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Ive been a dietitian for nearly 15 years, so Ive read my share of research on IF, Ive written about it a handful of times, and Ive even tried intermittent fasting out for myself. Heres my take: it works really well for some people regardless of what type of IF they follow, but one common denominator is that plenty of folks out there are doing it wrong.
There happens to be a lot of misinformation floating around the internet , so I culled a list of some of the top comments and questions on Reddits Intermittent Fasting thread and answered them the best I could. Here are some common questions I found about IF, plus some common mistakes to avoid when trying it.
How Many Calories Do You Burn While Fasting
Theres no doubt that fasting can be very beneficial to your health, but one of the chief reasons people do it is to lose weight. It makes sense that by consuming fewer calories during a fast , that the pounds would come off. Still, youd like more quantifiable information before starting your first intermittent fast. Namely, how many calories do you burn while fasting?
According to YouTube channel Siim Land, the more muscular you are, the more calories you can burn during intermittent fasting. Even a single pound of muscle can torch 50 calories while up to five pounds will burn 250 calories each day. Compare that to a pound of fat, where your body burns only five calories. If you increase that to five pounds of fat, you torch only 20 calories each day.
In this article, well take a deep dive into the ways your body functions when intermittent fasting and why you can burn the number of calories you do. Well even tell you how to possibly increase your calorie burning capacity. If youre thinking of starting your first intermittent fast, youre not going to want to miss this!
How Does Intermittent Fasting 14/10 Work
The intermittent fasting 14/10, especially if accompanied by the well-balanced healthy diet, has shown to be quite effective at weight loss, to say the least. When a person enters a fast, their body has no caloric intake and thus no glucose to burn in order to turn it into energy. But it still needs energy to support the body functions and perform physical and brain activities.
That is when it enters the state called ketosis due to the lack of glucose, and it will start to use the deposited fat. In such a way it can not only only help you lose weight but may also reduce the most dangerous type of fat , which is located around your organs, decreasing the risk of different diseases. Furthermore, if you start to eat healthy during a fast, you are doubling the positive effect of the intermittent fasting 14/10.
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How Much Protein Should You Eat
Intermittent fasting designates an eating window for you to consume all of your days nutrients. However, just because your eating window is smaller while fasting, doesnt mean you should eat less protein. You must power your body with protein to feel full during your fast and maintain a high level of energy throughout the day.
According to the National Academy of Medicine, adults should consume a minimum of 7 grams of protein for every 20 pounds of body weight. If youre approximately 150 pounds, you should consume just over 50 grams of protein per day. If youre approximately 250 pounds, you should increase your daily protein intake up to 90 grams.
A Complete Guide To Intermittent Fasting 20/4
In life, it takes time to build on skills. Classical pianists once poked at the black and white keysmuch like you and I woulduntil they improved and perfected their craft. Although intermittent fasting isnt going to send you straight to Carnegie Hall, it will make you feel better and improve your overall health. However, just like anything, you have to start somewhere, and although 20/4 intermittent fasting isnt quite for beginners, it is a worthy goal for the road ahead.
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How Fast Can You Lose Weight On Intermittent Fasting : 6
A persons weight loss pace depends on lots of factors and varies individually. Technically, the more calories you reduce, the faster you shed pounds. However, that is not always the case. Drastic calorie restriction may cause your body to enter the surviving mode, where you may stop burning fat and start burning muscles instead while packing on energy in the form of fat. Experts recommend losing 1-2 pounds a week . Such a weight loss pace is the safest and the most sustainable.
Intermittent Diet Calories A Day How Many Calories To Eat
Intermittent fasting is one of the popular dieting means exploited to lose weight, lead, maintain a healthy life, and indulge in a simpler and more robust routine. It, however, does not have a strict layout of how much you should consume it is, instead, a diet pattern involving eating and fasting periods. With that in mind, it gets a bit tricky in determining intermittent diet calories a day. Below is a quick insight into how you can settle on the ideal intermittent diet calories a day.
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Why Follow Intermittent Fasting
This eating plan has been proven to work in weight loss. It improves blood sugar control and cholesterol level. This study suggeststhat intermittent fasting regimens may be a promising approach to losing weight and improving metabolic health for people who can safely tolerate intervals of not eating, or eating very little, for certain hours of the day, night, or days of the week.
