Which Intermittent Fasting Is Best For Weight Loss
It would probably be The Warrior Diet .A 20-hour fast is considered to be one of the oldest and most effective methods of fasting. It allows you to eat small portions of certain food types at dinner. During that dinner period, you should also work out. This fasting method provides amazing results, though it is really hard to follow such an extreme eating regime for a longer period of time.The most popular fasting method would be 16:8. Its easy to follow and results can be amazing as well.
Intermittent Fasting For Treating Obesity: Is It Superior To Daily Caloric Restriction
A systematic review searching for human trials published from January 1, 2000 to July 1, 2019 focusing on IF for weight loss, found only 18 small RCTs and 9 trials without active controls :117-25.). In this study, the average reduction in body mass index was 4.3%, with weight losses ranging from 0.8% to 13%, and a high grade of heterogeneity. Still, it concluded that it was not possible to directly compare IF with other strategies of caloric restriction. Some of the most relevant studies will be discussed below.
Wilkinson and cols. performed a trial in which individuals who had a mean eating interval of 15.13 hours per day, reduced it to a mean of 10.78 h for 12 weeks :92-104.e5.). The individuals baseline status was used as the control, and the results showed a mean of 3.3 kg weight loss and a decrease in fat mass, LDL-cholesterol and non-HDL-cholesterol, blood pressure, and alterations of other metabolic factors. This was a single-arm study, and though mixed linear models suggested that metabolic improvements were not attributed to changes in weight, the lack of a control arm prevents a definite conclusion :92-104.e5.).
How To Begin 16 8 Fasting
For people that get hungry first thing in the morning, this 16 8 Fasting schedule may be a bit tough to embrace. My suggestion is to push back the morning window by 30 minutes every day or two until youre comfortable waiting until 12pm to begin your 8 hour eating window.
You can also consider drinking water, coffee and other drinks that have no calories. This does help reduce the feelings of hunger and make it a little easier to transition.
Read Also: How Many Hours In Intermittent Fasting
Cut The Work Of Weight Loss In Half By Fasting At Night
Losing weight is not your full-time profession, but it is an investment in your future.
You need a strategy that pays off on the scale that doesnt waste your time and energy.
Fasting at night is a weight loss strategy that pays a high dividend for minimal effort.
Fasting is already something you do on a nightly basis you call it sleeping.
By extending your natural nightly fast a few hours before bed and a couple of hours in the morning, you create a time-restricted eating pattern that encourages your body to burn fat without the need for strict dieting during the day.
Benefits Of Fasting How Is Fasting Good For Fat Loss
The first google answer to the question, how to lose weight with fast naturally often comes out to be intermittent fasting.
But ever wondered how fasting can be beneficial for your weight loss?
Well, let us tell you how!
Studies show that following healthy fasting plans like intermittent fasting or alternate-day fasting work pretty well for weight loss.
Few recent studies that claimed almost similar results are:
- A study on non-obese individuals following alternate-day fasting showed an increase in fat oxidation and weight loss.
- A study on obese patients showed that alternate-day fasting was effective in losing weight.
- In young overweight women, alternate-day fasting was effective for weight loss.
Hence, we can clearly say that fasting is effective in weight loss.
But does fasting work only through calorie restrictions?
No, there is much more to fasting than just cutting back on calories.
It has got many more benefits that work in favor of making you lose weight. Have a look below:
Read Also: What Is The Best Fasting Way To Lose Weight
Fasting And Weight Loss Why Is Intermittent Fasting Good For Weight Loss
Several studies claim that intermittent fasting boosts weight loss through various mechanisms.
As it involves restricting calories, it eventually leads to a decrease in your calorie intake with time.
It also increases norepinephrine levels, which is a hormone that boosts metabolism and increases your ability to burn calories.
Furthermore, fasting helps reduce insulin levels, promoting lipolysis and fat burn.
This promotes weight loss.
In fact, some researchers also claim that intermittent fasting helps in retaining lean muscle mass.
A review found intermittent fasting to have the ability to reduce body weight by up to 8% and body fat by 16% in just 3-12 weeks.
Altogether, the intermittent fasting weight loss results are quite impressive and worth noting.
However, many people might also raise questions like, how long does it take for 16/8 intermittent fasting to work.
For all such questions, we would like to highlight the fact that results usually vary from person to person.
It will take time for it to show results however, you can boost up the Intermittent fasting benefits by coupling it with the keto diet.
Some of the intermittent fasting benefits apart from weight loss include:
- Better heart health
- Good control over blood sugar level
- An elderly person
- Suffering from a chronic disease
We suggest you not indulge in fasting in any way in these cases as it could cause serious problems to your health.
Secretion Of Growth Hormones
According to a study conducted for 5 days among men on fasting, GH levels were higher when observed on the first and fifth day.
