1-Week, 16:8 Keto Fasting Plan for Weight Loss

1-week, 16:8 keto fasting
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Following a keto diet plan is a great way to drop pounds. Intermittent fasting for weight loss is also an effective method to use.

But, for those looking for the fastest way to lose weight? It’s keto intermittent fasting, hands down.

Keto fasting is the best way to burn fat, and in fact, trade fat for energy. Increased energy levels improve mental clarity as well as fight insulin resistance.

That being said, there is a knack for getting the hang of it. For that reason, we have created this guide to help you.

We’ll explain what intermittent fasting is, as well as what the goals of a ketogenic diet are. Finally, you’ll find an intermittent keto fasting plan to get you through the first 7 days.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting is all about when you should eat, rather than what. In that sense, it’s less a diet plan, than a guide for the optimal times to consume your meals.

There is some element of calorie restriction, but that’s not entirely where the magic of this eating style comes from.

The benefits of fasting are well established. And there are many different ways to incorporate a fasting diet within your lifestyle.

You can choose to do daily fasting periods, opting for eating windows of 8 hours and fasting windows of 16.

You can do alternate-day fasting, or even choose to do a full-day fast for 24 hours, twice weekly.

Additional methods to fast include the 5:2 method and the Warrior Diet.

These diets will be described in greater detail below. But, whatever method you chose, the effects of intermittent fasting can help you trim pounds and improve your health.

Keto Diet Basics?

Essentially, the keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet plan.

When carbs are restricted (generally to below 50 grams per day), your body burns fat rather than glucose for energy.

Burning stored fat is an awesome effect of this diet, and the reason so many people follow it.

When fat is broken down for energy, it releases ketones, and you are said to “be in ketosis” as a result. This is the optimal window of success for those on the keto diet.

In addition to weight loss, following a ketogenic diet has other health benefits.

There’s a lot of evidence to show that it reduces diabetic and cardiovascular risk factors. Blood glucose level improvements are seen, as well as lowered triglyceride levels.

The ketogenic diet improves mental clarity. For this reason, it benefits patients with neurological disorders.

Improvements in Alzheimer’s Disease and epilepsy patients have been seen.

Benefits of Intermittent Fasting on Keto

A ketogenic diet combined with intermittent fasting allows you to reach your weight loss goals faster.

Above all else, ketosis = weight loss.

By practicing both ketogenesis and fasting together, you’ll reach ketosis quicker. This means that more fat gets burned, faster.

Let’s break both of these concepts further:

Reaching Ketosis Faster

Because both keto and fasting alter your metabolism, the combination does it twice as much.

One of the benefits of intermittent fasting means that you’re taking in fewer calories at times. Naturally, during these times, insulin levels fall.

However, if your body needs energy during this period, it burns fat to get it.

Similarly, following a keto diet limits carbs; this prompts your body to also use fat for fuel when needed.

This “trick” of reaching and maintaining ketosis can be very useful.

If you are someone who struggles to break into ketosis, intermittent fasting can be a great way to accelerate this process.

Lose Fat (And Weight) Faster

Once you are in ketosis and burning fat, intermittent fasting gives the whole process a boost. Metabolism is a heat-driven process.

As such, it benefits from the heat production brought on by fasting called thermogenesis. During this process, fasting-induced lipolysis (fat breakdown) increases.

Thus, fat stored in your body is more available to be broken down by ketogenesis.

Many studies have shown this effect clinically. Specifically- participants who fasted intermittently lost more weight.

Between low-carb dieters and those that also fasted, the people that combined the two lost 7 pounds more.

Another interesting facet of combining fasting with keto dieting is that it can control hunger cravings.

This seems counterintuitive, yes. But fasting intermittently has been shown to curb hunger and promote feelings of fullness.

Lastly, fasting has long been shown to be effective at preserving muscle mass while dieting. For those that have plateaued with keto dieting, adding in periods of fasting can reboot weight loss!

How to Combine the Keto Diet with Intermittent Fasting

Beginning any intermittent fasting schedule is easy! Well, that is, in the sense that it doesn’t restrict what you eat—just when you eat it.

That being said, there are several different fasting methods available to try. We recommend wearing your experimenter’s hat during this time.

What works for one person, may not be the best for another. Trialing a few methods will show you which best works within your schedule.

