Intermittent Fasting Results 1 Month: Here’s What To Expect

How Does the Body Change | How Much Weight Loss Should One Expect

You must have probably heard about various health benefits of intermittent fasting. People are losing weight, reducing their waistline in a short period while practising this method of eating. There are many methods of intermittent fasting, but the most common one that is known to show the most results is the 16:8 regime, where you fast for 16 hours and then eat for the next 8 hours.

Today in this article, we will discuss what happens to your body when you fast intermittently. Let us try to understand the intermittent fasting results for 1 month and how your body changes if you have never fasted in your life.

How Does the Body Change from Week 1 to Week 4?

One month of intermittent fasting results can be different for each person, and this can depend on your weight, age, metabolism, gender, and many other factors. Keeping that in mind, here is what happens during your 1 month of intermittent fasting.

1 Week of Intermittent Fasting

The first week is the toughest for most people. You need to give your body time to get accustomed to eating at a specific period. The first week is also when most people feel hungry, weak, and cranky.

However, this is just your body’s way of pushing you back to your eating habits. Your body is accustomed to eating at a specific time, and not having food might make you feel cranky. But this phase gets better when you stick to your intermittent fasting routine.

2 Weeks of Intermittent Fasting

Week 2 is when you get accustomed to the diet, and the body is also adapting to the new eating pattern. This is when you will start seeing the actual results of fasting. You will mainly experience an increase in energy and more productivity.

Also, you will start seeing some weight loss. It could be on the scale or in terms of how your clothes fit you. Depending on how much workout a person has incorporated into their day-to-day life, the weight loss can be anywhere between 0.5 kg to 1 kg per week. 

However, weight loss can be different for you, and it depends on a lot of factors, such as the type of food you consume and the amount of exercise you have included every day.

3 Weeks of Intermittent Fasting

When week three rolls around, you will ultimately get over your hunger pangs. You will start experiencing increased energy levels and a constant drop in weight. By the end of week 4, people lose around 1 kg to 5 kg weight in most cases.

Though most people have seen weight reduction as one of the most common intermittent fasting 1-month results, not everyone experiences such drastic weight loss. It is essential to understand that someone who is obese will lose much more weight with the same amount of food and the same amount of exercise than someone who is at a healthy weight or just slightly overweight.

How Much Weight Loss Should One Expect?

If done correctly, the intermittent fasting of 16:8 type can help you lose up to 2-6 kgs within a month and maintain it. In addition to this, you will also likely experience high energy levels and better brain function. But fasting for one month will only be good if you do it properly. During intermittent fasting, it is essential to make healthy food choices and stay active.

So, how do you do intermittent fasting right so that you can shed those extra kgs off your body? Well, here are some essential things that you should keep in mind while intermittent fasting:

1. Make Healthy Food Choices

Intermittent fasting will not show any results within a month if you eat junk food during your eating window. Although intermittent fasting does not tell you what to eat, eating calories over your daily budget will not lead to weight loss; instead, it might result in weight gain.

So, healthy food choices such as complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, healthy fats, two servings of fruits and vegetables, and a low sugar diet are appropriate for losing weight. Eating balanced meals with proteins, carbohydrates, and fats will help you stay fuller for an extended period and help you avoid any unnecessary binge eating.

Need help with your fasting meal plans? Check out the 21-Day Intermittent Fasting Meal Plan, where you will get customized meal plans, healthy and tasty recipes, and much more.

2. Have an Exercise Regime

Some people cannot lose weight just with intermittent fasting. It is beneficial to add some cardio workouts to your daily routine in such times. Just 30 minutes of moderate to high-intensity exercise five days a week will help you see the fasting for a month results faster.

3. Drink Enough Water

Staying hydrated is essential, and hence make sure you have an adequate amount of water throughout the day. The best way to keep the hunger at bay is to include beverages in your diet during the fasting period, such as unsweetened tea, black coffee, lemon water, and much more. Having ten glasses of water is essential for adults.

To know more on staying hydrated, read What Can You Drink During Intermittent Fasting?.

4. Sleep and Rest

Sleep is the time when your body restores itself. Hence, sleep at least 7-8 hours a day so that you can see the best weight loss results through intermittent fasting.

5. Do not Under-eat

As opposed to overeating during the fasting period, there is also a concern of undereating. Some people cannot fit their entire calorie requirement into the 6-hour window and then end up eating less than what their body needs. This way, you surely will experience rapid weight loss; however, this is unhealthy, and you should know that once you start eating regularly, you will experience weight gain.

Two factors determine whether you are healthily losing weight or not:

• You are losing weight at a pace of 0.5 to 1kg per week
• You are losing over 1 kg per week; however, you are eating enough to meet your required dietary allowance

Any rapid and substantial weight loss along with under-eating can also cause a variety of nutritional deficiencies in the body and hormonal imbalances in women.

6. Understand Your Body Needs

We know that intermittent fasting has a lot of health benefits, but there are a few people who do not go well with intermittent fasting. So, if, after one month of intermittent fasting, you do not feel better and are still cranky and hungry throughout the day, you need to reassess your habits. You can either start fasting for shorter durations or just limit your mealtime, depending on your comfort levels.

To know more on how to achieve weight loss through intermittent fasting, read – Intermittent Fasting For Weight Loss: 7 Tips For Best Results.

To Sum Up

Intermittent fasting is an excellent way to lose weight, and people experience about 2-5 kg weight loss in 1 month. However, weight loss also depends on a variety of other factors. Apart from weight loss, if you experience a rise in energy levels, more productivity, and better mental health, you should also consider intermittent fasting a success.

However, consult your dietitian or doctor before starting intermittent fasting if you suffer from any chronic health condition.