Saturday, February 24, 2024
HomeTrendingWhich Type Of Intermittent Fasting Is Best For Weight Loss

Which Type Of Intermittent Fasting Is Best For Weight Loss

- Advertisment -

Optimal Intermittent Fasting Windows

What is the best intermittent fasting schedule for weight loss?

This so-called time-restricted eating is a form of intermittent fasting. Instead of fasting on alternate days or several 24-hour periods per week, time-restricted eating encourages dieters to limit their meals to certain windows of time.

Eating and drinking during a 10-hour window allows your body to rest and restore for 14 hours while drinking water, coffee or tea. According to study co-author Satchin Panda, PhD, Your body can also anticipate when you will eat, so it can prepare the body to optimize metabolism.

Other studies on time-restricted eating have found similar results. Researchers from the University of Alabama split obese men with prediabetes into two groups: One group ate all of its meals within an 8-hour window between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. and the other spread its meals out over 12 hours between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The study showed both groups maintained their weight but those who restricted their eating to an 8-hour window had lower insulin levels, reduced insulin sensitivity and lower blood pressure their appetites decreased, too.

Who Shouldnt Try Intermittent Fasting

Not everyone should try IF. A few groups who shouldnt: women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant , those taking diabetes medication , or anyone on multiple drugs , says Kumar. Also, if you have a history of eating disorders, introducing periods where youre not allowed to eat can put you on a dangerous path to a relapse.

Know that IF has some side effects. You may be cranky hanger is real during fasting periods because low blood sugar can mess with your mood. You also still need to have a healthy diet when you do eat. One thought is that it would be difficult to make up a calorie deficit if you fasted for two days, but in our society with access to calorie-dense items, you could probably do it, says Kumar. Focus on balanced, nutrient-packed choices, like fruits, vegetables, lean meats, legumes, and whole grains . Expect that for the first couple of weeks you may deal with lower energy, bloating, and cravings until your body adjusts, says Shemek.

RELATED: More Evidence Supports Intermittent Fasting for MS

Types Of Intermittent Fasting

My research focuses on alternate-day fasting, but there are many different kinds. If youre considering them for weight loss, the overall method for achieving that is the same no matter which style you choose. Fasting may help you shrink the number of calories you consume without counting calories. The idea is that these fasting windows create a calorie deficit that is almost impossible to make up during eating windows. Its the calorie deficit that leads to weight loss. Theres nothing inherently magical about fasting.

Although theres a lot of talk about how periods of fasting can improve your metabolic health, thats simply untrue. Like any other diet, fasting may reduce your body weight. When you lose weight, your metabolism decreases. There is some indication that fasting may help you hold onto more muscle and maximize fat loss, but thats as a percentage of the weight you lose. Fasting doesnt help you lose more weight than any other plan that lowers calorie intake.

Its also worth noting that most people struggle a little for a period of time, generally the first ten days, when starting an intermittent fasting plan. Were all accustomed to eating some way, and we dont deal well with the change. Hanger is a real thing. But past the 10-day point, people seem to get used to fasting and actually many of them report feeling less hunger, increased fullness, and even a surge of energy.

You May Like: Do I Have To Diet While 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.

Intermittent Fasting Is Not A Magic Pill

Joan on Twitter

Whether you are doing IF, keto, low carb, high protein, vegetarian, the Mediterranean diet you name it it all comes down to the quality of your calories and how much youre consuming.

The bottom line with IF? Although the jury is still out and long-term effects are still being studied, its crucial to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet while following IF.

You cant eat junk food and excessive calories on non-fasting days and expect to lose weight, says Taylor.

You May Like: How To Lose Weight Fast Fasting

The 3 Best Types Of Intermittent Fasting

There are multiple different ways to lose weight with intermittent fasting, but what is the best type of fasting to lose the maximum amount of weight fast.

In this article I am going to break them down for you, attempting to convince you that if you want the best, most effective fasting method for weight loss, definitely start with this article.

Now of course I am not going to go into comprehensive detail with each kind of fasting method but I am going to give you the benefits and what the practical applications are for each one. Fair enough right?

The point of this article is to outline what we think are the 3 primary kinds of intermittent fasting that you can do, but theres a lot more that you can do than just these three.

If you want to mix and match different variations however these by far are the three most effective.