May Play A Role In Cancer Treatment And Prevention
This potential benefit is still a bit up in the air. Animal models have shown that periodic fasting may help protect normal cells from the toxic effects of chemotherapy drugs while sensitizing cancer cells to the treatment .
When it comes to human trials, the data is still inconclusive. Weight control and reduced inflammation in the body could reduce the development of cancer, but further research is needed to understand the role fasting may play in cancer treatment .
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Ways To Use This Information For Better Health
So Is Intermittent Fasting As Good As It Sounds
According to metabolic expert Dr. Deborah Wexler, Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Diabetes Center and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, says “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.” But still 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.
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What Can I Eat While Intermittent Fasting
During the times when youre not eating, water and zero-calorie beverages such as black coffee and tea are permitted.
And during your eating periods, eating normally does not mean going crazy. Youre not likely to lose weight or get healthier if you pack your feeding times with high-calorie junk food, super-sized fried items and treats.
But what Williams likes about intermittent fasting is that it allows for a range of different foods to be eaten and enjoyed. We want people to be mindful and take pleasure in eating good, nutritious food, she says. She adds that eating with others and sharing the mealtime experience adds satisfaction and supports good health.
Williams, like most nutrition experts, regards the Mediterranean diet as a good blueprint of what to eat, whether youre trying intermittent fasting or not. You can hardly go wrong when you pick complex, unrefined carbohydrates such as whole grains, leafy greens, healthy fats and lean protein.
Make The Calories Count
Not all calories are the same. Although these fasting methods do not set restrictions on how many calories a person should consume when fasting, it is essential to consider the nutritional value of the food.
In general, a person should aim to consume nutrient-dense food, or food with a high number of nutrients per calorie. Though a person may not have to abandon junk food entirely, they should still practice moderation and focus on more healthful options to gain the most benefits.
Fasting has several effects on a persons body. These effects include:
- Reducing levels of insulin, which makes it easier for the body to use stored fat.
- Lowering blood sugars, blood pressure, and inflammation levels.
- Changing the expression of certain genes, which helps the body protect itself from disease as well as promoting longevity.
- Dramatically increases human growth hormone, or HGH, which helps the body utilize body fat and grow muscle.
- The body activates a healing process doctors call autophagy, which essentially means that the body digests or recycles old or damaged cell components.
Fasting dates back to ancient humans who often went hours or days between meals as obtaining food was difficult. The human body adapted to this style of eating, allowing extended periods to pass between food intake times.
Research also shows fasting to be beneficial for the management of metabolic syndrome and diabetes,
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Mistake #: Youre Pushing Yourself Too Hard
Ive been doing IF almost 2 months, mostly OMAD, sometimes 48/72 hours extended fasts. The last 3 or 4 days whenever I break my fast I feel a great regret. I always feel like I could push the fast a little longer. What should I do?
Extending a fast doesnt supercharge the powers of IF. If this sounds familiar to you, please find yourself a counselor who specializes in eating disorders. Im not saying you, or this person here, has an eating disorder, but food should not induce feelings of remorse or regret. Left untreated, this could develop into a larger problem. And also, huge kudos to this person for so bravely speaking up and sharing their food feelings!
Try Sticking To The Following Foods On The 1: 8 Diet:
- Whole grains: Ones like rice, oats, barley, wholegrain pasta and quinoa will keep you fuller for longer.
- Protein: Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds will keep you full.
- Fruit: Apples, bananas, berries, oranges and pears will offer good vitamin sustenance.
- Vegetables: Broccoli and leafy greens are especially good for making sure youre eating enough fibre.
- Healthy fats: Olive oil, coconut oil, avocados.
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How Soon Will I See Results From Intermittent Fasting
The same is with intermittent fasting . Experts suggest that a person needs to follow the basic rules for at least 10 weeks to witness some positive results . Following the diet properly for this period of time will help you shed 3 to 5 kilos of weight .
How Many Meals To Eat When Intermittent Fasting
As we have just discovered, eating less often keeps insulin levels in check and burn fat. For this reason, science has proven that snacks cannot help you lose weight .
Intermittent fasting, unlike conventional dieting, has the advantage that you can always increase it.
