So Is Intermittent Fasting As Good As It Sounds
I was very curious about this, so I asked the opinion of metabolic expert Dr. Deborah Wexler, Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Diabetes Center and associate professor at Harvard Medical School. Here is what she told me. “There is evidence to suggest that the circadian rhythm fasting approach, where meals are restricted to an eight to 10-hour period of the daytime, is effective,” she confirmed, though generally she recommends that people “use an eating approach that works for them and is sustainable to them.”
So, heres the deal. There is some good scientific evidence suggesting that circadian rhythm fasting, when combined with a healthy diet and lifestyle, can be a particularly effective approach to weight loss, especially for people at risk for diabetes.
Putting It All Together
Now you know that there is nothing to fear when it comes to intermittent fasting. Although you will feel hungry at first, your body will adjust by activating autophagy and burning more fat and ketones for fuel.
Ketogenic diet researchers suggest a longer intermittent fast followed by shorter daily intermittent fasts. You can use a fasting protocol that includes fasting for up to 3 days, 3 times a year with a shorter 16 to 20 hour fast on the days before and after the 3-day fasts.
Whether you are fasting for 16 hours or 3 days, it is important to monitor your mineral levels to avoid symptoms of refeeding syndrome.
Supplementing with sodium from unrefined salt and potassium, phosphate, and magnesium from mineral-rich foods and supplements may be necessary for you to avoid excess mineral loss caused by ketogenic diets and fasting.
Fasting Is About More Than Weight Loss
Samantha’s husband Kevin is also participating in the experiment, but he’s on the 5:2 diet.
Kevin must eat a healthy diet for five days but cut;his;kilojoules down to 2,500 on Tuesdays and Thursdays that’s less than a quarter of his regular intake.
Unlike Samantha, he starts to lose weight immediately.
“I managed to pull an extra notch on my belt for my pants, so that’s an inch down on my belt size,” he says.
“I’m happy to carry on.”
ABC: Catalyst
The research into the effectiveness of fasting diets “really is in the early days,”; but Dr McMillan is hopeful that her experiment will show the benefits of fasting reach beyond weight loss.
“We’re so obsessed with weight in this culture, we talk about diet in terms of just weight loss. But is about what we eat and its impact on our whole body,” she says.
“What the research seems to show is that, at least in the short term, fasting is at least as effective as a traditional calorie-controlled weight-loss diet.
“But if we only look at;fasting as a weight-loss trend, we demean the research we do have into fasting.”
Recommended Reading: Can You Have Coffee While Intermittent Fasting
What Are Intermittent Fasting Diets
The 5:2 diet was recently the topic of a popular BBC documentary and book, and it’s based on the principle of intermittent fasting or alternate-day fasting . Intermittent fasting means you eat normally at certain times and then fast or dramatically reduce your calorie intake at other times.
The 5:2 fasting plan calls for eating normally on five days of the week and fasting on the remaining two days. An alternative pattern of intermittent fasting involves a 12-hour overnight fast between dinner and breakfast. The Bulletproof diet suggests an extended daily fast , which is achieved by consuming only coffee enriched with grass-fed butter and coconut oil in the morning and consuming a healthy low-carbohydrate meal in the evening. This pattern induces ketosis. Alternate day fasting has been researched in animals and has variable benefits.
Research on intermittent fasting demonstrates fasting can increase life span, improve how the brain works, and protect against disease; but most of those claims are based on research conducted in animals like rats and mice. Among high-quality human studies, intermittent fasting appears to improve stress resilience at a cellular level, resulting in fewer spikes and troughs in blood sugar, cortisol, and other markers of oxidative stress.
How The Fasting Mimicking Diet Works
This diet mimics a 5:2 fasting diet, where fasters eat about 25 percent of their regular caloric intake for two days and then eat normally for five days. This typically means the dieter eats about 500-600 calories on the fasting days, which are not necessarily back to back.
The Fasting Mimicking Diet works similarly, except that the diet calls for reducing calorie intake for five days and normal calorie intake on the other two days. The Fasting Mimicking Diet never calls for completely fasting. The idea is to supply the body with just enough calories to feel satiated, but not full, while also allowing the body to enter gluconeogenesis, the process by which the body converts fat and other non-carbohydrates to glucose .
In fact, the Fast Mimicking Diet only requires the dieter to follow the program for five days out of the month, with the rest of the month relying on regular, but healthy, meals.