Intermittent Fasting Dos And Don’ts

The study review also offers some practical tips on how to ease yourself into an intermittent fasting regime easier, as listed on ScienceDaily:

  • Adjustment time Side effects such as headaches, dizziness and constipation subside after one to two weeks of fasting. Increased water intake can help alleviate headaches caused by dehydration during this time.
  • Exercise Moderate to high-intensity endurance or resistance training during food abstention can be done, and some study participants reported having more energy on fast days. However, studies recommend those following alternate day fasting eat their fasting day meal after exercise.
  • Diet during fasting There are no specific recommendations for food consumption during intermittent fasting, but eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains can help boost fiber intake and help relieve constipation that sometimes accompanies fasting.
  • Alcohol and caffeine For those using an alternate day or 5:2 fasting plan, alcohol is not recommended on fast days as the limited calories should be used on healthy foods that provide nutrition.

The review also suggests that intermittent fasting might not be ideal for certain types of people, including people who are pregnant or lactating, children under 12, those with a history of disordered eating, those with a body mass index, or BMI, less than 18.5, shift workers and finally, people who need to take medication with food at controlled times.

Recommended Reading: How To Do Intermittent Fasting And Keto

/4 Intermittent Fasting Aka The Warrior Diet

In this method of intermittent fasting, you are on fast for 20 hours, and your eating window is just 4 hours. This diet is also known as the warrior diet.

Keep yourself hydrated, include green tea or coffee during fasting hours. Try to include all essential nutrients like proteins, fats, carbs, and vitamins in your 4 hours eating window. For example, you could eat a bowl of mixed raw veggies and fruits such as carrot, cabbage, avocado, cucumber, sprouts, apple, pear, oranges, watermelons and add a protein source like fish, poultry, or tofu.

Our ancestors followed this when they had to go hunting they used to come back late in the evening and have a feast of what they had hunted.

Intermittent Fasting: What’s The Best Method

ACV Intermittent Fasting for WEIGHT LOSS: Does it Help? | How to Make the BEST of Your Fast

by David Clayton, The Conversation

Intermittent fasting is a method of dieting that restricts the amount of time you are allowed to eat. The appeal of these diets is that you don’t need to count calories or eat certain foods. But there are so many versions, it’s hard to know which one is best. Here’s what the research says.

The 5:2 diet

This is a popular version of intermittent fasting where you eat a very low calorie diet for two days each week . On the other five days, you eat as normal.

Research has shown that it’s possible to lose weight with this diet it also improves several markers of health, such as reducing levels of glucose and cholesterol in the blood. But the 5:2 diet is unlikely to be more effective for weight loss than traditional methods of dieting. This is because 5:2 reduces calorie intake to a similar extent as traditional dieting.

There is some evidence that conducting the two days of very low calorie intake on consecutive days can improve insulin sensitivitya risk marker for type 2 diabetesto a greater extent than traditional dieting. This approach also leads to compared with traditional dieting.

Alternate-day fasting

While 5:2 could be considered a “lifestyle intervention”, alternate-day fasting is more likely to be used to lose weight quickly. ADF is often referred to as the “every other day diet” and requires you to alternate daily between unrestricted eating and consuming a very low calorie diet.

Time-restricted eating

Read Also: Does Intermittent Fasting Help With Belly Fat

Looking For More Weve Got You

Fasting is all about self-discipline and pushing boundaries, and 21 Day Hero strives to come up with stimulating fasting challenges to take your health journey to the next level.

Our 21-day intermittent fasting challenges have helped over 1000 people reach their body goals, improve their relationship with food and look and feel a whole lot better. Interested in joining the crowd? now!

More on Intermittent Fasting

Disclaimers:

In some articles, we include products we think are useful for our readers. When you buy through these links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Read more here.

Information on this document and our website is for educational and informational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute, nor does it replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a dietitian, physician or another health-care professional. Consult your physician before starting intermittent fasting, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have any medical condition, or are taking any medication. Read more here.

You might also like:

Is Intermittent Fasting Safe For Everyone

According to some researches, it is found out that most people can have benefited from practising moderate fasting.

However, it is seen that there are some important safety concerns for pregnant women, children and also for individuals with type 1 diabetes.

It also includes individuals who are malnourished.

So such types of people should consult with their health care provider before starting any type of intermittent fasting.

Recommended Reading: Can I Have Coffee With Intermittent Fasting

Frequently Asked Questions Concerns And Complaints

Im a woman. Should I do anything differently?

I havent worked with women on implementing an intermittent fasting schedule, so I cant speak from experience on this one.

