The main reason I tried intermittent fasting (IF) was for weight loss. About eight months after I started CrossFit, I was gaining weight (mostly in my belly), and intermittent fasting helped me get leaner. Intermittent fasting is a way of eating that involves periods of eating (your feeding window) and fasting. There are several ways to do intermittent fasting; a common method is 16:8, where you eat during an eight-hour window and fast for the other 16 hours a day. Other people play with the feeding window, including eating in a 10- or six-hour window instead.
Although I started IF to lose weight, I had some struggles in the beginning. So if you’re wondering why you’re not losing weight with intermittent fasting, learn from my mistakes. Here’s what to avoid if you’re doing IF for weight loss.