Also Check: What Are Intermittent Fasting Hours
Is The 1: 8 Diet Good For You
Some advocates of the 16:8 diet claim it helps control blood sugar levels and boost brain function, but theres little scientific evidence to back these up. And if you dont stick to nutritious food during the eight-hour window, any positive effects are quickly negated. In other words, 16 hours of fasting doesnt compensate for eight hours of stuffing your face with junk food.
For the best results, you should be careful about your choice of eating window. According to Freirich, it should start early in the day, preferably no later than about 10 a.m., and finish early in the evening. This allows for the energy you consume during your eating window to serve your activities throughout the day, plus its in line with our natural circadian rhythms, presuming you wake up around 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., she explains. If you choose a much later eating window, say 4 p.m. to 12 a.m, you could actually see weight gain, she warns.
How Do You Get Started With Intermittent Fasting
One common mistake I see with Intermittent Fasting is people jump in without a plan. I’ve seen this mistake lead to hormone imbalances, extreme sugar cravings and halted weight loss results. I believe that knowledge is power and with the right tools, you can achieve your wellness dreams while still eat foods you love!
That’s why I created The Complete Intermittent Fasting Program. It contains all of the latest research on Intermittent Fasting, breaks down the science so you can understand what you’re doing and why. It even has 8 weeks of meal-by-meal planning with delicious recipes to help keep you satiated AND your taste buds happy! I’m talking L.A. Street Tacos, Pumpkin Chili, Strawberry Coconut Muffins, Spicy Curry and MORE! The Program also includes a 3 week workout program and exercise strategies specifically designed for Intermittent Fasting in order to maximize your fat burning results!
Also Check: How Long Is Fasting Blood Sugar
We Asked Nutritionist Kerry Torrens For Her View
Is it safe?
Much of the emphasis of these diets is on the fasting stage,;but in order to be a safe, effective and;healthy style of eating, the;food consumed during your eating windows needs to be of high nutritional value. Aim;to include essential fats from oily fish, nuts and seeds,;lean sources of protein, wholegrains and starchy carbs and plenty of fruit and vegetables to supply dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals.
Is it effective for weight loss and is it sustainable?
Studies suggest that when you compare IF with daily calorie restriction it is equally as effective at promoting weight loss in those who are overweight and obese. Results will vary, however, dependent on your individual circumstances and the amount of weight you have to lose. How effective it is in the longer term will depend on your ability to maintain this style of eating going forward. This is because IF is not so much a diet but rather a programme of eating, which means sustaining the weight loss is all down to how well you adapt;your eating patterns in the long term.
How do different versions of IF compare?
Who should be more careful when considering fasting?
Please note: if youre considering attempting any form of diet, please consult your GP first to ensure you can do so without risk to health.
What Are The Potential Drawbacks Of Intermittent Fasting
While intermittent fasting can offer notable health benefits, there can be some drawbacks , especially when you’re first starting out. Plus, there are some groups of people that should avoid intermittent fasting all together. Because IF calls for restricting calories during some hours of the day, its not for everyone. And it could be particularly harmful if you fall into any of these categories:
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Anyone with a history of an eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia: Intermittent fasting calls for ignoring or pushing past certain hunger cues, which can trigger a complicated relationship with hunger and food for those with eating disorders or predisposition to eating disorders.
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Pregnant or breastfeeding women: Although there hasnt been sufficient research on pregnancy or breastfeeding and fasting, these conditions generally require increased caloric and nutrient intake and are therefore not considered compatible with intermittent fasting.
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People who are underweight: If youre underweight or have trouble gaining weight, then intermittent fasting is not recommended since those who fast often consume fewer calories than those who dont.
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Extreme exercisers: Expert opinions vary when it comes to exercising in a fasted state. Some believe working out before eating might result in a little extra fat burning, but that it could also lead to diminished performance, weakness, or instability.
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Act As If You Already Have Things You Prefer
Theres a saying something like fake it till you make it. Well, this is the law of attraction at the workplace. If you put on an act as if something currently happened.
As an example by putting on apparel that make one look thinner or perhaps just grinning frequently- afterwards it will certainly take place!
It must involve taking enthusiastic activities to attain what we desire; such points can include: climbing early along with exercising prior to job so when reaching the workplace theres no requirement to feel worn down from lack of rest do all work with power rather than dragging oneself with them.
It is important to have a common sense of self-care which entails not ignoring our extremely own needs nonetheless instead put ourselves first once again while maintaining our mind on our objective of ending up being healthy and fit considering that doing otherwise can lead us down.
What Is Intermittent Fasting And Does It Really Work
The best diet is the one where you are healthy, hydrated and living your best life.
