Word around the town is that intermittent fasting is the new keto! It’s far less restrictive in the terms of the food groups you get to eat, gives you almost similar results (if not same) when done right. But just like keto, most people just get into the diet (or fasting) without a thorough understanding of it and end up doing it incorrectly. Hence, the results are minuscule and people’s spirits are not happy. Below are some common mistakes people make, and remedies to how to avoid them.

If you’ve done your reading about intermittent fasting, you would know there are various plans in which you can execute it. You can either try the 16:8 method, 20:4 method or the fasting for two whole days. However, you can’t pick a plan just on a whim. For example, a 20:4 method will work for someone who has a strenuous workout. The person can consume food, before and after the workout and be done. Similarly, do not just skip breakfast because everybody does so. You feeding window should be at the time you’re most active and or hungry.

While practising intermittent fasting, people have a tendency to eat less as they have a smaller eating window. Many are of the belief that if they consume lesser calories than they usually do, they will be accelerating the weight loss process. With intermittent fasting, your body gets time to repair and clean out cellular junk, without starving the body. For example, if you miss breakfast during the fast period, make up for it by having a small snack before you have lunch while ensuring that you are in a calorie deficit.

As mentioned before, one of the primary purposes of intermittent fasting is getting rid of the cellular junk from the body. So, when you don’t consume enough water, the cellular trash will just be "floating around inside and can’t get out. Alternatively, dehydration will also lead to muscle cramps, headaches, and exacerbate hunger pangs, which might make you quit sooner. The solution? Always keep sipping water, between, after and before meals.

This is the very reason most diets fail even before they start showing results. When you decide to commit your body to diet, you decide you’re ready to go through all the changes for it. But the body takes longer to understand that. So, if you’re planning to do a 16:8 fasting plan, don’t jump right into it. Begin by fasting only for 12 hours. Increase your fast period by 30 minutes each day. Doing so, you allow your body to adapt to the change, thus making the process more sustainable.

Because intermittent fasting doesn’t have any set rules about the food groups to eat, people often end up indulging in junk food. But there is a subtle science as to what kind of foods you can consume throughout the day. For example, for your first meal of the day, begin your day with a protein, fibre and vitamin rich diet, instead of attacking a pack of sugary biscuits, cakes or chips. Your second meal could have complex carbs and the dinner can be similar to the breakfast.