Discover 25 simple and unique intermittent fasting hacks that really work and begin accelerating your intermittent fasting weight loss journey TODAY!
In January of 2021 my life completely changed. At 45 years old, I discovered the incredible power of intermittent fasting. After jumping into the intermittent fasting lifestyle with both feet, I successfully lost 46 pounds in 4 months. AND… I have kept the weight off for almost 3 years now!
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If you’re looking to supercharge your intermittent fasting weight loss efforts, you’re in the right place. Intermittent fasting has become a popular approach for shedding extra pounds and improving body composition and overall health.
25 Intermittent Fasting Hacks that Actually Work
In this post So What IF? with Jen will reveal 25 simple yet effective intermittent fasting hacks and strategies to maximize your weight loss so you can get the very best results possible.
#1: DRINK PLAIN SPARKLING MINERAL WATER
Adding plain sparkling mineral water to your fasting routine can make intermittent fasting not only manageable, but quite enjoyable, especially for intermittent fasting beginners. I don’t exactly know what it is but the bubbles and the carbonation does something truly magical inside your tummy. It not only curbs your appetite and gets rid of those nagging hunger pangs, it legit, makes you feel like you are having a fancy soda (or “pop” as we like to call it here in the mid-west!). And, best of all, it won’t accidentally break your fast.
#2: USE AN ELECTROLYTE SUPPLEMENT
We normally get a steady supply of electrolytes when we eat and drink. However, when we “fast” we have to do some dipping into our body’s limited stored supply of electrolytes. These stored electrolytes deplete pretty quickly during periods of fasting and can cause us to feel a bit crappy! Taking an electrolyte supplement during your fasting period is a great way to help fuel your body with the nutrients it needs. CLICK HERE to reveal the electrolyte supplement that I highly recommend for those living an intermittent fasting lifestyle.
#3: REDUCE YOUR CARB INTAKE TO 30g NET CARBS DAILY
If you really want to expedite your weight loss and get the best results, you must try combining intermittent fasting with low-carb eating! Why does combining these two principles work so well for so many people? Simply put – they are SYNERGISTIC and DOING ONE MAKES THE OTHER WORK BETTER!
And guess what? Eating less than 30g net carbs daily was the secret sauce that helped me achieve real weight loss success with intermittent fasting.
CLICK HERE to learn more about how I personally combined these two strategies to lose 46 pounds in 4 months.
#4: FAST “CLEAN”
If you’re serious about getting the best intermittent fasting weight loss results possible, it is absolutely crucial that you begin FASTING CLEAN! Fasting “CLEAN” means sticking to zero-calorie drinks like water, sparkling water, black coffee and unsweetened herbal tea during your fasting time window.
I learned about “clean fasting” from a true intermittent fasting expert, Gin Stephens, author of Delay, Don’t Deny and Fast. Feast. Repeat. After reading these two amazing books and devouring the information about the real and true power of intermittent fasting, I committed to fasting “clean” and achieved incredible weight loss results. And, fasting “clean” has allowed me to easily and comfortably maintain my weight loss for almost 3 years now.
CLICK HERE, to listen to my PODCAST INTERVIEW with Gin Stephens where I spill all the juicy details of how I successfully lost 46 pounds in 4 months with “CLEAN” intermittent fasting.
#5: START USING A MEAL DELIVERY SERVICE
Since your entire daily calorie intake will be consumed within a 6-hour window, fueling your body with high quality, “window worthy” nutritious foods like healthy fats and lean proteins, is an absolute necessity! A meal delivery service, such as GREEN CHEF, offers convenient and healthy nutrient-dense meal options. These services offer several different types of food. Who knows? It may just be the perfect option for you. I know it was for me.
#6: STAY HYDRATED – GET ENOUGH WATER
Staying hydrated and upping your water intake is crucial when intermittent fasting. Adequate hydration helps your digestive system break down food and makes your poop softer (sorry-TMI). It’s like giving your body a refreshing boost, ensuring that everything moves seamlessly, helping you feel less bloated and more energized. So, don’t forget to sip, sip, and sip some more. Your body will thank you for getting plenty of water and you’ll keep things moving like a well-oiled machine!