Generally, intermittent fasting is a diet strategy that involves alternating periods of eating and extended fasting. Theres quite a bit of debate in our research community: How much of the benefits of intermittent fasting are just due to the fact that it helps people eat less? Could you get the same benefits by just cutting your calories by the same amount? said Courtney M. Peterson, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham who studies time-restricted feeding, a form of intermittent fasting.
We asked Dr. Peterson and a few other experts to help us sort out the real from the scam on intermittent fasting.
Also Check: How To Lose Weight From Intermittent Fasting
How Much Weight Can You Lose On 1: 8 Diet
To lose weight on the 16:8 diet, its important to match the fasting with healthy eating and exercise. If done so correctly, theres a typical weight loss of around seven to 11 pounds over a ten week period. This is according to a review of 40 different studies published in Molecular and Cellular Endocrincology who found that on average, someone weighing just over 90kg would lose 5% of their total body weight in the ten week period.
A 2018 study published in the Journal of Nutrition and Healthy Eating revealed that the 16:8 diet plan can help people lose weight, without having to count calories as the 8-hour fast produces the same kind of calorific restriction and weight loss.
However, whether theres a distinct weight loss advantage achieved on the 16:8 diet compared to other diets remains to be seen. Some studies have demonstrated that theres almost no difference between people who do intermittent fasting compared those who count calories and cut back on unhealthy food.
How To Do It
The easiest way to follow the 16:8 diet is to choose a 16-hour fasting window that includes the time that a person spends sleeping.
Some experts advise finishing food consumption in the early evening, as metabolism slows down after this time. However, this is not feasible for everyone.
Some people may not be able to consume their evening meal until 7 p.m. or later. Even so, it is best to avoid food for 23 hours before bed.
People may choose one of the following 8-hour eating windows:
- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- noon to 8 p.m.
Within this timeframe, people can eat their meals and snacks at convenient times. Eating regularly is important to prevent blood sugar peaks and dips and to avoid excessive hunger.
Some people may need to experiment to find the best eating window and mealtimes for their lifestyle.
Recommended Reading: What Does Intermitten Fasting Do
Planning Your Water Fast
How Do I Try Intermittent Fasting
There are four popular fasting approaches: periodic fasting, time-restricted feeding, alternate-day fasting and the 5:2 diet. Time-restricted feeding, sometimes called daily intermittent fasting, is perhaps the easiest and most popular fasting method. Daily intermittent fasters restrict eating to certain time periods each day, say 11 in the morning to 7 at night. The fasting period is usually around 12 or more hours that, helpfully, includes time spent sleeping overnight. Periodic fasting will feel most familiar: no food or drinks with calories for 24-hour periods. Another type of fast, alternate-day fasting requires severe calorie reduction every other day. Lastly, the 5:2 method was popularized by author Kate Harrisons book The 5:2 Diet” and requires fasting on two nonconsecutive days a week.
Recommended Reading: What’s Better Intermittent Fasting Or Keto
/8 Intermittent Fasting Tips
Many people need an adjustment period to get used to fasting for 16 hours, Dr. Mattson notes, adding that you might feel irritable and hungry during that time. Such feelings often improve within four weeks or so, he says.
You may also need a little while to figure out how best to approach eating within your eight-hour window. It comes down to your appetite, Harbstreet says. A little trial and error with the approach is a good ideawhether you go with three meals in the eight hours, or two meals and a snack or two.
Your needs and preferences might vary somewhat from day to day, but having a general sense of your preferred approach will help you make a plan for what to eat when.
What Is Intermittent Fasting And Why Would You Do It
Intermittent fasting is not a diet, it’s a pattern of eating. It’s a way of scheduling your meals so that you get the most out of them. Intermittent fasting doesnt change what you eat, it changes when you eat.
Why is it worthwhile to change when youre eating?
Well, most notably, its a great way to get lean without going on a crazy diet or cutting your calories down to nothing. In fact, most of the time you’ll try to keep your calories the same when you start intermittent fasting. Additionally, intermittent fasting is a good way to keep muscle mass on while getting lean.
With all that said, the main reason people try intermittent fasting is to lose fat. We’ll talk about how intermittent fasting leads to fat loss in a moment.
Perhaps most importantly, intermittent fasting is one of the simplest strategies we have for taking bad weight off while keeping good weight on because it requires very little behavior change. This is a very good thing because it means intermittent fasting falls into the category of simple enough that you’ll actually do it, but meaningful enough that it will actually make a difference.
Also Check: Why Should I Do Intermittent Fasting
