loss, or health, energy, mental clarity, I don't see how alcohol works as part of it (sorry, I really am).