Intermittent fasting is a new buzzword for weight loss. Actually, it’s been around for a while but more in
connection with religion rather than weight loss. Doctors are finding out it could have positive effects beyond the spiritual.
What is Intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting is an eating routine that cycles through brief periods of fasting that either severely restricts calorie intake or eliminates food altogether with times of unrestricted eating.
What fasting does
A problem with diets is the body adapts to low-calorie intake. This makes it harder to lose weight in the future because fat isn’t being burned as it was when you first started dieting. Intermittent fasting stops your body from making that adaptation so you can continue to lose weight.
The results
The results are good for intermittent fasting so far. Forty studies showed that it was effective for losing weight. The typical amount of weight lost was 7 to 11 pounds over 10 weeks. The studies include all different sizes and types of people who were followed for two to 104 weeks.
Types of fasting
There are three ways to go and what you choose depends on your personality and lifestyle.
Alternate-day fasting is when you eat unrestricted every other day and eat only one meal on the other days. The meal should have about 25% of the normal daily calorie intake.
Whole-day fasting is where you eat no food or the restricted 25% of calorie intake for one or two days a week and eat unrestricted the other days
Time-restricted meals are where you follow a meal plan but include a daily designated time for fasting.
An example is to eating from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. but not eat the rest of the day.
Getting started
No one can just start fasting. It is a routine you must build up to accomplish. The best way to start it is to forgo one meal first. Allow things like fruit and lots of water.
Conclusion
Intermittent fasting can work if you maintain your nutrition and include things like exercise.
It’s not a magic formula but it can offer some help to those who have trouble losing weight.