If you like, you can eat only once a day instead of twice or even fast for several days. Thus, it is incredibly flexible.
Nevertheless, you should not immediately overstrain your body when you start intermittent fasting. For example, it is advantageous to establish simple rules when you start:
- Lunch and dinner only
- Between the two meals, natural snacks, like a handful of walnuts, are allowed
With time and experience, you will get to know your body better, and you can stop snacks completely or eat one big meal a day.
In any case, an 8-hour eating period is enough to lose weight with the appropriate diet.
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When Is The Best Time To Eat Protein
When you decide to consume your protein will vary depending on the intermittent fasting protocol you choose. For instance, if you choose a 16:8 protocol, during which you fast for 16 hours throughout the night and into the morning, youll likely prefer to eat your protein later in the evening before your fast begins. Ideally, you should eat some protein before starting a fast to feel full longer. However, you can choose to start your day with more protein as well.
If you increase your protein intake with breakfast or the first meal you have when you break your fast researchers believe youll have greater appetite control during the day, lower your insulin levels, and eat less at lunchtime. On the other hand, experts found that eating protein with dinner will also increase satiety and make it less likely you indulge in unhealthy food in the evening. Remember you dont need to eat all of the days protein at once within your eating window, so feel free to make breakfast or dinner more protein-focused while still incorporating protein-rich foods like yogurt or oats.
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What Exactly Is The 1: 8 Diet
Its pretty simple. Basically, during your 16-hour “fasting” period, you limit yourself to black tea, coffee, or diet soda. Then, for the next eight hours, you can eat whatever you want . That’s it.
Scientifically, at least, the 16:8 diet seems to check out. In a recent study published in the journal Nutrition and Healthy Aging, 23 obese men and women followed the 16:8 diet for 12 weeks. Compared to a group that ate normally, those on the 16:8 diet took in 350 fewer calories per day, lost a modest amount of weight , and lowered their blood pressure.
But, keep in mind: This was a small study and few others have examined the 16:8 diet specifically, so its tough to draw any firm conclusions just yet. More research needs to be conducted before we can see if and how it can be implemented into an actual plan effectively, confirms Beth Warren, RDN, founder of Beth Warren Nutrition and author of Secrets of a Kosher Girl.
Still, other types of intermittent fasting show promise. The 5:2 diet, for example , resulted in more weight and fat loss compared to day-to-day calorie restriction in a 2017 study in the International Journal of Obesity.
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Eat Often Or Intermittent Fasting
The main difference between eating less but more often and strict periods without meals is a hormonal change.
Accordingly, intermittent fasting shows a more potent reduction of insulin levels as well as insulin resistance, which enables better fat burning .
In addition to the growth hormone, which protects muscle mass, the hormone noradrenaline increases to boost metabolism during fasting .
In contrast to intermittent fasting, conventional calorie restriction leads to a loss of muscle mass. Also, the basal metabolic rate decreases if you eat less but frequently.
Consequently, a study with the participants of the weight-loss TV show The Biggest Loser revealed that those participants who lost the most weight through calorie restriction suffered the longest from a weak metabolism.
Since it was precisely these participants who were again rapidly gaining weight, scientists observed a severe yo-yo effect in them .
How To Do Intermittent Fasting Right
There is a right and wrong way to do intermittent fasting. It shouldnt be restrictive, it should be used as a way to give you that extra little push that you might be needing. Intermittent fasting is a technique that should be used somewhat sparingly. It can help you cut fat and give you an energy boost, but only if done right.
You shouldnt be fasting every single day. Its common to fast for up to 24 hours, but not beyond that point. Whats more, you should not be fasting for days on end. This falls under the category of unsafely cutting your calories. If youre fasting for 12, 18, or 24 hours and youre doing it multiple days per week, it will be difficult for you to get in a healthy amount of calories when you are supposed to be eating. As such, many people choose to simply fast one to two days per week or maybe even less. Some individuals choose to only fast when they simply want to cut their fat percentage down a bit, so they just use it occasionally. Others, use it when their body is feeling overwhelmed which also doesnt require weekly use.
All of this is actually contingent upon constantly counting your calories. If youre not doing a good job of eating a healthy amount, intermittent fasting probably wont work for you. You can only see a difference in how you feel if you have a solid calorie plan set out in advance.
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