Intermittent Fasting – Is It Really Effective?

a clock symbolizing intermittent fasting

Introduction:

Intermittent fasting is one of your options as a dieter, and it’s a brilliant way to cleanse your body and soul and stay healthy and slim.

Intermittent fasting is a dietary plan that includes switching between fasting and eating regularly. Some studies have shown the importance of this method to prevent or even reverse different types of disease, burn fat and control your weight. If you want to practice intermittent fasting in your weight loss journey, we offer some assistance and provide you with knowledge on how it works, its benefits, and its features to make sure to stay on the safe side:

Why Intermittent Fasting?

While diets are about what to eat and how much, intermittent fasting concentrates on when to eat. Thus, you only eat for part of the day and fast the rest. You fast for a certain number of hours or eat only one meal a couple of days, a week. This manner of eating and fasting aids in fat burning in the body. Based on scientific research, it also boosts your overall health.

According to neuroscientists, the human body has evolved to go for long periods without eating. And for older generations who had to work harder in the daylight, sleep sooner, and have fewer opportunities for fun and eating, it was much easier to maintain a healthy weight. However, today’s youth mostly sit around and enjoy long awake nights and snacks. Thus the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease is increasing.

How Does Intermittent Fasting Work?

Several types of weight loss intermittent fasting schedules are available, and it is up to you to decide the periods to eat and fast. For instance, you can eat only eight hours each day and then fast for the remainder. The alternative is to eat only one meal a day, two days a week.

After hours without food, the body exhausts its stored sugar and begins to burn fat, referred to as metabolic switching.

Modern people have access to food anytime, whether at home, work, or traveling. It is an entirely different eating pattern than intermittent fasting; hence whenever you become a bit hungry, you immediately reach for some food. You don’t give the chance of using already stored fat and burning them, causing fat to become more condensed, and over time, the person suffers from overweight and related disorders.

Intermittent Fasting Plans

Before starting intermittent fasting, remember to consult with your physician and have their blessing. The actual practice is simple, easy to follow, and much more straightforward than any dieting program.

· Daily Approach: For that to work, you will restrict eating to one, six- to eight-hour daily. For example, you can fast for 12, 16, or 18 hours a day. This pattern is more popular, and mainly first-timers like to try it. Plus, they don’t have to stay fasting over the long term.

· Weekly Approach: Also called the 5:2 approach involves regularly eating five days a week. And in eating time, you limit yourself to 500–600 calories in one meal. It is like normal eating, except for two days of the week, you only have one restricted meal.

There are longer approaches that are not necessarily better options. There are even speculations of harming your body by not eating for long periods, such as 24, 36, 48, and 72-hour fastings. You can even gain weight, as your body sends stress signals in response to starvation and stores more fats.

At first, hunger is frustrating; you may lose your temper and become impatient. Give it at least two to four weeks to get used to the new routine. Your body must adjust; thus, being motivated and consistent is imperative.

What Is an Intermittent Fasting Diet?

For Beverages: water, zero-calorie drinks like tea, and black coffee.

For Overall Diet: Nutrition experts suggest the “Mediterranean diet” and similar programs to follow. Complex, unrefined carbohydrates such as whole grains, leafy greens, healthy fats, and lean protein must be the pedicle of your daily regimen.

Normal Eating: When we say “normal eating,” it doesn’t mean going crazy on greasy dishes, high-calorie junk food, and salty snacks.

Mindful Eating: With weight loss intermittent fasting, you should enjoy the eating periods while choosing healthy and nutritious food and appreciating the meal before you as much as possible.

Intermittent Fasting – Benefits and Features

Let’s review some of the most known benefits of intermittent fasting, backed by scientific findings:

Maintaining Muscle Mass: According to some human and animal studies, fasting can help eliminate extra fat while maintaining muscle mass. In this regard, alternate fast/eat days showed better results.
Preventing Diseases: It is shown in some related human and animal studies that intermittent fasting can improve blood pressure and stop obesity and diabetes. Also, obese adults can lose weight through intermittent fasting.
Tissue Repairment: Some animal studies confirmed that intermittent fasting diminished tissue damage in surgery and improved results.

Is Intermittent Fasting Safe?

There are different objectives in mind for people to start intermittent fasting. Folks mainly pursue this dietary strategy for losing weight, fat-burning management, and addressing chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, bowel syndrome, or arthritis. However, This method is not suitable for everyone and can have some downsides.

Here is a list of people who should stay clear of intermittent fasting or at least check with their doctor before trying it:

Diabetic people with high blood sugar problems.

Children, teenagers (under 18 years of age).
Pregnant women or breastfeeding mothers.
Every person with a history of eating disorders.

Final Verdict

Weight loss intermittent fasting comes with mixed opinions in the scientific community, and there are few human studies to confirm its effectiveness.

However, those who tend to snack day and night can benefit from these types of restrictions, even if it is for the sake of getting ready for a more serious regimen.

Although many people prefer dieting over fasting or are afraid of staying hungry for a long time, it is a practice worth trying.

Check out some of our other articles for more awesome tips on how to lose weight fast!