Also, be aware that when you exercise, your body directly burns away glycogen (a form of glucose stored in the muscles). Fasting depletes these stores, which can mean less available energy for the muscles to use when they need it. This can lead to extreme fatigue and decreased performance. The best fasting tips for athletes are to precede each workout with a low-calorie protein shake designed to deliver creatine, BCAAs, beta-alanine, and other amino acids directly to the muscles as they work them, and then to follow each workout with a whey-protein supplement to replenish depleted nutrient stores in order to speed up the recovery process. These workout supplements won’t add much to your overall calorie count, and will help ensure that your intermittent fasting schedule and your workout regimen aren’t getting in each other’s way.

None of the coffee additives caused a significant drop in our blood ketone levels. At 120 minutes, my, (Becky’s), ketone readings increased after drinking black coffee, coffee with cream, coffee with MCT oil, and coffee with butter. At 120 minutes, Keith’s ketone readings dropped by 0.1 mmol/L after drinking only black coffee. His ketone readings rose slightly after consuming coffee with cream, MCT oil, and butter.

If you want to lose weight, you need to be burning more calories than you consume. A good diet will help reduce your calorie intake. Working out will increase your calorie burn. But while each of these is a step in the right direction, why not approach the problem from both ends? Intermittent fasting empowers you cut down on the influx of calories while also training your body to become better and more efficient at using the calories stored in fat cells. The end result is a quicker path to a healthier you. You could even call it the “fast” track to weight loss success.

Hello Maria, I can honestly say I look forward to my morning black coffee now, just as much as I enjoy a cup with a little cream, once my eating window opens late afternoon. My easiest “go-to” tip is adding just the smallest pinch of pink Himalayan salt to my coffee. It really works to smooth out the black coffee bitterness! Good luck with your IF journey, Maria!


Intermittent fasting is a technique that involves restricting your food intake to a certain time window each day and then fasting for a specific period. There are several different fasting methods, with many variations that can fit nearly any personal preference or routine. A few of the most common types of intermittent fasting include alternate day fasting, 16/8 fasting and the 5:2 diet, each of which varies based on the amount of time you spend fasting during the week.

Stable blood sugar levels are vital to the success of any diet. This is because when glucose levels plummet, it leads to intense hunger, which almost always results in binge eating. Stable blood sugar levels help eliminate headaches, lack of focus, poor memory, and brain fog as well. Interestingly, these are common complaints among those who follow high carbohydrate diets, as opposed to diets that are rich in fat and protein.

Intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet are two of the top trending eating patterns among dieters and health enthusiasts alike. However, while there are plenty of differences between intermittent fasting vs. keto, they can actually be combined to help amplify results and reach ketosis even faster. In fact, by practicing intermittent fasting on keto, you can take advantage of the unique benefits that both have to offer.