  • 5:2 Diet: This one is pretty straightforward—for 5 days, you eat however it suits you. For the last 2, you highly restrict your calories to a 500-600 range.
  • Alternate-day fasting: Easy peasy, just eat normally one day and fast the next.
  • The Warrior Diet: This fasting diet plan uses an eating window. In this case, you abstain from eating during the day. For the remaining 4 hours–typically evening time– you eat one BIG meal.
  • 16/8 Method: This is perhaps the most “realistic” intermittent fasting plan. For 16 hours you fast, and then for the remaining 8, you eat.

7-Day Keto Fasting Plan

The following keto diet plan uses the 16/8 method of intermittent fasting. Following this plan allows for a lot of personalization.

Obviously, for your 16-hour fast, part of that time you will be sleeping. The 8-hour eating window, then, is up to you.

Most find that eating from mid-morning and continuing until mid-evening works best. This keeps you in line with your normal daily and family rhythm of meals.

For example, you can have your first meal at 11 am and then continue with your last meal finishing by 7 pm.

Let’s take a look at how to combine the two and start keto fasting today.

Here’s a 7-Day Keto Fasting Plan to Help With Ketosis

16/8 Intermittent Fasting Keto Diet Schedule

  • 7:00 am Wake up
  • 7:30 am Black Coffee or Tea no sugar
  • 8:00 am Skip Breakfast
  • 12:00 pm Lunch
  • 3:00 pm Snack
  • 8:00 pm Dinner
  • 9: 00 pm Fasting

Fast for 16 hours…

7-Day Keto Fasting Plan

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

  • Meal 1: Broccoli Cheese Soup
  • Snack 2: Deviled Eggs
  • Meal 3: Chicken Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Friday

Saturday

  • Meal 1: Stuffed Avocado Chicken Salad Recipe
  • Snack 2: Keto Fat Bombs
  • Meal 3: Chicken tortilla soup

Sunday

  • Meal 1: Keto Macadamia Nuts Smoothie
  • Snack 2: Greek Yogurt with Berries
  • Meal 3: Baked Salmon with cauliflower rice

The Final Word On Keto Fasting

Following a keto diet on an intermittent fasting schedule allows for exponential results! It’s a combination that yields the best of both methods.

That includes: Faster weight loss, increased fat burning, and spared muscle mass.

It can be a challenging diet to sort through, but we know that with a little practice, it can pay off BIG TIME.

Investing a bit of time to get it going to find the right way to implement it within your life is the right approach.

As with any lifestyle change and diet modification, be sure to run it by your physician (especially if you have any major health issues going on).

But, the right balance for you is possible… and significant weight loss is definitely within reach!

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43 Comments

  1. Dana Reply

    Wouldn’t your KETO coffee at 7:30 am break your fast? I’ve always been told that a KETO coffee should be considered your meal because of all the calories it has. ?

  2. Barb Wegenke Reply

    I get up at 5am and need my keto coffee. I am ok with not eating after 1 or so pm. Does that count as intermittent fasting then.?

  3. Sharon Reply

    Hi, Amazing article. I am ready to start but there are some foods you have listed I don’t eat. I don’t eat beef or broccoli cheese soup.
    I love chicken, Turkey and seafood.
    Could Pinto bean soup with smoked turky replace the broccoli cheese soup?
    Thank you for responding.

    1. Tina Alexandre Reply

      Hi Sharon,

      Thank you so much for your comment! I’m really glad that you find the 7-day keto meal plan useful.

      Don’t worry about the foods you don’t like. You can sub with other items with a similar nutritional profile.
      But be sure to stay low in carbs and take in plenty of healthy fat.
      Pinto beans (beans in general) are too high in carbs and not part of keto.
      Smoked turkey with other low-carb veggies like cauliflower, bell peppers, asparagus, etc would be a great alternative.

      Hope this helps!
      Tina

    1. Tina Alexandre Reply

      Hi Kate,

      It all depends on you.
      If you don’t mind eating the same meals, you can certainly continue after your first week is done.
      Especially if you don’t reach ketosis by the end of week 1, you can continue for another week.

      I would say by the 3rd week, you’ll crave something different.

      Hope this helps.

      Tina

  4. Carol Reply

    Can you please give an example of the warrior diet? I’m good with just having black coffee when I get hungry. I get off work at 4pm and go to sleep between 10pm-11pm. I usually get hungry around 9pm when I eat my dinner around 5pm. Does the diet mean I can have my big meal between 4pm-8pm? I’m not a big eater of meat and I can i substitute it with beans or tofu for source of protein?

  5. James Reply

    Hi. Double-check the fifth para under “Why Fast?” It begins with a spelling error.
    Enjoyed the article. Thank you.

