There are several different ways of losing weight, and intermittent fasting is one method that’s recently gained prominence.
Unlike dieting, intermittent fasting doesn’t really require you to change what you eat, just when you eat it. It is a way of eating that involves taking regular short-term fasts, so you end up consuming fewer calories. You can choose which fasting schedule works for you.
For instance, you can get on the 16/8 schedule where you fast or go without eating for 16 hours, followed by an 8-hour feeding window. This means that you’ll skip breakfast and have only two meals, e.g., the first at around 1pm and the next one at around 8pm then fast for 16 hours before eating again from 1pm the following day.
Intermittent fasting assists your body in optimizing some hormones involved in weight control, which in turn leads to weight loss as your body fat is converted to energy during the fasting period. Used in conjunction with healthier eating habits, this method can lead to significant weight loss.
How Does Intermittent Fasting Work?
Whenever we eat food, our bodies take time to digest and absorb it. This can take around two to five hours, and any excess calories end up being stored as body fat. During this process, your body doesn’t burn fat due to increased levels of insulin.
The opposite happens when we don’t eat anything, i.e., during the fasting period. With no food to convert to energy, our bodies start burning the stored body fat to provide the fuel required to carry out various body processes and activities.
Other changes that occur when you fast include:
- A decrease in insulin, making the body enter a fat-burning state.
- An increase in levels of human growth hormone (HGH) which aids in muscle gain, fat loss and sugar metabolism.
- Norepinephrine is released into the fat cells, making them break down the stored body fat into free fatty acids that can be easily converted to energy.
The changes above explain why many of those who start intermittent fasting find themselves losing body fat without making changes to what or how much they eat. Conversely, those who stick to a normal eating schedule often have trouble burning body fat since their bodies rarely enter the fasting state.
What Are The Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting?
While going for long hours without eating may seem to go against conventional teachings about health and nutrition, it comes with several benefits.
1. It leads to fast weight loss
If you’ve been trying to cut down on your weight without success, perhaps you should give intermittent fasting a try. Research has shown that purposely sending your body into a fat-burning state can have you reaping the rewards in the form of significant weight loss. One study conducted in 2014 found that intermittent fasting over a period of 3-24 weeks led to a 3-8% reduction in participants’ body weight.
With intermittent fasting, you’re bound to see a reduction in weight. That is as long as you don’t give in to the temptation of compensating by consuming more food during the eating window.
2. Fasting can help you enter ketosis when following a ketogenic diet
The ketogenic diet is an effective way to improve health and lose weight. The main aim of this low-carb diet is to send your body into ketosis — where your body turns to breaking down fat stores for energy. Intermittent fasting helps you enter ketosis by reducing blood sugar levels and stimulating your body to use up available glycogen. As a result, you burn more fat and lose weight quickly.
3. It’s simpler and more convenient to follow than dieting
Anyone who has ever tried sticking to a diet knows how hard it can be partly because of the introduction of new foods and partly because it calls for a behavior change. Intermittent fasting, on the other hand, is an effective weight loss method thanks to its simplicity and convenience. There are no new foods to buy and no recipes to try out. You simply keep eating what you always have and just change your eating hours. Once you get over the idea that you need to eat all the time, you’ll find that your body quickly adapts to your fasting schedule.
4. You get to increase fat loss while maintaining lean muscle mass
Another downside to dieting is that you often end up burning both fat and muscle in the process. With intermittent fasting, you get to retain (and even increase) your muscle mass and lose body fat without a lot of calorie restrictions.
Tips For Being Successful With Intermittent Fasting
- Focus on food quality. The foods you eat are still important if you’re trying to lose weight. Go for complex carbohydrates, fibrous vegetables and whole foods to keep you sated for longer.
- Consistency is key. You’ll derive more benefits from fasting if you’re consistent at it. Choose a schedule and keep at it long enough to see the benefits.
- Don’t overeat. It can be tempting to overeat due to the hunger brought about by intermittent fasting. Resist the urge, and your body will soon adapt to your fasting schedule.
- Stay hydrated. There are no restrictions on the amount of water you can take as you fast so remember to stay hydrated.
- Be patient. It takes time for your body to adapt to intermittent fasting. Be patient and consistent, and you’ll reap the rewards.
Intermittent fasting isn’t for everyone but if you’re having trouble shedding some unwanted pounds, why not give it a try?
