FAQ's
Can you only drink water?
In general, when doing intermittent fasting, it's acceptable to drink herbal tea (make sure it doesn't have added sugar) or green tea. You can also add a squeeze of lime of lemon to your water.
What about coffee?
This is a bit more individual...if your digestive tract is irritated and inflamed, it would be preferable to avoid drinking coffee on an empty stomach. However, if you tolerate coffee well, then it is acceptable to drink 1 cup of black coffee in the morning. In fact, coffee can actually speed up metabolism and help with weight loss, so if that's one of your goal, it could be a good addition.
How often should you fast?
This is really up to you, and depends on your goal. Most people find it easier to practice fasting when working, and then eat normally during the weekend. This is what Gen does. So she fast 5 days/ week, from Monday to Friday, and then eat normally during the weekend.
What if I can't fast a day I'm supposed to be fasting?
It's important to allow yourself some flexibility.... if a friend invites you for breakfast, then it's OK to skip fasting that day.. keeping a social life is also important!
What if I'm not losing any weight?
You might simply need to do longer fasts, including 24 hour fast or longer water fast to break the cycle and start losing weight.
Do not fall into the trap of trying to reduce calories as this will likely lead to a reduced metabolism over time. In fact, including a 'feast' day into your week is even more important when doing fasting for weight loss.