Is Intermittent Fasting A Sustainable Way To Lose Weight
There are also downsides to intermittent fasting. Not all fasting regimes are beneficial and for some, it may lead to headaches, problems concentrating, irritability and feeling faint and tired. It can also be easy to overeat during non-fasting periods too. This is because the hormones linked to appetite and hunger can go into overdrive when you are deprived of food.
It may also be more beneficial to concentrate on eating a balanced diet with plenty of fibre, fruit and vegetables, rather than fasting. “One diet is not right for everyone and the diet may not be sustainable,” says Hall. “There is a lack of long-term studies at present and smaller healthy changes may be more sustainable than a restricted diet.”
Additionally, recent research has suggested that the time in which you eat may be more important than the time spent fasting. Earlier this year, researchers at Northwestern University discovered those who started eating before 8:30 am had lower blood sugar levels and less insulin resistance, which could reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
It’s also important to note that intermittent fasting can lead to an unhealthy focus on diet and eating habits too. It can be easy for diet regimes to become all-encompassing, which can lead to disordered eating and anxiety. “For those who have a history of eating disorders, any restrictive diet may be triggering for an eating disorder recurrence,” says Hall.
Alec Baldwin Breaks Down In Tears Over Shooting Tragedy
A mum-of-eight has revealed how she lost a staggering 68 kilos in just one year using intermittent fasting.
Stay-at-home-mum Katie Silva, 42, from Niceville, USA, started gaining weight after the birth of her fourth child Ethan in 2003.
Katie had six of her children in the space of nine years, being affected by postpartum depression and turning to food for comfort.
With so many young children to look after, Katie found it hard to get out and active, so she continued to gain weight until she reached a total of 152kg.
I did my best to stay afloat, to keep the children loved and well cared for, but in the process, lost myself, said Katie.
My care was my lowest priority, and food became my only comfort. So, I ate. I ate when I was sad. I ate when I was angry. I ate when I was lonely. I ate when I was stressed. I ate and ate and ate.
Katie admitted she felt disgusted at her lack of willpower.
I knew I had a toxic relationship with food. I knew it was unhealthy. I knew I needed to change, but I just couldnt bring myself to do it. No matter how much I wanted to, I just never stuck with it, she explained.
I would binge on food, then hate myself for it, which just led to binging even more. It was a horrible cycle that I seemed powerless to end, which just deepened the resentment I had for myself.
And unfortunately, her self-hatred was only exacerbated by the people she had once thought were friends.
How Often Should You Do 1: 8 Intermittent Fasting
Unlike other intermittent fasting diets, each day of the 16:8 works independently to the other days. This means that you can do anywhere from one day of intermittent 16:8 fasting to seven days a week, depending on your goals and the advice from your GP.
Evidence differs, however, on whether its healthy to do intermittent fasting all the time for a number of reasons. While one study suggests that fasting helps your vital organs by giving metabolic functions a break, other research suggests the fasting can lead to an increased level of cholesterol and can lead to feelings of nausea, along with causing spells of low-blood sugar and dehydration.
Also Check: How To Count Fasting Hours
What Are The Possible Side Effects
There can be a number of possible side effects of intermittent fasting.40 Heres what to do if you encounter them:
- Hunger is the most common side effect of intermittent fasting. This may be less of an issue if youre already on a keto or low-carb, higher-fat diet.41Learn more
- Constipation is common. Less going in means less going out. However, keep in mind this is a normal response to eating less. It is not a concern and shouldnt require treatment unless you experience significant bloating or abdominal discomfort. Standard laxatives or magnesium supplements can be used, if needed.
- Headaches are common and tend to disappear after the first few times on fasts.42 Taking some extra salt often helps mitigate such headaches.43
- Mineral water may help if your stomach tends to gurgle.
- Other possible side effects include dizziness, heartburn and muscle cramps. Learn more
A more serious side effect is the refeeding syndrome. Fortunately, this is rare and generally only happens with extended fasts when one is undernourished.44
Since most of these side effects are manageable, they do not mean you have to stop your fast. However, if you truly feel unwell, are excessively dizzy, profoundly weak or have other severe symptoms, then you should break your fast.
Just remember to go slowly when you break it and prioritize fluids and salt . And of course, if the symptoms persist, see your doctor immediately.
How People Over 70 Are Using Intermittent Fasting To Lose Weight After Decades Of Fad Diet Failures
After tens of fad diets left her frustrated and hopeless, Linda, 74, finally discovered how to achieve her dream body, improve her health, and live her life to the fullest. Today she shares her story with us.
