Take this quiz to see if intermittent fasting is right for you, and make it a lifestyle choice.

Take this quiz to see if intermittent fasting is right for you.

Can I fast intermittently? Many people may have this question. Therefore, before starting intermittent fasting, the first step is to take a test to understand whether you are obese and whether intermittent fasting is suitable for you.

**Question Test**

Question number: Yes/No (1 point)

1. Often rushes through meals, wolfing down food without chewing it thoroughly.

2. Current weight exceeds the standard weight by more than 10%.

3. I often take diet pills, but I get fatter the more I try to lose weight.

4. Because they are too busy, they often skip meals, frequently skipping lunch and going straight to dinner, or not eating breakfast at all.

5. Long-term dieting can still lead to weight gain.

6. Prefers fried, high-fat, and high-calorie foods.

7. They like to eat the skin along with the meat.

8. Two meals a day are eaten out.

9. Sitting still for long periods of time while working.

10. I have a habit of sitting down to eat or watch TV as soon as I get home from work, and then "sitting" there until bedtime.

11. Exercising less than twice a week, or exercising for less than 2 hours a week.

12. They often use lavish meals as the sole way to celebrate special holidays and achievements.

13. Due to life and body image pressures, they become afraid to eat and even feel severe guilt about eating anything.

14. Despite exercising to lose weight, I still eat a lot.

15. Suffering greatly from obesity-related diseases, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia. (Score)

**Scoring Explanation**

0-4 points: This indicates that your diet is relatively regular and normal. You eat meals on time, and your diet tends to be light and low in oil. You do not have bad habits such as dieting or taking diet pills. You also exercise regularly. Therefore, your weight is within the normal range, you are slim, and you are generally healthy. You do not have the problem of obesity, nor are you troubled by lifestyle-related diseases such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or high blood sugar. Considering all factors, you do not need to engage in intermittent fasting.

5-9 points: This indicates you may be too busy with work, lacking time or forgetting to eat breakfast or lunch. You may regularly enjoy high-calorie foods like grilled skewers and fried dough sticks. You rarely exercise, and may sit in the office for seven or eight hours a day. Recently, you may have noticed your pants getting tighter, and clothes that used to fit you no longer. If you experience these symptoms, you are likely facing a weight gain crisis, and you may have unwanted fat on your abdomen and thighs. It is recommended that you try intermittent fasting to lose weight appropriately.

10-15 points: This indicates that you've been finding it difficult to do things lately, sweat easily, and experience shortness of breath when walking or climbing stairs. Your colleagues and friends may jokingly call you "Little Fatty," and you can only buy the largest size clothes when shopping. During your company's physical exam, the doctor might tell you that this weight could negatively impact your health, increasing your risk of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol. Therefore, take action now and try intermittent fasting to get rid of your weight problems!

**Make intermittent fasting a lifestyle**

If you are not sick, and if you are not in a group unsuitable for fasting (such as pregnant women, children, and certain patients), you can start intermittent fasting now. Please tell your friends and family that you have started intermittent fasting. Once you announce it to the world, it will be easier for you to stick to it and make it a part of your daily life.

Don't worry about the occasional short-term hunger during fasting; it's generally harmless. Unless you've been eating and drinking for years and lost the ability to endure hunger, your healthy body is naturally capable of handling small amounts of food for a period of time.

Modern research has found that people often mistake many emotions for hunger, such as eating when bored, thirsty, tempted by food, or when with companions. If you feel the urge to eat due to these external stimuli, you should control your intake appropriately.

Regardless of the fasting method, the most difficult part is always the initial period, as the body and mind need to adapt to new habits and eating patterns. Once you get through this hurdle and make it a habit, sticking to it long-term will not only bring you a healthy lifestyle but also be an important tool for purifying your mind and improving your physical condition.

Finding one or two partners in your life to practice intermittent fasting with-whether family, friends, or a spouse-would be ideal. You can schedule your fasting days on the same day, making it convenient to eat together, encourage each other when hungry, exchange experiences on making your own fasting meals and overcoming hunger, and finally, share the health and happiness you gain from intermittent fasting.

**Practicing intermittent fasting is easier than you think.**

Many obese people have tried various dieting methods before they came into contact with intermittent fasting: some are impatient and try to lose weight quickly by fasting for a long time; others are more cautious and try to achieve results by fasting every other day too frequently.

While prolonged fasting can lead to weight loss, it also causes nutrient deficiencies and disrupts the basal metabolic rate. Once the body adapts to this slower metabolism, weight loss becomes difficult even without food. Furthermore, once normal eating resumes, rapid weight regain is common, sometimes exceeding the original weight, a phenomenon known as the "yo-yo effect." Studies have found that prolonged fasting can be extremely harmful to health, causing dehydration, shock, acute kidney failure, and in severe cases, sudden death. Therefore, it is best not to attempt this method lightly.

While alternate-day fasting doesn't cause severe nutrient deficiencies, the practice of fasting every other day often creates considerable confusion for those who fast. Because the fasting days are not fixed each week, it's difficult for family, friends, and others to discern which days are fasting and which are eating days. This can lead to social difficulties and even damage relationships.

Compared to the two dieting methods mentioned above, intermittent fasting is virtually "stress-free." It advocates completing most of the fasting tasks on only two days a week, consuming 75% fewer calories than usual during these two days, rather than reducing calorie intake every day. This is a significant relief, freeing people from the arduous task of eating less every day, as many find it difficult to diet daily. Furthermore, two days of fasting is long enough to reduce total weekly calorie intake and reshape eating habits. Most importantly, this method is easier to implement.