#7: EAT FIBER-RICH FOODS
Eating foods high in fiber during your eating window is super important when intermittent fasting. Fiber-rich foods help you lose weight by keeping you full for longer, so you eat less overall. They also help regulate your digestion and keep your blood sugar levels steady, which can prevent cravings and overeating. So, remember to keep your tummy feeling fantastic by eating plenty of fiber-rich fruits and veggies.
#8: EAT MORE MEAT
Meat can be an absolute superfood for weight loss and one of the best ways to pack in your necessary daily grams of protein! Meat is loaded with protein, which keeps you feeling full and reduces your appetite, making it easier to control your calorie intake. Plus, it boosts your metabolism, helping you burn more calories, even when your body is at rest. The amino acids in meat are essential for maintaining and building lean muscle, which is super important for burning fat. In addition to being nutrient-rich, meat is low in carbs, making it a great choice for those following a keto or low-carb diet plan.
MY FAVORITE WAYS TO ENJOY: During my 46 pound weight loss journey, I enjoyed several varieties of lean meats including plenty of chicken, steak, lean beef, fatty fish like salmon, pork, and turkey. CLICK HERE to check out the 10 delicious weight-loss-friendly dinner recipes that helped me lose the weight.
#9: DON’T FORGET ABOUT PICKLES
Pickles happen do be an incredible food for both your health and weight loss. As far as weight loss goes, pickles can help to control blood sugar levels. This is very important for losing weight, as well as maintaining a healthy weight. Pickles are also very rich in probiotics and this helps boost friendly gut bacteria. And, guess what? It’s also believed that pickle juice may also help to relieve BLOATING!
After an extended fast, I often break my fast with a few of my delicious, homemade pickles. Pickles are FANTASTIC for breaking your fast because of the natural salt/electrolytes. They are also only about 5 calories per pickle. IMPORTANT NOTE: The pickles that you buy in the store are often packed with tons of sugar and other crap so it is a good idea to study the label or you can make my yummy “CLEAN” pickles in just a few minutes.
#10: FAST AT LEAST 18 HOURS DAILY
I found that the real fasting magic happens once you hit the 18-hour mark. Once you’ve reached 18 hours into your fasting window, some really cool stuff starts happening in your body. The fat-burning really starts to rev up and body healing begins to magnify. So, I’d like to challenge you to “CLEAN FAST” for at least 18 hours each day. If you can push it to 20 hours (warrior diet fasting method), that’s even better. Go ahead and give it a try! I believe in you and know you can do it.
CLICK HERE to learn all about the 7 different intermittent fasting stages and the many key benefits of intermittent fasting associated with each phase.
#11: EXERCISE IN THE “FASTED” STATE
This intermittent fasting hack for weight loss is simply incredible and it really does work! As I raced (sometimes crawled) along my fitness journey, I magically discovered the power of exercising while being in the fasted state!
Now that I have learned about the POWER OF INTERMITTENT FASTING, I know that eating before a workout is NOT the best weight loss and exercise strategy for me. And, it might not be the best for you either!
Okay, so HERE’S THE DEAL! I’m just a middle-aged elementary school teacher, not a doctor, who just so happened to figure out how to STOP DIETING and lose 46 pounds in 4 months. I realize that there are a gagillion conflicting weight loss and exercise opinions floating around out there. And, this is exactly why I’m not going to “insert” some “fluff medical study” just to try to prove my credibility. Plain and simple – I am just going off my own beliefs and personal weight loss experiences.
With that being said, this is what I truly believe happens when you eat something that breaks your “fast” before a workout:
- BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS INCREASE!
- INSULIN SPIKES!
- OUR BODIES ARE FORCED TO BURN THAT CARBY PRE-WORKOUT SNACK INSTEAD OF OUR STORED FAT!
