Intermittent Fasting: A powerful tool for fat loss as well as weight loss

One of the world’s most popular health and fitness trends is “Intermittent fasting” these days. This is a phenomenon involving alternating cycles of fasting and eating. According to several studies, it can cause weight loss, improve metabolic health, protect against disease and perhaps help you live longer. After going through this article, you will be able to know what intermittent fasting is and why you should care.

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting, an eating pattern, involves cycles of eating and fasting. The main focus of this eating pattern is not on the type of food to eat, but it focuses on the time when you should eat. There are different methods of intermittent fasting, all of which split the day or week into eating periods and fasting periods. Mostly, people fast every day, while sleeping. You just have to extend the period of fasting a little bit longer. It can be done by skipping breakfast, eating the first meal at noon, and the last meal at 8 pm. Technically, you have to fast for 16 hours every day and restrict your eating window to 8 hours. This is the most common pattern of intermittent fasting, commonly known as the 16:8 pattern.

Many people doing intermittent fasting reported that they feel better and more energetic during a fast. Intermittent fasting is fairly easy to do. Hunger is not a big issue, it’s just a matter of a few days. It usually takes some time for your body to get used to not eating for extended periods. Food is not allowed during the fasting period, but you can drink some non-caloric beverages like water, coffee, and tea. Few types of intermittent fasting allow small amounts of low-calorie foods during the fasting period, but, in most types of intermittent fasting, no food is allowed during the fasting period. Supplements during the fasting period are allowed, only if there is no calorie in them.

In short:

Intermittent fasting is a very popular health and fitness trend, with research to back it up. It is an eating pattern having cycles of eating and fasting.

Reason for Fast

It’s human history too fast, from thousands of years. In those days, it was done due to necessity, because the food was not available every time. After that, fasting was carried out due to religious regions. In several religions, some form of fasting is mandatory, including Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism. Humans and animals often fast when they are sick. So, it is very natural to do fasting. Our bodies are very well equipped to handle extended periods of fasting. When we don’t eat, the normal processes in the body change. To allow our bodies to thrive during a period of famine, hormones, genes, and important cellular repair processes are involved.

There is a significant reduction in blood sugar and insulin levels when fasted. A drastic increase in human growth hormone is also reported after fasting.  As intermittent fasting is a very simple and effective way to restrict calories and burn fat, people do it for losing weight. Intermittent fasting is also done for metabolic health benefits, it is known to improve different risk factors and health markers.

Some research also reported that intermittent fasting can help you live longer Studies in rodents show that it can extend lifespan as effectively as calorie restriction.

Some other studies reported that it can help protect against heart disease, type2 diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and many more.

Many people consider intermittent fasting because of its convenience. It is very effective in making your life simpler, in addition to improving your overall health at the same time. You have to plan only a few meals, which will help you make your life more simple. It also saves your time.

In short:

The human body is well adapted to fasting from time to time. According to modern research, intermittent fasting can be beneficial for weight loss, metabolic health, and disease prevention and may even help you live longer.

Types of Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting has become very popular in the past few years. There are several types of intermittent fasting. The most popular ones are:

1. The 5:2 Diet: You have to eat a maximum of 500-600 calories for 2 days, every week.

2. The 16/8 Method: You have to fast for 16 hours each day and the eating window will be open for you just for 8 hours.

3. Eat-Stop-Eat: Once or twice a week, do a fast for 24 hours. 

4. Alternate Day Fasting

5. The Warrior Diet

6. Spontaneous Meal Skipping

In short:

There are several variations for intermittent fasting. The most popular are the 16:8 method, 5:2 method, and Eat-Stop-Eat method.

To add on

Restricting the eating window and eating healthy foods mindfully during the eating window can have some very impressive health benefits.

Intermittent fasting is very effective in losing fat and improving metabolic health while making your life easier at the same time.

Intermittent Fasting: A Guide for Beginners

As already discussed, intermittent fasting (IF) is currently one of the world’s most popular health and fitness trends. It is being used by people to lose weight, improve overall health, and simplify their lifestyles. The types of intermittent fasting are already discussed in the article.

Effect of Intermittent Fasting on Your Cells and Hormones

Several processes happen on the cellular and molecular level when you fast. For example, hormone levels are adjusted by your body to make fat stores of the body more accessible. Your cells also initiate important repair processes and change the expression of genes.

Some common changes that occur in the body while fasting is:

1. Cellular repair: Your cells initiate cellular repair processes, during fasting. Cells digest and remove dysfunctional proteins that build up inside the cells and the process is called autophagy.

2. Human Growth Hormone (HGH): There is a drastic (about 5 folds) increase in levels of growth hormone, skyrocketing. This is very beneficial for fat loss and muscle gain.

3. Insulin: Intermittent fasting improves insulin sensitivity and also the levels of insulin drop. The lower insulin levels in turn make stored body fat more accessible.