A later study conducted for two days showed that fasting increased both intensity and frequency of GH secretion in men.
A more recent study established that 24-hour fasts can increase GH by 1300% in women and 2000% in men.
Also Check: Is Fasting Good For Your Heart
Fasting At Night Makes The Most Of Your Circadian Rhythm
Youve heard of your circadian rhythm before, but what you might not have known is that all of your body organs follow a natural rhythm.
Your digestive system is programmed to be more efficient during the day and rest at night. When your digestive system is resting, the door to fat-burning is opened.
The circadian rhythm also regulates the function of many genes that influence metabolism.
Fasting at night allows your body to follow its natural cycle, further enhancing your fat-burning potential.
Typical Fasting Weight Loss Plans
Fasting regimens vary, but the basic premise usually starts with a strict regimen allowing only water, juice and/or some kind of laxative concoction. Some plans allow a few solid foods, but are still called fasts because they provide so few calories.
Not all fasts are created equal. Some can be perfectly safe, such as medical fasts supervised by a physician. Religious and cultural fasts are typically undertaken as an act of devotion, last from 24-48 hours, and are not intended to promote weight loss.
Fasts lasting a day or two are unlikely to be dangerous for most healthy adults. But high-risk people, the elderly, anyone with a chronic disease, pregnant women, and children are advised against any type of fasting.
The real danger lies in staying on the fast for prolonged periods, anywhere from three days to a month.
You May Like: How To Lose Weight Fast While Fasting
Who Should Not Do A Water Fast For Weight Loss
After my research, the water fast for weight loss sounded pretty good to me but I still wanted to be sure that I wouldnt harm my body by quitting food altogether. People who are advised not to fast, not just water fasting, include people with or who are:
- who have eating disorders
- people with serious heart problems
- people with type 1 diabetes, and
- people who have uncontrolled migraines.
Since I wasnt in any of these groups I decided to give water fasting ago. Now I had to determine the duration of my fast. Most sources recommend fasting for somewhere between 5 days and 2 weeks but I also discovered stories of people who had managed to survive on water for up to 45 days. I was definitely not ready for that length of time. Most people who had tried it followed a 7 day water fast weight loss strategy.
Despite my nagging doubts, my final decision was still to go big and start a 20 day water fast and heres how it went. Follow my journey now:
Pick A Timeframe That Works Best For You
Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that an intermittent fasting window both the four-hour and the six-hour windows will have the same benefits for weight loss. But they recommend that you should choose a timeframe that works best for you.
Alternate day fasting, whole-day fasting, and time-restricted fasting are popular types of intermittent fasting. According to lead researcher Krista Varady, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois at Chicago, time-restricted eating is more sustainable for the average person.
A previous study by Varady and her team has found that alternate-day fasting tends to have a high dropout rate of about 30 percent. But there were almost no dropouts in this new study.
If you want to try intermittent fasting to lose weight, you can choose a window that suits you as two hours difference won’t make any difference and give almost the same benefits.
Many people think that if you restrict your eating time, you’ll end up eating more, but the new study didn’t find that to be true.
Don’t Miss: What Is The Best Time For Intermittent Fasting
Fasting Can Reduce Calories Without Restricting Food Groups
Regardless of the style of fasting, this most recent study suggests that fasting works to facilitate weight loss simply by reducing calorie intake.
During the eating windows, participants were allowed to eat as much of any food they chose. They had to stick to only water and other zero-calorie beverage during their fasting period.
Researchers estimated that both fasting groups ate about 550 fewer calories each day as a result of fasting. Again, the two-hour longer fasting period did not appear to make a significant difference.
Participants did report some initial side effects of fasting such as fatigue, headaches, and dizziness, but those dissipated after three weeks, indicating it can take a little time for the body to adjust to a new fasting diet.
The fasting groups also showed improvements in their insulin resistance and oxidative stress after the 10 weeks more promising evidence that fasting could improve overall metabolic health and even resistance to chronic disease.
Read more:
Breaking Your Fast: What To Do After A 24
- When you come off your fast, you cant just go back to eating normally. If you go about this the wrong way, you might disrupt your digestive system, and we dont want that, do we?
- To ease the load on your digestive system, eat a small meal.
- At least 30 times, chew each bite of food.
- Cooked food is more easily digestible than raw food.
- Dont experiment with new foods. This could result in intestinal problems.
You May Like: Is Water Fasting Good For Fat Loss
What Research Shows About Alternate
It appears to work for weight loss and disease prevention, according to some scientific studies. But is alternate-day fasting practical and effective for the long term compared to typical calorie-restricted diets?
We consulted the research and nutrition experts for a holistic answer. Here, youll find an explanation of what clinical trials have shown, plus practical advice from Skylar Griggs, MS, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian and owner of Newbury Street Nutrition as well as lead dietitian for the preventive cardiology division at Childrens Hospital Boston and Jill Edwards, MS, CEP, Director of Education for the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies.