BUT… If you exercise while you are fasted, your body has no other choice than to start BURNING YOUR STORED BODY FAT. Pretty cool, huh?
If you’re ready to kickstart your weight loss journey, I challenge you to try exercising in the fasted state. And, if you really want to get the most from this strategy, workout AS FAR INTO YOUR FAST as you possibly can.
Check out this 30 minute extremely effective FAT-BURNING TREADMILL WORKOUT. It’s my absolute favorite way to workout while being in the fasted state.
#12: STRENGTH TRAIN (2-3 Days of the Week)
Another effective intermittent fasting hack when it comes to weight loss and fasting is to add in a little STRENGTH or RESISTANCE TRAINING to your exercise routine.
Cardio exercises are great but I do believe it is important to add in 2-3 days of strength training each week, as well. Strength training workout routines will also help your body burn extra calories after your workout is over.
My preferred way to add strength training to my routine is through the use of KETTLEBELLS. Here’s an awesome 3-Piece Set that you can check out RIGHT HERE.
#13: PLANK FOR 60 SECONDS DAILY
Embrace the POWER OF THE PLANK! Try adding a DAILY 60 SECOND PLANK HOLD to your Exercise Routine. Plank holds burn belly fat, improve posture, reduce back pain, and they also improve your metabolism and your mood!
25 Easy Intermittent Fasting Hacks for Fast Weight Loss
#14: EAT VEGGIES LIKE A “BOSS”
Choosing to dive in and EAT VEGGIES LIKE A BOSS is one of the easiest and most effective ways to lose weight quickly! The reason for this is because vegetables have fewer calories and are nutrient-dense foods. Not only are vegetables UBER healthy for you, they have a very high water and fiber content. This is amazing because they help fill our bellies up quickly, making it way easier to reduce overall calorie intake.
High fiber foods like veggies are better choices for weight loss because they move through the digestive tract slowly. Nutritious food keeps us feeling fuller for longer and when we are intermittent fasting this has huge health benefits! We also don’t absorb calories from fiber, so it just provides satisfying volume.
Some of my very favorite weight loss vegetables include: CAULIFLOWER, MUSHROOMS, KALE, PUMPKIN, ZUCCHINI, SQUASH, SPINACH, BROCCOLI and ROMAINE LETTUCE!
#15: BREAK YOUR FAST WITH ACV
If you really want to step up your weight loss game, you have got to try breaking your fast with BRAGG Organic Apple Cider Vinegar. Apple Cider Vinegar is THE BOMB and is, by far, my NUMBER ONE go-to solution for breaking my intermittent fast. Since adopting an intermittent fasting lifestyle and losing 46 pounds in 4 months, I have been breaking my fast every single day with ACV for almost three years now.
Why ACV? Well, I’ll gladly tell you. It’s because there are seriously so many amazing benefits to ACV including:
- Stimulates fat-burning process and aids with Weight Loss
- Improves gut health by killing harmful bacteria
- Stabilizes blood glucose levels
- Lowers insulin levels and improves insulin sensitivity
- Helps make you feel fuller for longer
- Stimulates the digestive tract and improves digestion
- AND… it prepares the body for optimal weight loss
CLICK HERE to snag a FREE COPY of my APPLE CIDER VINEGAR (Fast-Breaking) WEIGHT LOSS COCKTAIL recipe that I consume daily before my very first bite of food for the day.
#16: END YOUR EATING WINDOW WITH A HEALTHY FAT
Alright, here’s the deal! Certain foods spike your insulin levels and disrupt your blood sugar levels much more than other foods do. This sometimes causes your body to have a crash and burn feeling and a drop in energy levels after eating them. However, foods that contain healthy fats create an extremely low (if any) insulin/blood sugar spike when consumed.
Ending your eating window with a healthy fat food is an excellent strategy that can help you fast easier and longer and ultimately, lose more body fat.