    1. Tina Alexandre Reply

      Hi Kassandra,

      The fasting schedule on this post only lasts 16 hours a day and for 7 days.
      Though some people treat intermittent fasting as their lifestyle and does it on a daily basis and continue for a much longer period.
      In my personal opinion, start with 7 days and see if it works for you.

      Thanks,
      Tina

    1. Tina Alexandre Reply

      Hi Ben,

      It depends on your tolerance level, but low-carb ones should be ok as long as you drink in moderation.
      If you decide to drink, make it occasional.
      I have a list of keto friendly wines and other low-carb alcoholic drinks here.

      Hope this helps.
      Tina

  6. Heather Reply

    Should someone doing the keto diet supplement with any specific vitamins?
    If so, which ones? Dose/day?
    Thank you!

  7. Tina Ferdinand Reply

    Hello Tina!
    I’m in Nigeria. I’m not sure about how to plan my daily meals with the kinda food we have over here. Can you please help?

  8. Noelia Reply

    Hi! I am interested in trying this 7 days fasting-Keto plan. I wonder if this is something that we can do only for one week or it is a plan that we can adopt as a life style? Thank you

  9. Katin Reply

    Is it ok to IF everyday or should you take a break for a few days once a month or so? Do you need to be concerned about slowing your metabolism if your body perceives IF as starvation?

    1. Tina Alexandre Reply

      Katin,

      I don’t see much problem doing IF everyday as it’s not a diet, but rather an eating schedule.
      I would certainly make sure you eat in a way that meets all your nutritional needs while you do IF tho.

      I would start with a week or two to see if you can adjust to the eating schedule and how well your body works with it.
      If you find a set schedule that works, I know many people think IF more of a way of eating than something they’ll try hard to stick to.

      Hope this makes sense.

      Thanks,
      Tina

  10. Ena Reply

    Thank you!

    I have my coffee with heavy cream and I usually have water all day and have my first meal at 2:00 or 4:00 . But I’m I doing it wrong, I thought that heavy whipping cream was keto, and that I would be in ?????????????????????????????

  11. Valerie Reply

    Thank you for this article! I love the lifestyle change of IF! It has changed my life! I haven’t put Keto totally into it as of yet! I’m concerned with cholesterol levels with all the fat with Keto. I lost 40lbs in 2015 and I never understood how until I heard about IF! It’s an amazing thing! I usually do 20/4 or 18/6…most of the time I do a OMAD and immediately start my fasting. I do black coffee with heavy cream and steamed cinnamon…it doesn’t interrupt my weight loss at all! I do try to avoid sugars during my window…I find I get hungry during my fast if I have had a lot of sugar during my window!
    Anyway, again thanks for the article! Have a nice day!

  12. Jennifer Palomera Reply

    For everyone wondering you cannot consume any calories from anything or you will break your fast. That’s why black coffee an raw tea or water. Even lemon water. It’s a grey area. Lemons do have some calories. Stay away from artificial sweeteners this definitely means Splenda. They are toxic. Green tea raw is the best for fat loss during fasting. Thanks. Even diet drinks are harmful if youre fasting or not. They have chemicals to replace the sugar. Thank you????

  13. Rozanne Long Reply

    Can I alter the time, keeping the 16/8 schedule? I am an early riser and my eating schedule is closer to 9am to 5 rather than 12-8. 8pm is very late for me to eat. Can you also explain what raw tea is and why it recommended, I am not a coffee drinker and besides water I drink iced tea throughout the early day. This I add a bit of stevia to. Can you also speak to the use of stevia in a keto diet>

    I Thank you for your answers and look forward to a successful weight loss.

  14. Madalina Reply

    How do you know you reached ketosis or how do you know the IF is working? How many kg on average are lost in one week if the 2 plans are combined? (Fasting and keto)

    1. Tina Alexandre Reply

      Hi Madalina,

      Thank you for stopping by and for your question!
      Great question by the way!

      Bad breath, weight loss, and less appetite seem to be common signs of ketosis, based on other dieters’ experience on keto.
      Measuring ketones in your blood is also another way.

      As for the weight loss, unfortunately, I’m not able to provide any magic numbers.
      As with any diet or weight loss plan, how fast you lose weight, reach ketosis, etc really varies and is different individually.

      I am not able to provide any medical advice to provide any specifics, and I recommend speaking with your physician before starting any diet and see what results you can expect based on your health conditions should you start a keto diet.
      Hope this helps!

      Tina

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