Help You Get Rid Of Sugar Cravings
Interestingly, its been shown that overweight people have very high levels of leptin, yet few who struggle with weight will tell you they rarely feel hungry. The body is yelling at the brain to stop eating, but the brain has become deaf to the signals. This happens by the same mechanism that leads to insulin resistance: consistent overexposure to high levels of the hormone.
Fasting, and in particular when combined with decreased sugar consumption, allows the brain to clean out its ears and properly hear leptin calling.
In short, when the blood sugar and insulin release are in balance, you are less likely to crave food and sweets.
Moreover, you are more likely to prefer proper food instead of junk, when you have limited your intake of food to a specific time frame.
Ways To Burn Even More Fat While Intermittent Fasting
If youre reading this post right now, at least one of the following is true. Either a) youve been intermittent fasting for a while and want to learn how to burn more fat, b) youve never heard of intermittent fasting before and are wondering what its all about, or c) you just want to lose weight by any means possible.
Well, Ive got great news for you, my friend!
Wherever you are on your weight loss or intermittent fasting journey, this post will help you out!
Today youre going to learn all about how to lose weight so much faster and burn even more fat than you thought you could, with intermittent fasting.
*This post contains affiliate links
Which Fasting Schedule Is Easiest To Implement
Ive found that for most women, the 12 to 16-hour fast is the easiest to implement. We often wake up and immediately start doing something, both for ourselves and our families, so grabbing a cup of coffee and getting ourselves going till midday isnt that difficult.
I also find that planning to be finished with dinner around 7 pm and skipping evening snacks helps narrow the fasting window to before noon the next day.
If late-night snacking is an issue for you as it is for me, try sipping warm tea in the evenings. Ive found that this keeps me from aimlessly walking by the pantry in search of a snack.
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How Intermittent Fasting Works
For your body to go to the trouble of burning body fat for energy, two things must happen.
- You must be running low on glycogen.
- You must have a low level of insulin in your blood.
How do you get into these states? You stretch out the time between meals. In other words, you follow an intermittent fasting strategy.
If you are eating frequently throughout the day, you are constantly refilling glycogen stores and bumping up insulin.
Because there is a constant supply of glycogen, there is no need for your body to go to the trouble of converting fat into energy. Even if your body wanted to burn fat, it could not access it because the insulin levels never drop to a point where fat can be released.
When you stretch out the time between meals by practicing intermittent fasting, your body burns through some of the stored glycogen and insulin levels drop making fat a logical choice for your body to run on.
Intermittent Fasting Makes Eating Enjoyable
I sort of mentioned this in the last section, but Ill bring it up with more clarity here. The problem with eating the way I USED to eat is that food was never very enjoyable when I had to eat 5 to 6 small meals per day.
If you think about, is it really all that fun to have to sit down and think about preparing a few eggs, or egg whites, and a piece of toast, and maybe some greens, and thats about it? And then you have to think about the next meal a few hours later. And so on and so on.
I dont enjoy that way of eating. I want to eat and enjoy the foods I eat, whether Im in a restaurant with friends, or preparing my own food at home. Most of the time I prepare home cooked meals. And if I DO eat outI enjoy much more satisfying meals.
You get to eat so much more of the foods you actually want to eat, WHILE burning fat at the same time. Its almost like a no brainer eating plan in my opinion.
I must stress though, that I do NOT eat low carb anymore. I dont think intermittent fasting would be nearly as enjoyable if I was on a restrictive low carb diet. Ive learned that its all about eating at a calorie deficit if you truly want to burn fat and lose weight. You can learn how to do this right here.
This method is exactly what my own best friend did to drop 30 pounds in just a few months. And for the longest time, he , believed that the only way to burn fat and lose weight is to eating a low carb diet.
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You Might Lose Weight
Be honest: you’re considering doing intermittent fasting because you want to lose some weight. Hey, we’ve all been there! Thankfully, there is a lot of emerging research on fasting that suggests it could be a scientifically-backed way to lose weight, right along with calorie reduction.
According to Palinski-Wade, fasting not only promotes a calorie deficit but also increases your metabolism . But that’s a real one-two punch for weight loss.
Two recent 2019 reviews of studies, one from Current Obesity Reports and one from Nutrients, found that intermittent fasting led to similar results in clinical trials as its more traditional calorie restriction counterpart.
There is, of course, one caveat. “Some people gain weight by fasting, but that’s typically related to their food choices,” says Thurlow. “Think highly-processed, standard American diet versus a nutrient-dense diet focused on protein, healthy fats, and appropriate carbohydrates.”
So go ahead and fast, but still focus on clean, healthy eating for best results.