4. Gene expression: It is also reported in some studies that the functions of gene changes are related to longevity and protection against disease.

The main health benefits of intermittent fasting occur due to changes in hormone levels, cell function, and gene expression.

In short:

During fasting, the level of human growth hormone inside the body goes up and the insulin level goes down. Gene expressions within the cells are also changed to initiate the important cellular repair processes.

Intermittent Fasting: A Powerful Weight Loss Tool

The main reason for people to try intermittent fasting is weight loss. During intermittent fasting, you eat a lesser number of meals, leading to a significant reduction in calorie intake. In addition to lesser calorie intake, hormone levels in the body also change to enhance weight loss. Both factors work to complement each other and help in losing weight. When fasted, the release of the fat-burning hormone, norepinephrine (noradrenaline) also increases. According to some studies, due to changes in these hormones, short-term fasting increases the metabolic rate by 3.6-14%. So basically, it's a two-sided attack on extra weight, one is you eat fewer and the other is you burn more calories. In various studies, it was reported that intervention of intermittent fasting can be very powerful for weight loss. 

According to a study in 2014, intermittent fasting can cause 3-8% of weight loss over 3-24 weeks. It is quite significant weight loss as compared to most weight loss studies.

According to the same study, a significant loss of 4-7 % of waist circumference was also reported. This indicates a great loss of harmful belly fat that builds around your organs and causes various diseases.

In another study, it was reported that intermittent fasting causes less muscle loss than the more standard method of continuous calorie restriction.

It must be kept in mind that these kinds of results are reported only when there is less calorie intake overall. Lower calorie intake is the main reason behind this kind of success. If you fast and eat massive amounts of food during the eating window, you may not lose any weight at all. So, overall mindful eating is important.

In short:

While eating fewer calories, there will be a slight boost in metabolism. It is a very effective way of losing weight and belly fat.

Health Benefits

To know the effect of intermittent fasting on both animals and humans, several studies have been done. These studies have reported powerful benefits for weight control as well as for the overall health of your body and brain. Intermittent fasting also claims for longer life in some studies.

The main health benefits of intermittent fasting are

1. Inflammation: Some studies show that there are reductions in markers of inflammation, which is responsible for many chronic diseases.

2. Weight loss: Without conscious restriction on calories, intermittent fasting can help you reduce weight and belly fat. The only thing you have to pay attention to is mindful eating.

3. Brain health: Most important among brain health is that intermittent fasting protects against Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, it increases BDNF, the brain hormone, and may aid the growth of new nerve cells.

4. Anti-aging: Intermittent fasting has been shown to increase the lifespan of rats. Studies showed that fasted rats lived 36–83% longer.

5. Cancer: Various studies on animals have suggested that intermittent fasting can prevent cancer.

6. Insulin resistance: Intermittent fasting can reduce insulin resistance, lower blood sugar by 3–6%, and fasting insulin levels by 20–31%, leading to protection against type2 diabetes.

7. Heart health: According to some studies, intermittent fasting can reduce LDL cholesterol, blood triglycerides, inflammatory markers, blood sugar, and insulin resistance, which can lead to heart disease.

Although intermittent fasting proved itself very beneficial, it should be always kept in mind that research is still in its early stages. Most of the studies are done on animals till now. More research is needed in this field.

In short:

Intermittent fasting can be very beneficial for your overall health including your brain. It can help reduce weight and also reduce the risk of diseases like type2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. It may also help in increasing the lifespan.

Makes Your Lifestyle Healthy 

Eating healthy is simple and almost everyone wants to eat healthily. But the main problem is to plan and cook healthy meals. Intermittent fasting can be very helpful for you if you don’t have time to plan and cook healthy foods. In this type of diet, you don’t need to plan, cook or clean up after as many meals as before. Due to this reason, it is very popular among the life-hacking crowd, as it improves your health while simplifying your life at the same time.

In short:

One of the main benefits of intermittent fasting is that it makes you healthy at the same time makes your life simpler. You need to prepare fewer meals. So, I need less time to prepare, cook and clean up after myself.

Intermittent fasting should be avoided by:

Intermittent fasting is not for everyone. It’s not right for underweight people. If you have a history of eating disorders, you should not fast without the consultation of a health professional. 

In these cases, it can be very harmful.

Should Women Fast?

Some studies show that intermittent fasting may not be as beneficial for women as it is for men. A study reported that it improved insulin sensitivity in men, but worsened blood sugar control in women. According to a study on rats, it was found that intermittent fasting can make female rats emaciated, masculinized, and infertile, and cause them to miss cycles. However, studies on this topic for humans are not available. According to some anecdotal reports, the menstrual period of women stopped when they started intermittent fasting and went back to normal when they resumed their previous eating patterns. Due to the above reasons, it is suggested to women be careful with intermittent fasting. There should be separate guidelines for women, like easing into the practice and stopping immediately if they have any problems like amenorrhea. If you have fertility issues or are trying to conceive, consider holding off on intermittent fasting for now. This eating pattern is likely also a bad idea while you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.

