While intermittent fasting typically means avoiding calories during your fasting window, did you know you can usually consume bulletproof coffee and still experience the weight loss and healing benefits of fasting? In today’s post, I explain everything you need to know about using bulletproof coffee and intermittent fasting to reach your health and weight loss goals.
What Is Bulletproof Coffee
Bulletproof Coffee is a fantastic drink made from coconut oil, grass-fed butter, MCT oil, and other healthy fats. It helps boost energy levels while keeping you full longer (keep reading for my simple bulletproof coffee recipe).
Why Bulletproof Coffee Is Keto-Friendly
Since bulletproof coffee is primarily fat, it is an excellent tool for achieving keto macros. For example, when I created my 5-Day Keto Vegan Meal Plan, bulletproof coffee was indispensable to getting enough calories in a day while keeping carbs low. My Omnivore 7-Day Intermittent Fasting Keto Meal Plan doesn’t include a bulletproof coffee, but the calorie count could be higher on some days. Again, I recommend adding fat to your coffee to increase the number of calories without affecting the other macros.
Bulletproof Coffee and Intermittent Fasting on Keto
Technically, my meal plans combine intermittent fasting and the keto diet since breakfast only consists of coffee (even if it’s bulletproof coffee). Of course, you could be on the keto diet without fasting for breakfast, but I find it challenging to limit carbs enough with three meals a day. That’s why bulletproof coffee and intermittent fasting complement the keto diet.
However, another thing worth mentioning is that you can practice intermittent fasting and enjoy your bulletproof coffee without the keto diet. I will explain more about how it works later.
What Is Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is also called time-restricted eating because all it means is that you restrict your eating window to certain hours of the day or days of the week. For example:
- 20: 4: Restricting your eating window to four hours on certain days.
- Alternate-Day Fasting: Restricting your eating window to five days a week.
- OMAD: Restricting your eating window to about an hour on certain days so you consume only one meal.
- 5:2 Method: Reducing your calories to 500 or less two days a week.
With those common intermittent fasting methods, you decide when you eat or how much ahead of time. Making decisions from your prefrontal cortex is often helpful in setting your food intake for maximum weight loss results.
Intermittent Fasting Without Keto
Now, back to intermittent fasting without the keto diet. How does it work? It’s the same but different than intermittent fasting on the keto diet. The mechanism that makes it so effective is the same (ketosis), but the method has to be implemented differently.
Advantages of Intermittent Fasting Without Keto
Intermittent fasting without keto gives you true food freedom. No counting carbs or calories! Moreover, you don’t limit your food choices to low-carb foods, so you can refuel with carbs as needed. Many women will find that they don’t enjoy optimal health when they limit carbs at all times (I find keto cycles helpful occasionally).
Key to Success When Fasting Without Keto
To experience the same benefits when practicing intermittent fasting without the keto diet, the key to success is to fast long enough to achieve ketosis. Ketosis means that your body starts using fat cells to produce ketones for energy as it runs out of glycogen. That is how your body learns to function without a constant supply of glucose. With time, fasting gets easier, and food cravings decrease.
How to Take Advantage of the Bulletproof Coffee and Intermittent Fasting
Here’s how you can make the bulletproof coffee part of your intermittent fasting regimen:
- Drink your bulletproof coffee whenever you want (even during your fasting window).
- Measure your ketone and blood glucose before and 30 minutes after your coffee to gauge how your body responds.
- Fast for at least 20 hours, but not every day. The best method for intermittent fasting success without the keto diet is a 20-hour fast. This fast is long enough to achieve ketosis but short enough to be doable. Five days a week is enough.
- Enjoy a low-calorie, bulletproof coffee. Try my bulletproof autophagy coffee to reduce your calorie number for faster weight loss and increase autophagy (recipe below).
- Understand that consistency is key. At first, your body may take longer to enter ketosis and trigger autophagy. Be patient; the more fat-adapted you become, the easier it gets.
These simple tips will help you experience the desired results using tools like bulletproof coffee and intermittent fasting.
If you would like a discount on getting the Keto Mojo to measure your blood glucose and ketones, check out the Keto Mojo using my affiliate link.
Does Bulletproof Coffee Break Your Fast?
Technically, bulletproof coffee breaks your fast because anything with calories breaks a fast. However, depending on your health goals, that may not be an issue. For most people, bulletproof coffee will not raise your blood sugar. It might even raise your ketone levels. While your body won’t have to resort to your stored fat cells to produce ketones for energy when you drink a bulletproof coffee in the morning, you are likely to notice that you still experience fasting benefits like enhanced cognition, energy, and reduced appetite.
Will Bulletproof Coffee Prevent Autophagy?
When you fast, your body repairs itself. It cleans up damaged and redundant cells. This process is called autophagy. Here’s what will stop autophagy:
- glucose
- protein
- cortisol
- eating
Fat has the least effect on insulin. It is unlikely to prevent autophagy if you ensure your bulletproof coffee is not too high in calories and is made with heavy cream rather than half and half (or not cream).
Autophagy Bulletproof Coffee Recipe
Something to remember if you drink bulletproof coffee when intermittent fasting is that your body will not be using its fat cells for energy as you provide it with fat in the form of oil or butter. This may limit autophagy. If you are concerned about inhibiting autophagy with your bulletproof coffee, here’s the bulletproof coffee recipe I recommend you follow:
- 1 Tbsp of butter, coconut oil, or MTC oil
- 1 Tbsp of heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk (optional)
- 300 ml brewed coffee
Blend all the ingredients in a blender. Enjoy. This coffee will contain about 200 calories.
Compare this to the Original Bulletproof coffee recipe, which has closer to 400 calories (despite what the recipe says) because a tablespoon of fat has about 100 calories.
For help to reach your health and weight loss goals, don’t forget to check out my 30-Day Intermittent Fasting Transformation program and coaching packages.
Bulletproof Coffee and Intermittent Fasting Video
In Summary
Bulletproof coffee and intermittent fasting go well together if you are a coffee lover. You can use your bulletproof coffee to support ketosis and feel fuller during your fasting window. You can drink it every day or on occasion. The key is always to pay attention to your body, so measuring your ketones may be helpful. For more keto coffee recipes, read Make This Delicious Keto Coffee Every Morning To Boost Your Fasting Results.