Can you consume 3000 calories while on Intermittent Fasting?
Whenever you attempt to lose weight, it is logical to eliminate plenty of calories from your diet. Some people prefer to consume too little food, which makes maintaining a healthy weight more challenging.
Moreover, it can also result in other health concerns. In other words, consuming less than you require can have disastrous consequences.
There is more to losing or maintaining good weight than just what you put into your body. The amounts of calories you eat daily affect your body.
Additionally, what you eat, the number of times you eat, or how you eat your food all impact how your body reacts to and utilizes the energy from food.
Many Weight Watchers and those trying to lose weight use many dietary plans to set the calories they need to survive and experience positive results.
One of the most popular weight-loss dietary plans is intermittent fasting,
Fasting on and off for short periods (intermittent fasting) has become popular in health and nutrition.
Several studies also show that short-term fasting is beneficial and IF diet supplementation is finally receiving the attention it deserves, especially with weight loss objectives.
One of the intermittent fasting dietary plans is consuming 3000 calories on the days you are not fasting.
Intermittent Fasting 3000 Calories Diet
In contrast to other dieting strategies, intermittent fasting emphasizes how you eat rather than what you eat. It is a dietary procedure in which you restrict calories over a given period, such as daily or weekly.
The dietary practice is also more popular for those who want to lose weight, which begs the question: Can one eat 3000 calories on IF and still lose weight?
You can answer yes because IF is not about depriving oneself of food. As opposed to this, it curtails your food intake to a specific period each day.
The said eating period ensures that you continue to receive the necessary daily nutrients for your body’s successful functionality during the days or hours you are fasting. The body can then use those nutrients to recharge, rejuvenate, and achieve better health.
If you are highly active and continue to work out while fasting, you must compensate for the lost nutrients after breaking the fast. That is where the 3000 calories diet comes into play.
For the 3000 calories diet to be effective, it must provide carbohydrates, proteins, and fat nutrients. Carbohydrates should account for approximately 60% of your total calorie intake.
The fat portion should account for 30% of the total, and the protein portion should account for 10%. You should also know the calories in each gram of these macronutrients.
The calories in 1 g of carbohydrates and proteins are four, while those in 1 g of fat are nine. In light of this, you can efficiently compute how many grams of each macronutrient you should consume during intermittent fasting.
How to Split a 3000-Calories Meal during Intermittent Fasting
3000 Calories Intermittent Fasting – How to Split a 3000-Calories Meal during Intermittent Fasting
Depending on your intermittent fasting plan, you should divide your meals into good portions to achieve a caloric intake of 3000 calories.
Taking 3000 calories in three meals and two snacks seems the most logical approach. The preparation of your meals should contain calories from the following sources.
- 45–65% carbs (338 to 448 grams)
- 20–35% fat (67 to 117 grams)
- 10–35% protein (75 to 263 grams)
Foods to Eat On an Intermittent Fasting 3000-Calories Diet
Consuming 3,000 calories daily from whole, unprocessed, or mildly processed foods, such as fruit, veggies, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean proteins, can be challenging.
However, if you follow an IF dietary plan and want to lose weight, you must avoid foods packed with high calories because they do not contain the nutrients your body requires for good health. Stick with the following foods.
1. Grains – 10 ounces
Grains-10 ounces
In terms of calories, one ounce of grain equals one slice of bread or half a cup of prepared pasta, rice, or cereal. It also counts as one ounce of ready-to-eat cereal. The best grains to include in your diet are:
- Bread
- Oats
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
2. Vegetables – 4 cups
Vegetables-4 cups
A serving of 4 cups of vegetables on the day or time you break your fast is a good thing to get fiber minerals and keep your energy high.
The four cups should come from one cup of cooked vegetables, 2 cups of leafy salad greens, or 100% vegetable juice. In IF, you do not limit the types of veggies you can consume. Below are a few of them.
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Kale
- Mushroom
- Peas
- Peppers
- Spinach
- Squash
- Sweet Potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
3. Fruits – 2 ½ cups
3000 Calories Intermittent Fasting – Fruits-2 ½ cups
½ a cup of dried or 100% natural fruit juice is equivalent to one cup of fresh fruit. Fruits will give you all the minerals lost during your fasting period. You also do not limit the types of fruits you consume. Below are a few choices.
- Apples
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Berries
- Grapes
- Kiwi
- Melons
- Oranges
- Peaches
- Pears
4. Dairy Products – 3 cups
Dairy products-3 cups
One cup of dairy could come from a cup of substitute dairy milk, 1 cup of yogurt, 1 cup of fortified soy drink, one and a half oz of organic cheese, or 2 oz of processed cheese or 1 1/2 cups of whole milk. The list of the dairy products should include:
- Whole milk
- Cottage cheese
- Kefir
- Greek yogurt
5. Protein-7 ounces
One ounce of protein sources equals one ounce of cooked lean meats, poultry, or seafood. You can substitute your animal proteins with a quarter-cup of cooked beans or peas, one tablespoon of peanut butter and a half-ounce of nuts or seeds.
Animal-Based Proteins
- Salmon
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Bison
- Whole Eggs
- Lean Cuts of Beef
- Flank
- Sirloin Steak
Plant-Based Proteins
3000 Calories Intermittent Fasting – Plant-Based Proteins
- Tofu
- Edamame
- Tempeh
- Peas
- Chickpeas
- Lentils
- Beans
6. Fats and oils 65-1125 grams
Fats and oils are essential for digestion; you should always include them in your diet. If you intend to lose weight, stick to healthy fats that do not contain too many calories. Your fats and oils should come from:
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Flax seeds
- Olive oil
- Natural peanut butter
- Almond butter
Foods to Avoid
3000 Calories Intermittent Fasting – Foods to Avoid
Consuming the following foods will get you to attain the 3000 calories within the shortest time possible. However, they lack all the essential nutrients your body needs for good health. They are:
- Sugary drinks
- Candies
- Sweetened cereals
- Bacon
- Potato chips
- Cookies
- Tacos burgers
- Soda
- Pastries
- Cheese sticks
- Sports drinks
However, you can moderately indulge in your favorite treats only if your main meals contain whole, nutrient-rich foods.
Final Thoughts
Maintaining a 3000-calories diet is challenging, especially if you are fasting intermittently. Going about it wrongly can make you gain weight instead of losing it.
The diet is perfect for those who work out too often and burn a lot of fat.
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