Warrior Intermittent Fasting Diet
One of the intermittent fasting protocols you may have heard about is called the Warrior
protocol, sometimes Warrior Diet. This is when you go a little longer during your fasting
periods, and eat just one big meal during the eating period. Here is a look at the Warrior
protocol to decide if you want to try this method.
How the Warrior IF Protocol Works
This is one of the strictest intermittent fasting protocols because you go nearly 24 hours
each time you fast. The basis of this plan is that you eat just once a day, after fasting for
nearly 24 hours. That meal should be rather large and sustain you for the next 24 hours.
It can be almost anything you want to eat, though of course you shouldn’t be eating
3,000 calories of donuts and soda. There are some basic food rules. The Warrior
protocol comes from the fact that humans used to have to catch and cook food all day,
where they would only eat once at night, so people on Paleo will often follow this
protocol.
What to Eat on This Plan
Another different between the Warrior intermittent fasting protocol and other methods is
that what you eat during those eating windows are also different. Most other intermittent
fasting protocols allow you to eat your normal diet without changing it too much. With
the Warrior diet, you also want to eat closer to a traditional caveman diet, though not as
strict as Paleo. Here are some basic eating guidelines to follow if you decide on this
method of doing intermittent fasting:
Try to eat grass-fed/cage-free meat and eggs – When choosing your meat and eggs,
go as fresh and organic as you can. If you can get it from a local farm, that is ideal.
Otherwise, choose meat that was grass-fed with no hormones, and cage-free eggs.
Switch to grass-fed butter as well.
Avoid processed foods – This is a big one – try to limit your processed foods as much
as possible. This includes getting rid of boxed, packaged, and frozen foods. Anything
that can be microwaved is probably processed. Try to make all your meals and snacks
at home with fresh ingredients.
Reduce alcohol intake – You want your liver to be free to get rid of toxins in your body,
but that is hard to do when it is constantly trying to flush out the alcohol you drink. Cut
back on how much you drink.
Eat your carbs at night - To better balance out your insulin levels, have your carbs in
the evening. They tend to cause exhaustion, so it is best to have them near the end of
your day so you have energy for the rest of the day.
Tips for Transitioning into Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting can benefit you in many ways, particularly with burning more fat and
losing weight, but you shouldn’t just jump in with both feet. Many people struggle to start
right away, and do better with a slower transition. Take a look at these tips for getting
into intermittent fasting at a slower pace for long-term success.
Don’t Start it During a New Diet
This is really important, because it can make or break your intermittent fasting transition.
If you are doing IF along with a new way of eating, like Keto or a low-calorie diet, you
need to try the diet first. Your body needs time to adjust to new foods and meals,
whether you are cutting out meat on a vegetarian diet or you are reducing your carbs
dramatically. Try to stick to your new diet for 1-2 weeks, then add in intermittent fasting.
This will make the transition go much more smoothly.
Transition Slowly
Another tip that can help you transition into intermittent fasting is by not doing it every
day. This mostly applies to fasting protocols like the 16:8 split, where you eat for 8
hours, fast for 16 hours, then repeat the following day. You can still gain benefits from
this type of fasting protocol if you start with just a couple days a week, take a break from
it, then start it again. Every week, try to add on another day until you are able to stick
with it mostly every day. Other fasting protocols, like 5:2 or Warrior require you to go a
full 24 hours while fasting, but you can try just 18 hours or 20 hours, then start
increasing it as you become more comfortable with the fasting window.
Take Your Schedule Into Consideration
This is helpful when you are still in the planning stage and trying to figure out which
intermittent fasting protocol is right for you. You shouldn’t choose an IF protocol just
because your friends are doing it, or you want to try the most extreme. You really need
to think long and hard about it, looking at your current schedule. If there is no way you
can have all your meals in just 8 hours because of an erratic schedule, then the
LeanGains 16:8 protocol is not for you. On the other hand, if you know you can’t do 24
hours with no eating, then it might be right for you. Think about your preferences,
schedule, and whether or not it will affect others you live with when deciding which one
is going to be the best fit. This makes that transition much easier to handle.
What You Should Eat While Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting, as you probably know, is a type of eating pattern where you go
through phases of eating and not eating. Not only do you need to know what you can
have during the fasted state, but also how and when to eat when the eating period
begins. This blog post is going to provide you with info for eating both while fasting and
not fasting.
Don’t Overindulge
One of the biggest mistakes people make when following intermittent fasting is that they
are counting the hours until they can eat, then they will overeat. The point is not to
starve yourself for 20 hours just so you can binge eat for 4 hours. You want to stick to your normal diet, but eat in 2-3 larger meals, instead of constantly eating throughout the day. If you are restricting calories, continue to do so, but still stick to nutrient-dense meals. You want that food to fuel your body and sustain you for the next fasting phase.
Try No-Calorie Beverages
If you are just starting out with intermittent fasting, you might not know exactly what
“fasting” entails. This does not mean you have absolutely nothing during the fasting
window. Instead, you want to stay hydrated, so make sure you have plenty of water.
You can also have no-calorie beverages like tea and coffee. Just be careful about what
you add to your coffee. Some people allow themselves a splash of creamer in their
coffee, since the calories is still extremely low, but try not to depend on that. If you really
just want something else to drink like soda, stick to diet soda, but do not make this a
habit either.
Stick to a Healthy Diet
Many people make the mistake of using intermittent fasting as an excuse to eat what
they want, then fast, assuming it will balance out and they won’t gain weight. This is the
absolute wrong mindset to have, plus, you aren’t going to gain all the wonderful benefits
of intermittent fasting if you choose this method. When you are eating after fasting, ease
into it slowly, starting with a normal-sized, healthy meal. Your meals during a shorter
eating window should be as nutritious as possible, with lots of vitamins and minerals.
Think lean protein, fruits and veggies, grains, nuts, and seeds. Yu may have one or two
larger meals, but if you have gone 16-24 hours without a meal, you don’t want that first
meal to be riddled with preservatives, sugar, and processed ingredients.