In short:

Underweight people or people with eating disorders should avoid fasting. Some studies also report that intermittent fasting can be harmful to some women.

Safety and Side Effects

The main side effect of intermittent fasting is hunger. It can also make you feel weak and your brain may not perform as well as you are used to. These side effects may be temporary, as your body can take some time to adapt to the new meal schedule.

If you have any kind of medical issue, you should first consult with your doctor before trying intermittent fasting.

1. Have a history of eating disorders.

2. Are underweight.

3. Take some medications.

4. Have diabetes.

5. If you have a history of amenorrhea.

6. Are pregnant or breastfeeding.

7. If trying to conceive.

8. Have low blood pressure.

9. Have problems with blood sugar regulation.

Overall, intermittent fasting has an outstanding safety profile. If you're a healthy and well-nourished person, there is nothing dangerous about intermittent fasting.

In short:

The main side effect of intermittent fasting is hunger, which is temporary and your body will adapt to it in some time. People with certain medical conditions should not start intermittent fasting without consulting with a doctor first.

How to start intermittent fasting?

Most probably, everyone has already done many intermittent fasts in their life. If you’ve ever eaten dinner, then slept late, and not eaten until lunch the next day, then you’ve probably already fasted for 16+ hours. Some people instinctively eat this way. They don’t feel hungry in the morning. Most people consider the 16:8 method the simplest and most sustainable way of intermittent fasting — you might want to try this practice first. If you don’t find any problem with this and feel good during the fast, then try moving on to more advanced fasts like 24-hour fasts 1–2 times per week (Eat-Stop-Eat) or only eating 500–600 calories 1–2 days per week (5:2 diet). Simply skipping meals from time to time when you’re not hungry or don’t have time to cook is another great and convenient approach for intermittent fasting. There is no need to follow a structured intermittent fasting plan to derive at least some of the benefits.

In short:

Normally, it is recommended to start with the 16:8 method. If you don’t feel a problem with this, you can move on to longer fasts. An experiment is important to find a method that works for you.

Should You Try It?

There is nothing special to do with intermittent fasting. It is just like a slight lifestyle change to improve your overall health. The main focus should be on mindful eating, exercise, and proper sleep. It’s completely upon your choice, if you don’t like the idea of fasting, then you can safely ignore this article and continue to do what works for you. In the end, when it comes to nutrition, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The best diet for you will be one which you can carry for a long time. Intermittent fasting is great for some people, but not for all. The only way to find out which group you belong to is the hit & trial method. If you don’t feel it problematic when fasting and find it to be a sustainable way of eating, it can be a very powerful tool to lose weight and improve your health.

Few Popular Ways to Do Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is becoming a trend nowadays. It claims to cause weight loss, improve metabolic health, and even increase lifespan. There are several methods for intermittent fasting. Every method can be effective, but you have to choose the best suited for you. 

Here are 6 popular ways to do intermittent fasting.

The 16:8 method

It involves fasting for 14-16 hours and restricting the eating window to 8-10 hours every day. You have to fix your 2 or 3 meals within that eating window.  This method was popularized by fitness expert Martin Berkhan. Applying this type of eating pattern is very easy. It’s like not eating anything after dinner and skipping breakfast. Suppose, if you finish your last meal at 8 p.m. and don’t eat until noon the next day, you’re technically fasting for 16 hours. Fast for 14-15 hours seems to do slightly better in the case of women, so they are generally recommended to fast for 14-15 hours.

For people who get hungry in the morning and like to eat breakfast, this method may be hard to get used to at first. However, it’s easy for people who normally skip their breakfast. Zero (0) calorie beverages like water, coffee, and green tea can be taken during the fast. The main thing to be kept in mind is to eat healthy foods during the eating window. If you take excessive calories during the eating window, this method will not work. So, eat mindfully during the eating window.

In short:

The 16:8method means fasting for 16 hours for men and 114-15 hours for women. You have to restrict your eating window to 8-10 hours. During the eating window, you have to fix your 2-3 meals.

The 5:2 method

According to this diet, you have to eat normally for 5 days and on the remaining two days of the week, you have to restrict your calorie intake to 500-600 calories. This diet was popularized by British journalist Michael Mosley. The recommended calorie intake on fasting days is 500 calories for women and 600 calories for men. Suppose, your fasting days are Tuesday and Friday. Then on Tuesday and Friday women can take two small meals of 250 calories each and men can take two small meals of 300 calories each. On the other 5 five days of the week, take a healthy diet. 

In short:

In the case of 5:2 eating, eat a healthy diet on 5 days of the week, and on the remaining 2 fast days of the week, you have to take in 500-600 calories.