Intermittent fasting is not only great for weight loss, but for many other health-related reasons. It helps reduce inflammation, improves digestion, reduces bloating, helps you sleep better, regulates food cravings, etc. However, it does come with some side effects that you need to consider before giving it a go. Here are three of the most common ones.
Hunger
If you’re eating often, your body is used to getting food frequently. Once you stop giving it food, it will alarm you. It takes willpower to go through the hunger periods in the beginning, but know that it will get better after a week or so. Make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day and especially during the fasting periods.
Food Cravings
Food cravings are psychological. When you know you can’t have something, you will only think about it. When you begin intermittent fasting, you’ll likely constantly think about food during your fasting periods. Instead of listing all the (unhealthy) foods you will eat during your feeding window, try to distract yourself by doing something unrelated to food that makes you feel good.
Headache
If you find yourself suffering from headaches when you start intermittent fasting, make sure you’re drinking enough water and try light stretching to relax your body. Try to control the outside stress factors as stress can cause headaches and your body is already under a lot of it for adjusting to the new feeding schedule.