Closing your eating window with a “healthy fat” food helps stabilize your blood sugar and ramp up your energy levels. Additionally, munching on healthy fats at the end of your eating window, promotes satiety and feelings of fullness lasting well into your next fast. And this, my fasting friends… is a very BEAUTIFUL THING! Why, you ask? Because it will give you the extra push needed to easily reach your fasting, weight loss and health goals!
CLICK HERE to learn about 10 of the best “HEALTHY FAT FOODS” that can be easily added to your intermittent fasting meal plan.
#17: EAT A TABLESPOON OF COCONUT OIL DAILY
The weight and fat loss benefits and results of ingesting 1-2 tablespoons of organic Coconut Oil daily are nothing short of mind-blowing. Coconut oil is a very healthy fat that contains zero carbs. Studies have shown that coconut oil is “thermogenic” which means eating it tends to rev up your metabolism and increase fat burning in the body. Coconut oil also boosts energy levels, reduces your appetite and keeps you feeling full. In addition, it can help keep your hormones balanced, regulate blood sugar and reduce abdominal fat.
Some of my favorite ways to incorporate coconut oil into my daily intermittent fasting routine include:
- Cook and bake with Coconut Oil. Swap out the use of butter and other cooking and baking oils for coconut oil.
- Add 1-2 Tablespoons of coconut oil to your favorite WEIGHT LOSS SMOOTHIE.
- Add it to your coffee for an instant healthy and super yummy creamer replacement.
- Drizzle melted coconut oil over yogurt or popcorn. Just pop a spoonful or two of coconut oil into the microwave and heat for about 20 seconds. It will completely change to a liquid form. Drizzle away and enjoy the yumminess!
Jen’s Coconut Fat Bombs! YUM!
My ABSOLUTE FAVORITE WAY to enjoy coconut oil daily is by eating one of my delicious homemade Low-Carb COCONUT FAT BOMBS as I close my eating window for the day. Grab your FREE RECIPE HERE!
#18: BE A BUSY BEE
If you want to fast easier and longer and LOSE MORE WEIGHT, simply turn yourself into a BUSY BEE! When I am busy, FASTING is a “piece of cake” – one that I don’t need or even want to eat, for that matter! I am a teacher and I know that when I am busy at work with my students, I’m not thinking about food or eating one tiny bit.
It’s a good idea to focus on activities that distract you from hunger, but aren’t too strenuous. It’s also a good idea to stay away from food-related activities like cooking or baking or watching TV (too many yummy food commercials).
CLICK HERE to reveal 101 NON-FOOD ACTIVITIES to make fasting easier and more fun!
#19: DRINK GREEN TEA
There are so many massive benefits of green tea that can help to improve your long term health, while shrinking your waistline and having a positive impact on your body weight. So, why not grab your favorite mug, sit back and enjoy a cup of this antioxidant-rich plant-based magnificent beverage!
#20: GET CREATIVE WITH PROTEIN POWDER
Incorporating a quality protein powder into my intermittent fasting meal plan has been a complete game-changer for me when it comes to weight loss and weight maintenance. Luckily, I found Quest protein powder. It’s my absolute favorite because it’s LOW-CARB, LOW-SUGAR, LOW-CALORIE and it’s is PACKED WITH PROTEIN. Oh, and you can easily bake with it too!
Click here to get 10 easy and delicious protein powder recipes for weight loss!
#21: SNOOZE TO LOSE
This specific intermittent fasting hack for weight loss often gets overlooked. Did you know that the amount of sleep we get each night is directly related to reaching (or not reaching) our weight loss goals? Researchers say poor sleeping patterns can lead to weight gain and an increase in body mass index.
Getting fewer than 6-7 hours of sleep each night is considered SHORT SLEEP! Short sleep has been repeatedly linked to weight gain, greater waist circumference, accumulation of belly fat and a higher BMI or body mass index. In addition, “Short Sleep People” have a 41 percent risk of becoming obese.
Lack of sleep also negatively affects hunger hormone levels. It increases ghrelin, which makes you feel hungry, and decreases Leptin, which makes you feel full. In turn, these disrupters often influence a person to crave and consume more sugary and highly processed foods. In addition, poor sleep has also been linked to the increase of cortisol, a hormone that is related to stress.