Use A Collagen Supplement For Lean Protein
If you grow tired of eating chicken breast for dinner every day, collagen supplements may be able to help. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. Lean collagen supplements can help to ensure you are consuming enough protein without adding unnecessary sugar, fat, or calories to your diet. My go-to collagen supplement is Amandean Marine Collagen. It is totally flavorless, odorless, GMO-free, and has only ~35 calories per 10g scoop. Their collagen supplements are unmatched in bioavailability, meaning you get more bang for your buck. Additionally, because they are both hot and cold soluble, it makes it easy to add a scoop of collagen to black coffee or water during fasting periods to help you feel fuller and more energized throughout the day. You dont need to worry about shoving a giant plastic container into your gym or work bag either because they come in single-serve packetsthat can fit in your pocket!
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How Intermittent Fasting Can Help You Lose Weight
There are many different ways to lose weight.
One strategy that has become popular in recent years is called intermittent fasting .
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that involves regular, short-term fasts or periods of minimal or no food consumption.
Most people understand intermittent fasting as a weight loss intervention. Fasting for short periods of time helps people eat fewer calories, which may result in weight loss over time .
However, intermittent fasting may also help modify risk factors for health conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, such as lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels 30002-0/fulltext” rel=”nofollow”> 2,
There are several different intermittent fasting methods. The most popular ones include:
- the 16:8 method
- Eat Stop Eat
- alternate-day fasting
All methods can be effective, but figuring out which one works best depends on the individual.
To help you choose the method that fits your lifestyle, heres a breakdown of the pros and cons of each.
Intermittent Fasting Can Be Hard But Maybe It Doesnt Have To Be
Initial human studies that compared fasting every other day to eating less every day showed that both worked about equally for weight loss, though people struggled with the fasting days. So, I had written off IF as no better or worse than simply eating less, only far more uncomfortable. My advice was to just stick with the sensible, , diet.
New research is suggesting that not all IF approaches are the same, and some are actually very reasonable, effective, and sustainable, especially when combined with a nutritious plant-based diet. So Im prepared to take my lumps on this one .
We have evolved to be in sync with the day/night cycle, i.e., a circadian rhythm. Our metabolism has adapted to daytime food, nighttime sleep. Nighttime eating is well associated with a higher risk of obesity, as well as .
Based on this, researchers from the University of Alabama conducted a study with a small group of obese men with prediabetes. They compared a form of intermittent fasting called “early time-restricted feeding,” where all meals were fit into an early eight-hour period of the day ,or spread out over 12 hours . Both groups maintained their weight but after five weeks, the eight-hours group had dramatically lower insulin levels and significantly improved insulin sensitivity, as well as significantly lower blood pressure. The best part? The eight-hours group also had significantly decreased appetite. They werent starving.
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Who Shouldnt Use Intermittent Fasting
There are certain circumstances under which intermittent fasting isnt ideal or shouldnt be used. While it is an effective tool, everyones biochemistry is different and can vary at different stages or times in your life.
You should NOT use intermittent fasting if you are:
- Suffering from adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue can occur when you are under a lot of intense stress, have suffered an infection or illness, or are severely sleep-deprived. Adrenal fatigue makes you very tired, and it affects the way you metabolize your food.
- Pregnant or nursing. To sustain the increased caloric needs of growing baby and/or milk production, you should be eating regularly.
- Have or are recovering from an eating disorder. Its important to have and maintain a healthy relationship with food. If you have an eating disorder, please seek professional help. If you are recovering from an eating disorder or have struggled with eating disorders in the past, please do not use intermittent fasting as a weight-loss tool.
- Are a child. Children are growing while they sleep and need a good quality breakfast to replenish their spent energy. An ideal should not include fruit juice or grains, but rather protein and vegetables like a Green Monster Frittata or boiled eggs, meat, and vegetables.
- Consult your healthcare professional prior to beginning a fast if you have any condition you are concerned will be negatively affected by a change in diet.
Is Intermittent Fasting Safe
Some people try intermitting fasting for weight management, and others use the method to address chronic conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, high cholesterol or arthritis. But intermittent fasting isnt for everyone.
Williams stresses that before you try intermittent fasting , you should check in with your primary care practitioner first. Some people should steer clear of trying intermittent fasting:
- Children and teens under age 18.
- Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- People with diabetes or blood sugar problems.
- Those with a history of eating disorders.
But, Williams says, people not in these categories who can do intermittent fasting safely can continue the regimen indefinitely. It can be a lifestyle change, she says, and one with benefits.
Keep in mind that intermittent fasting may have different effects on different people. Talk to your doctor if you start experiencing unusual anxiety, headaches, nausea or other symptoms after you start intermittent fasting.
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So What Happens During A Fast
Its just the food-storage process in reverse. First, your body burns the stored sugar, then it burns the stored fat. In essence, during feeding you store food energy. During fasting, you burn energy from your stored food .