One evening in March, I stepped on the scale and wondered: what the hell happened?
I felt a lump in my throat.
To see those numbers was disheartening 180lbs!
But thats not even the worst part
That weekend in March, we were celebrating our granddaughters 6th birthday. I watched her running around in the backyard, chasing her little brother, both of them laughing, so care-free and happy.
Grandmaaa, coooome come play!
I dont see my grandkids as often as Id like to. So whenever they visit, I want to enjoy every single moment with them to the fullest.
Imagine how heartbroken I felt when I realized that I couldnt keep up with them anymore They were running in circles around me while I was standing there, out of breath and barely able to move
Every time I looked at my kids and my grandkids, I thought there was so much more to do and see in my life. I wanted to finally live my life fully. To be there for my family. To be able to play with my grandkids. Not just sit and watch from the sidelines.
I desperately wished I could just lose that excess weight thats haunted me for years and get my health back on track.
You see, Id been trying to lose weight for years
I tried EVERY diet out there.
Keto, Atkins, paleo, even a crazy grapefruit cleanse
Also Check: What Are The Benefits Of Intermediate Fasting
Fasting For Healthy Weight Loss The Wrap Up
Intermittent fasting can play a role in your healthy weight loss lifestyle.
But remember, fasting is not a magic bullet. The rest of your diet and lifestyle still matter.
Also, remember our six tips for healthy weight loss with intermittent fasting:
If you follow these tips, theres a good chance that intermittent fasting can help you lose weight in a healthy way.
Lose Weight Using Intermittent Fasting
Today its time for a new piece of advice at number 14. First a quick recap of all the earlier tips:
Choose a low-carb diet, eat when hungry, eat real food, eat only when hungry, measure your progress wisely, be patient, women: avoid fruit, men: avoid beer, avoid artificial sweeteners, review any medications, stress less and sleep more, eat less of dairy products and nuts and supplement vitamins and minerals.
So there are many things to consider before moving on to this thing, but dont let that fool you. This is one of the most effective weapons available to lose weight. Its perfect if you are stuck at a weight-loss plateau despite doing everything right or to speed up your weight loss.
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What Should You Drink While Intermittent Fasting For Weight Loss
What you drink during your fasted-state could be the deciding factor whether or not your body is actually burning body fat or glycogen. What you drink during intermittent fasting does matter and its crucial to drink the right things, so you dont pull your body into a fed-state without even knowing it.
While your intermittent fasting, there are a couple of rules you need to abide by, so you remain in the fasted state.
For a more in-depth look at what you should and should not drink during your intermittent fast, check out the related article below.
RELATED ARTICLE What You Should Drink During Intermittent Fasting
Tips For How To Succeed With Fasting
Tip 1: Try to pick an intermittent fasting weight loss plan that will set you up for long term success
Consider your lifestyle, schedule, current eating pattern, and appetite when selecting any diet plan for losing weight.
Keep in mind that the best diets are the ones that you can maintain for an extended period.
Tip 2: Drink Plenty of Fluids
Hydration is important during intermittent fasting and should not be limited to your eating window.
Most intermittent fasting plans allow for beverages with zero calories, including water, unsweetened tea, and black coffee.
In addition to preventing dehydration, these drinks may help keep hunger pangs and food cravings at bay.
Research as shown that drinking plenty of fluids may increase feelings of satiety , and is one way to help you feel fuller while you are on a fast.
Tip 3: Choose foods that are rich in nutrients and have fewer calories
Unlike most diets, intermittent fasting plans do not have any food rules for losing weight.
However, it is still recommended to limit processed and junk food intakes, such as sugars, soda, cookies, and candy.
These foods are associated with weight gain, obesity, oxidative stress, inflammation, high cholesterol levels, and greater calorie intake.
They are also linked with an increased risk of certain diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and insulin resistance.
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How To Accelerate Weight Loss With Fasting
Folks, you know Im a believer in intermittent fasting for longevity, autophagy, mental clarity, fitness performance, metabolic health, and more. Dr. Jason Fung, a world expert on fasting, has stopped by the blog today to share a bit about fasting for weight loss. Enjoyand be sure to share any questions you have on the comment board.
Over the years, Ive shared with you the many ways intermittent fasting can benefit your health. So, it shouldnt be much of a surprise that fasting can also be really beneficial to those who are trying to lose fat. Yes, I said fat and not weight. Unlike some other kinds of weight-loss methods, which result in loss of water weight or muscle mass, fasting can effectively get rid of fat.