Getting enough sleep can help MODERATE YOUR APPETITE and it also may help you to MAKE HEALTHIER FOOD CHOICES. Interestingly, getting enough sleep each night can also BENEFIT YOUR METABOLISM. The length of your sleep may also have an effect your on RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) or the number of calories your body burns when at rest.
CLICK HERE to check out my list of 10 best “sleep helping strategies” including spraying RELAX Aromatherapy Lavender Spray on my pillow each night. This one strategy alone has been life-changing!
#22: SHOP AT ALDI FOODS
Each and every Sunday afternoon, at approximately 12:15 pm, I have a very hot date that I never like to break. That very special date is with a German grocery store, named ALDI.
I discovered the magic of Aldi in early 2021 on my journey toward better health and weight loss. I am madly in love with Aldi Foods for so many reasons. The variety of different foods, immense savings and the product quality are just a few of my favorite benefits. ALDI makes it so easy to make healthy choices while living an intermittent fasting lifestyle.
CLICK HERE to check out the 9 products that I buy weekly from ALDI to help me maintain my intermittent fasting weight loss!
#23: GET YOUR MIND RIGHT
It’s natural to get sucked into diet culture thinking. This is why placing a great deal of importance on mental health when it comes to weight loss is an absolute must.
There will be naysayers and plenty of them. As you begin to lose weight, others, who may be jealous that you are looking and feeling great, will often spew negative comments! You have to get right with your mind and surround yourself with supportive and positive people that build you up.
If I had listened to all of the negativity that I encountered throughout my journey I never would have reached the goals that I have and I wouldn’t feel as fantastic as I do now!
A great way to keep yourself motivated, pumped up and positive is by listening to motivational weight loss and health podcasts and joining and interacting with others inside social media support groups.
My favorite podcast to listen to is: INTERMITTENT FASTING STORIES Hosted by Gin Stephens. I actually was granted the honor and privilege of being a guest (Episode #237) on Gin’s INTERMITTENT FASTING STORIES PODCAST.
#24: MIX UP YOUR FASTING ROUTINE
From alternate-day fasting to OMAD, or the Warrior Diet, finding an intermittent fasting plan and weight loss protocol that works “just right” for YOU can be a bit tricky! It often takes some serious trial and error.
I have most definitely found that, like the saying says, VARIETY really is the spice of life. When it comes to fasting, it’s so important to avoid getting too comfortable. You definitely don’t want to do the same thing day after day. Intermittent fasting is flexible and offers many different ways to be successful. I mix up my routine and fasting methods to keep my metabolism humming and my body guessing. I now have a good understanding of what I must do to maintain my weight within a 5 pound range.
#25: BE CONSISTENT & LISTEN TO YOU BODY
Pay close attention to how your body responds to fasting and adjust your fasting schedule and action plan accordingly. Additionally, it’s important to maintain a consistent fasting schedule that will help manage blood sugar and insulin levels.
THE FINAL “HACK”
In closing, incorporating these 25 easy intermittent fasting hacks into your healthy lifestyle routine can significantly accelerate your weight loss and enhance your weight loss journey. By implementing simple strategies and foolproof tricks like these, you can optimize the effectiveness of intermittent fasting and achieve your weight loss goals faster. Remember, the main thing is consistency and patience, so stick with it and don’t forget to celebrate your progress along the way! I’ll be cheering you on every step of the way!
And… if you’re ready to go ALL IN and finally lose weight and get healthy FOR GOOD, I’m totally here for YOU! In my INTERMITTENT FASTING and WEIGHT LOSS MASTERCLASS: 6 Weeks to Sexy, I will teach you step-by-step, week-by-week, exactly HOW I lost 46 Pounds in 4 Months with Intermittent Fasting! I’ll share with you every single TIP, TRICK, RECIPE & STRATEGY that I used to reach my goal weight and maintain for over two years now! CLICK HERE if you’re ready to do this TOGETHER!
