Intermittent fasting may help you lose weight, but only if it’s part of a comprehensive obesity treatment plan. It can be used to complement calorie counting, for instance.
Varady recommends trying 16/8 intermittent fasting (also known as time-restricted eating). It limits when you can eat, and it helps your body burn fat more efficiently.
It’s not about starving
IF is an eating pattern that involves limiting calories to a specific window of time each day. The idea is to help people eat more mindfully and reduce unhealthy snacking.
More moderate proponents of IF suggest that people can reap some of the benefits without resorting to severe calorie restriction. However, a diet of fewer than 1,200 calories per day can lead to malnutrition and other health issues.
If you’re considering trying intermittent fasting, it’s important to talk to your primary care physician first. Fasting may not be a good idea for people with diabetes, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and those with history of disordered eating.
It’s also important to try a variety of IF methods and find one that works best for your lifestyle. For example, you could begin by using the 16/8 method and later move on to longer fasts if that works well for you. Just make sure that your eating window includes healthy foods, including plenty of lean protein.
It’s not a diet
Rather than a diet, proponents of intermittent fasting consider it a healthy eating pattern. They claim that humans have evolved to eat 3-4 meals per day, but if you can do without food for a period of time, your body will naturally burn more fat.
This is because intermittent fasting gives your digestive system a regular break from processing the calories you eat and may boost metabolism. Moreover, it doesn’t restrict your choice of foods. You can eat healthily, including the recommended amount of protein and fiber, while following a schedule of when you eat.
However, it’s important to remember that eating a restrictive diet can lead to stress and disordered eating habits. It’s also advisable to consult your primary care doctor or registered dietitian before trying any intermittent fasting method. This will help ensure that the diet is safe for you and that you’re not missing any vital nutrients. It will also provide you with an idea of whether the diet will be sustainable in the long term.
It’s not a fad
Many diet and exercise trends have a tendency to get over-hyped once they hit the mainstream, with benefits exaggerated and risks downplayed. This has certainly been true for intermittent fasting.
However, this type of eating pattern is not a fad, as it has roots in legitimate science. Researchers have found that consuming most of your calories within an 8-hour window daily, versus spread out over the course of the day, may improve health outcomes, such as weight loss and cardiovascular disease.
But, this doesn’t mean that you should fill your feeding windows with high-calorie junk food and super-sized fried items. You still need to eat sensibly and eat nutrient-dense foods on nonfasting days to reap the full benefits.
In fact, if you pack your “eating window” with unhealthy foods, it can actually counteract any positive effects that fasting may have on you, including reduced salivary flow, which is linked to bad breath. That’s why it’s important to work with a registered dietitian nutritionist when trying new eating patterns.
It’s not easy
Many diet and exercise trends come and go, often because their benefits are exaggerated and risks downplayed. These trends can also aggravate unhealthy relationships with food.
Intermittent fasting is an excellent way to promote weight loss, improve metabolic health and encourage healthy eating habits. But it’s important to understand its limitations and avoid the pitfalls.
When you skip meals, your body becomes accustomed to using sugar for energy. But after a while, it runs out of this energy and begins to use fat for fuel.
This change in the way your body uses energy is why many people who try intermittent fasting struggle with weight loss or maintain their newfound weight loss. It is crucial that a registered dietitian helps you implement an eating plan that works for you and your lifestyle. In addition, if you have a history of disordered eating or health conditions, it is not recommended that you attempt this diet. Consult with your doctor or dietitian for more information.