Note that the amount of energy that is used by, and available to, your body stays the same. The basal metabolic rate stays the same. This is the basic energy used for vital organs, breathing, heart function etc. Eating does not increase basal metabolism except for the small amount used to digest food itself .
If you exercise while fasting, the body will start by burning sugar. Glycogen is a molecule composed of many sugars all put together. When it comes time to use it for energy, the liver simply starts breaking all the chains to release the individual sugar molecules that can now be used for energy.
Glycogen And Hitting The Wall
As mentioned before, short term storage of food energy is like a refrigerator. The food energy goes in and out easily, but there is limited storage. Long term storage is like a freezer. Food is harder to get to, but you can store much more of it. If you eat three times a day, its like you go shopping for food three times a day and any leftovers get stored in the fridge. If there is too much for the fridge, it goes into the freezer.
So what happens during fasting and exercise? Well, the body simply pulls energy out of the fridge. Since you have enough glycogen stored up to last over 24 hours on a regular day, you would need to do some serious exercise for a long time before you could exhaust those stores.
Endurance athletes occasionally do hit this wall, where glycogen stores run out. Perhaps there is no more indelible image of hitting the wall as the 1982 Ironman Triathlon where American competitor Julie Moss crawled to the finish line, unable to even stand. Athletes also term complete exhaustion of short term energy stores bonking.
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Intermittent Fasting For Weight Loss 1: 8 Method
Time-restricted method: In the 16:8 method of intermittent fasting, you are allowed to eat only for 8 hours and fast for the next 16 hours every day.
This is simple to follow, for example, you can finish your last meal till 8 PM and are not allowed to eat till 12 PM the next day.
This makes you do 16 hours of fasting with 8 hours of eating. You can include 2 or more meals during your eating cycle.
It may look a little difficult for first-timers but slowly with time can adjust easily with this fasting routine.
The whole story is about how you manage your cravings during your fasting cycle. By two weeks, you will start feeling comfortable with fasting.
Now see the second method of intermittent fasting.
Strong Is The New Skinny
Strength training may conjure up images of extreme bodybuilders or Mac from Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia. But its not all about getting jacked.
Successful strength training requires contracting your muscles against a resisting force such as from lifting weights or supporting your bodyweight in a yoga pose.
One study showed that 10 weeks of resistance training may boost the number of calories burned while resting by 7 percent and reduce body fat by 4 pounds . Burning calories while at rest? Sign us up!
In another study, weight training reduced visceral fat by 78 percent in folks with metabolic syndrome.
Visceral fat may sound like a Marvel villain, but its actually a type of fat that forms around the organs in your belly and can lead to dangerous consequences. You can fight off the evil visceral fat by adding strength training into your workout regime.
The most common form of strength training is you guessed it weight lifting. But if pumping iron isnt your thing, you can try yoga, gym machines, exercise bands, or rearranging furniture in your house to achieve the same results.
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Should I Try Intermittent Fasting
The most effective diet is the one you can stick to while still living your best life. Its hard to know which will work best before trying, but doctors and recent studies offer some guidance. Dr. Peterson said that complete, zero-calorie fasts generally prove to be too difficult to maintain. People stick with them maybe for the short-term, but they get quite hungry in the long-term, she said.
Time-restricted feeding fasting overnight and into the next morning is likely the easiest form of fasting to comply with. A longer than normal fasting period each night allows you to burn through some of your sugar stores, called glycogen. That does a couple things. It gives your body a little bit more time to burn fat. It also may help your body get rid of any extra salt in your diet, which would lower your blood pressure, Dr. Peterson said.
Risks Of Fasted Cardio
While body fat reduction may be a benefit of fasted cardio, it’s important to note some of the potential drawbacks of this nutrition and fitness approach:
- The same 2012 study referenced above that followed fasting effectiveness in athletes during Ramadan found that fasting participants also experienced some negative effects, including dehydration and reduced renal function.
- A 2011 review published in the Strength and Conditioning Journal found that working out in a fasted state could lead to protein loss. While performing a cycling workout, the study participants were found to have lost protein, and in turn, muscle. These findings show that if you’re trying to build muscle mass, fasted cardio may not be the optimal choice.
- Similarly, fasted cardio may not lead to longer workouts. If endurance workoutsmarathon training, for exampleare your goal, fasted cardio may not be the best option. The same 2018 review noted earlier found that consuming food pre-workout can naturally lead to a longer endurance aerobic session. On the other hand, working out in a fasted state can result in a shorter workout.
- Another 2019 study measured the workout efficiency of 20 male cyclists who performed fasted workouts and fed workouts. After both sessions, the study authors found that fasted workouts negatively impact workout intensity and volume. Such research suggests that working out on an empty stomach can adversely impact how intensely you perform a workout.
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