That said, I have heard that women may find a wider window of eating to be more favorable when doing daily intermittent fasting. While men will typically fast for 16 hours and then eat for 8 hours, women may find better results by eating for 10 hours and fasting for 14 hours. The best advice I can give anyone, not just women, is to experiment and see what works best for you. Your body will give you signals. Follow what your body responds favorably to.

Also, if youre a female, there is an allfemale page on Facebook that discusses intermittent fasting. Im sure you could find a ton of great answers and support there.

I could never skip breakfast. How do you do it?

I dont. Breakfast foods are my favorite, so I just eat them at 1pm each day.

Also, if you eat a big dinner the night before, I think youll be surprised by how much energy you have in the morning. Most of the worries or concerns that people have about intermittent fasting are due to the fact that they have had it pounded into them by companies that they need to eat breakfast or they need to eat every three hours and so on. The science doesnt support it and neither do my personal experiences.

I thought you were supposed to eat every 3 hours?

Here’s why this was a popular idea for a brief period of time:

Here’s the problem:

Free Bonus:

Typical Fasting Weight Loss Plans

The Best Intermittent Fasting Weight Loss Strategy

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.

Also Check: Is The Intermittent Fasting Diet Good For You

The Warrior Diet Allows You To Consume Certain Fruits And Vegetables During The Fasting Period

“With the warrior diet, a person may consume fruits, vegetables, and liquids with zero calories for 20 hours each day,” Yule explained.

Those observing this diet are allowed to eat a large meal in the evening, she said. And although she suggested that this diet puts a little more focus on diet quality, she did acknowledge that it is not sustainable for many people over time.

How Long And How Much A Person Can Fast

It is really a great question. How long and how often a person can fast on a regular basis. It actually depends on your health goals and also on your current health status.

For example, if you are overweight or have a BMI that is really high.

Then you may be able to fast more often than some other person who is already very lean. However, it is important that you still need to ensure your daily eating window.

That this window gives you enough amount of time to consume a healthy variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and plants. You can also intake oils, whole grains and protein.

Don’t Miss: How To Make Intermittent Fasting Easier

Intermittent Fasting And Keto Diet

The first one that I will discuss is the big obvious one and that is combining intermittent fasting with the ketogenic diet.

Now I call this keto fasting, and it deserves its own little word simply because it is unique in its very own sense.

What Is A Ketogenic Diet

Ketogenic diet is a term for a low-carb diet . The idea is for you to get more calories from protein and fat and less from carbohydrates. You cut back most on the carbs that are easy to digest, like sugar, soda, pastries, and white bread., WebMD

Intermittent fasting and keto are not one and the same, because you dont have to do keto to get benefits from intermittent fasting. Also you dont have to do intermittent fasting if you want to do keto.

However its important to know that both fasting and keto are born from each other.

The benefit of intermittent fasting in the first place is simply because youre going without food to the point where your body creates ketones. Causing you to lose weight

Whether youre in ketosis or not the benefits that youre getting from intermittent fasting are because of ketones being present in your body.

So now we can talk about what happens when keto and fasting are in combination with each other.

So this particular method is going to be where youre fasting but when you break your fast youre not having carbs, youre keeping it strictly Keto.

Probably even second to fat loss is gonna be cognitive function.

Thyroid Health

Is Intermittent Fasting A Healthy Way To Lose Weight

The BEST Intermittent Fasting Schedule For Weight Loss

Intermittent fasting is becoming a popular way to lose weight, with recipe collections, diet plans and apps dedicated to it. Research suggests that cycling between periods of fasting and eating may be able to help people manage their weight and health – and may even help to reduce the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes. But how does it work and is it safe?

18-Oct-21·5 mins read

Recommended Reading: How To Curb Hunger When Fasting

Extended Or Prolonged Intermittent Fasting

In this type of intermittent fasting, you are fasting for more than 24 hours you might choose to fast for 48hours or 72 hours. Its not recommended to fast for more than 96 hours at a stretch. You should practice this fasting only once a month. It would be advised to consult your doctor and ask for advice on whether you can take up this kind of fasting.

Keep yourself hydrated with lots of water. You can also include herbal tea, green tea, and black coffee.

Extended intermittent fasting is not recommended for people with health concerns such as diabetes, blood pressure, pregnancy, and breastfeeding mothers. Also, if you are not used to fasting, then this would be a tough choice.

For a more in-depth extended fasting guide check: Prolonged Fasting 101: How To Do It & Are The Benefits Worth It?

RELATED ARTICLES
- Advertisment -

Most Popular

- Advertisment -