1. INTERMITTENT FASTING (IF) Fasting is nothing new. The human body is in a state of either feeding or fasting, but most people spend the majority of their time in the fed state, not allowing a significant amount of time to burn through the calories they packed in. IF is a way of structuring your diet that systematically incorporates periods of fasting. IF can be undertaken any number of ways, and variables include the number of days, as well as the length of the window during which calories are turned off. WHY IT WORKS So why does a seemingly unorthodox approach to eating actually melt off the fat? The human body is designed to store fat so it can use it as needed. When we don't eat, the body accesses this storage as a source of fuel. Research has shown that intermittent fasting can be an effective weight-loss tool because of its ability to increase fat oxidation, reduce body weight, and accelerate fat loss. This is one of my top diet methods because it really shocks my system. HOW TO DO IT The most popular and sustainable approach is 16 hours fasted and an 8-hour eating window. During the 8-hour feed, the goal is to consume all calories for the day.A popular way to ensure you are staying hydrated and a sustained flow of amino acids throughout your body and muscles are to drink Beyond BCAAs throughout your fasted window. This will allow preserving muscle tissue and curb hunger during the fasted state. Drinking Beyond BCAAs will not break your fast. Beyond BCAAs is formulated with an optimum 2:1:1 ratio of BCAAs, Electrolytes, Coconut Water, Vitamin C, the full B Vitamin Complex and more. Get yours here! IF isn't for everyone. Depending on the protocol you choose to use, the long hours of calorie deprivation can lead to low energy levels, fatigue, and headaches. The rest of your life can seem like a struggle. But this diet can be very effective for people who have trouble controlling portions and who constantly feel the need to snack throughout the day. For example, by restricting your daily feed to 8 hours, you will feel full and satisfied for the rest of the day. 2. CARB CYCLING Carb cycling is a dietary approach that alternates periods of lower and higher carbohydrate consumption. During the low-carb phase, the body depletes its stores of muscle glycogen, which is the storage form of carbs. Your body must, therefore, switch to alternate forms of energy, such as fat. This leads to fat burning, and for some people, weight loss. The high-carb phase seeks to refill that lost muscle glycogen. The resulting surge in the hormone insulin delivers lost nutrients to the muscles, where they can be stored for future use. WHY IT WORKS This continuous switching back and forth between low- and high-carb phases helps to up-regulate the metabolism, keeping both fat burning and muscle building hormones responding. The result: less fat, more muscle, and improved body composition. Traditional low-carb diets do work for fat burning, but they can often cause severe cravings, depleted energy levels, and some lost strength. What's more, lengthy periods on a low-carbohydrate diet plan may result in a metabolic slowdown and a decrease in the anabolic hormones that can stimulate muscle protein synthesis and growth. Cycling between high and low-carb days helps to stimulate metabolism and decrease cravings while keeping energy levels where they need to be. While the low-carb days promote fat burning, the high-carb days coupled with resistance training promote anabolism, which leads to muscle building. High-carb days can also make you feel more energetic, propelling you through the next low-carb days until you're back to a high-carb day. An effective way to boost your training to ensure workout volume and intensity is maintained is to take EHPlabs thermogenic fat-burner OxyShred as your pre-workout and daily pick up. OxyShred is formulated with key effective and potent antioxidants which will definitely help increase your workout intensity when you are feeling flat and tired during those low carb days.