How Long Till You See Results From Intermittent Fasting
Now, most people who use Intermittent Fasting will see much better results in their first month compared to typical diets such as calorie restriction.
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention says you can only really lose 1-2 pounds a week . This means according to them you can only drop up to 8 pounds in a month.
But most people using Intermittent Fasting typically lose more weight than that. Plus itll feel less restrictive to use Intermittent Fasting compared to calorie counting since you can still eat outside your fasting window.
The first week youre using Intermittent Fasting youll also notice an increase in energy in the mornings. This is a great time to workout and hit the gym as your body burns off more fat for energy in a fasted state.
Plus youll feel better mentally and have decreased brain fog after a few days of Intermittent Fasting. Youll think clearer which will help to translate over to improvements in productivity in your work and school.
But the weekends can be the toughest for those getting started with Intermittent Fasting for their first month. It can be hard to stay fasted when your friends want to hang out or if you want to cut loose on the weekends.
Do your best to stick with your fasting window over the weekends if you want to keep getting results you can be proud of. I make a rule to live and die by the timer app on my phone to not eat until its finished no matter what.
Also Check: What Can You Have During Fasting
What Is The 1: 8 Diet
The 16:8 diet is a type of intermittent fasting where you break each day into two parts a 16 hour stretch and an 8 hour period. For 16 hours every day, you consume nothing but water, coffee, tea and other unsweetened drinks. Then for the other eight hours of the day, you can eat all your meals and snacks.
The 16 hour stretch sounds like a long time, but if youre getting enough sleep, you should be asleep for about half of that time.
Sports Scientist Harry Aitken tells GoodtoKnow, Intermittent fasting is a dietary technique in which all food is consumed within a relatively small window of time. Fasting is going for a significant period of time without eating, and intermittent fasting simply brings in a small window of time where you are able to eat.
Intermittent fasting has been popularised and studies have gone on to confirm that it leads to weight loss and fat loss.
The 16:8 diet stems from the book 8 Hour Diet by author David Zinczenko and editor-in-chief of Mens Health Peter Moore, who suggested that a longer fasting time between eating gives the body the time it needs to process the food and burn away extra fat.
Intermittent Fasting Can Help Weight Loss
IF makes intuitive sense. The food we eat is broken down by enzymes in our gut and eventually ends up as molecules in our bloodstream. Carbohydrates, particularly sugars and refined grains , are quickly broken down into sugar, which our cells use for energy. If our cells dont use it all, we store it in our fat cells as, well, fat. But sugar can only enter our cells with insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas. Insulin brings sugar into the fat cells and keeps it there.
Between meals, as long as we dont snack, our insulin levels will go down and our fat cells can then release their stored sugar, to be used as energy. We lose weight if we let our insulin levels go down. The entire idea of IF is to allow the insulin levels to go down far enough and for long enough that we burn off our fat.
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Intermittent Fasting For Weight Loss: Takeaway
Its hard to lose weight. Believe me, I know. Intermittent fasting is an amazing way to lose weight and a sustainable habit, to live your life by and if it worked for me, it can work for you! It can be hard at first to get used to this type of eating schedule. I often got hangry in the beginning and Im sure youre not pleasant to be around when youre hangry either. Give it a few days’ time and before you know it and you wont even notice you skipped breakfast. If you dont know much about nutrition, I would definitely recommend hiring a nutrition coach. Get the right information the first time. Youll make fewer mistakes on your journey and meet your weight loss goals faster.
Losing Weight Vs Losing Fat: Whats The Difference
When you watch the numbers on your scale drop, it can be exciting. But the scale doesnt reflect if youve lost fat or weight in general. You may think the goal of your health journey is to lose weight, when what you really want is to shed body fat. The reason is simple: When you lose weight, you can lose a combination of muscle, fluids, fat, and even organ size.
If you want to increase your health and add muscle so your body feels and looks toned, losing muscle and fluids likely isnt your goal. Instead, youll want to focus on fat loss, so any more than two pounds a week could undermine your goals.
According to research and Doctor Joel Seedman , when you shed upwards of five pounds per week, youll lose water weight and muscle along with your fat. Muscle and water loss can be dangerous, since it puts you at risk for dehydration, nutrient deficiencies, poorer fitness and mental performance, and puts you at risk for regaining the weight. To combat this, incorporate strength training into your workout routine. Cardio can promote fat burning, but you need resistance training to maintain your muscle mass. Also, the more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolic rate. Basic strength training exercises, such as squats, lunges, and push-ups, can add muscle and improve your body fat composition.
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