Dangers Of Fasting For Weight Loss
When you dramatically reduce your calorie intake, you will lose weight. But it can also cause all kinds of health problems, including muscle loss. Further, when you start fasting, your body goes into conservation mode, burning calories more slowly.
Keep in mind that the initial weight lost on a fast is primarily fluid or “water weight,” not fat. And when you go back to eating, any lost weight usually gets a return ticket back. Not only do most people regain weight lost on a fast, they tend to add a few extra pounds because a slower metabolism makes it easier to gain weight. Worse, the weight that is regained is likely to be all fat — lost muscle has to be added back at the gym.
Continued
Side effects of fasting include dizziness, headaches, low blood sugar, muscle aches, weakness, and fatigue. Prolonged fasting can lead to anemia, a weakened immune system, liver and kidney problems, and irregular heartbeat. Fasting can also result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies, muscle breakdown, and diarrhea. When you drink laxative concoctions during a fast, there is an increased risk of fluid imbalance and dehydration.
The risks get more complicated and severe the longer you stay on a fast, or if you repeatedly go on fasts.
You May Like: How Many Calories To Eat On Intermittent Fasting
How To Get Started
Getting started is simple.
In fact, chances are youve already done many intermittent fasts before. Many people instinctively eat this way, skipping morning or evening meals.
The easiest way to get started is to choose one of the intermittent fasting methods above and give it a go.
However, you dont need to necessarily follow a structured plan.
An alternative is to fast whenever it suits you. Skipping meals from time to time when you dont feel hungry or dont have time to cook can work for some people.
At the end of the day, it doesnt matter which type of fast you choose. The most important thing is to find a method that works best for you and your lifestyle.
Summary
The easy way to get started is to choose one of the methods above and give it a go. Stop immediately if you experience any adverse effects.
Meal Planning Ideas For Quick Weight Loss
Putting together very-low-carb meals can be simple:
- Start with a generous serving of protein
- Add as many low-carb vegetables as you like
- Use fat as needed for cooking or in salad dressing
- Season with salt, pepper, and spices
- Drink water, coffee, or tea
What about calories? We dont recommend counting calories when trying to lose weight. However, we suggest that you eat only when hungry and stop as soon as you begin to feel full.
Read Also: How Quickly Can I Lose Weight With Intermittent Fasting
Improved Workouts Thanks To Intermittent Fasting
According to PubMed, training with limited carbohydrate availability can stimulate adaptations in muscle cells to facilitate energy production via fat oxidation.
Which means, when you workout during the fasting window of your 12 hour intermittent fasting, your body gets better at burning fat for energy since there are no foods to pull from.
You May Like: What Foods Can You Eat When You Are Intermittent Fasting
Seven Ways To Do Intermittent Fasting
There are many different ways of intermittent fasting. The methods vary in the number of fast days and the calorie allowances.
Intermittent fasting involves entirely or partially abstaining from eating for a set amount of time, before eating regularly again.
Some studies suggest that this way of eating may offer benefits such as fat loss, better health, and increased longevity. Proponents claim that an intermittent fasting program is easier to maintain than traditional, calorie-controlled diets.
Each persons experience of intermittent fasting is individual, and different styles will suit different people.
In this article, we discuss the research behind the most popular types of intermittent fasting and provide tips on how to maintain this type of diet.
There are various methods of intermittent fasting, and people will prefer different styles. Read on to find out about seven different ways to do intermittent fasting.
Also Check: How To Lose Weight Using Intermittent Fasting
Fasting: New Twist On An Old Tradition
Historically, the word breakfast described the first meal of the day no matter when that meal occurred. It wasnt until the 15th century that the word started being recognized as the meal you consume shortly after waking.
Nowadays, with intermittent fasting gaining popularity, the meaning of the word breakfast is going back to its original roots. Breakfast for the intermittent faster is the meal consumed when you choose to break your fast, be it 6:00 AM or 6:00 PM.
Fasting, especially for religious purposes, has been a common occurrence for centuries. And generally, throughout most of human history, not much concern was given to how to break the fast.
However, in an age of poor dietary advice, when we are told to eat all day long and when hyper-palatable highly processed food abounds it can take a little more planning to resume eating in a way that achieves the most physical comfort and most effective results for your long-term health and weight loss goals.
When Should I Exercise
When Varady and her colleagues conducted a study that combined alternate day fasting and exercise, they allowed the participants to pick whether they wanted to exercise on a feasting or fasting day, and found there was no strong preference one way or the other. But the researchers were surprised the dieters actually reported feeling more energetic on fasting days.
You May Like: How Often Should I Weigh Myself With Intermittent Fasting
