You've
tried eating healthy, tracking your macros, monitoring your portions, and
exercising like crazy, but your body isn't where you want it to be. Enter:
intermittent fasting.
Although there are a variety
of methods of intermittent fasting, most involve eating for a certain period of
time and then not eating for a certain period of time. Certified dietitian
Leslie Langevin, MS, RD, CD, of Whole Health Nutrition says
that aside from a number of health benefits including lowering diabetes and
other disease risks, improving blood sugar levels, extending life spans, and
improving memory, intermittent fasting could be another tool in your belt to
help with weight loss or to break through a weight-loss plateau.
She says, "It gets your
body out of 'storage mode' and mobilises fat stores for energy." This
means that without having the constant source of food (fuel) you'd get from
eating all day, your body will dip into the fat it already has stored. That's
why people find so much success losing weight with intermittent fasting. There
are a few different methods described below so see which one might be right for
you.
16/8 or Leangains
What is It? Made popular by fitness
expert Martin Berkhan, this
method involves a 16-hour fasting window and an eight-hour feasting window. An
example would be to stop eating at 7:00 p.m. and then fast until 11:00 a.m. the
next day. During the feeding window, two to three meals are consumed,
consisting of healthy, whole foods. There are specific guidelines about what to
eat, but on all days, protein is pretty high.
Pros: All you do is skip
breakfast and have lunch as your first meal. If your mornings are busy, this
time tends to fly by.
Cons: It's tough if you're one
of those people who needs to eat in the morning in order to function or if you
do early morning workouts. You can change the fasting window so you stop eating
at 6:00 p.m. and start eating again at 10 a.m. the next day. The specific
eating guidelines could be a turnoff.
5:2 or Fast Diet
What is It? Made popular by British
journalist and doctor Michael Mosley,
twice a week (nonconsecutive days) you restrict calories to around 500 calories
a day (600 calories for men), and for the other five days you eat as if you are
not on a diet. You can eat three small meals or two slightly larger meals
(lunch and dinner).
Pros: This plan is flexible,
with no restrictions on what you can eat on regular days, and you can choose
which days to fast based on your schedule. Some may welcome only having to
restrict and monitor their diet twice a week.
Cons: Not eating a ton for a whole
day can be really tough, especially if you work, exercise, or have a family
(preparing food for your kids is way too tempting!). Also, insane hunger the
day after a fasting day can cause you to overeat, which won't help you lose
weight.
Eat, Stop, Eat
What is It? Created by Brad Pilon, this method involves fasting
for 24 hours once or twice a week.
Pros: You only restrict your
calorie intake once or twice a week, then eat however you want the rest of the
time — no foods are off limits. The time frame is flexible — you can stop
eating at 6:00 p.m. and then can start eating at 6:00 p.m. the following day,
so you don't have to go for an entire day without food.
Cons: Not eating for a full 24
hours is tough for most people and may increase the likelihood of binging once
the fast is over. Also, only restricting your calories once or twice a week may
not result in the weight loss you're after.
The Warrior Diet
What is It? Designed by Ori Hofmekler, you fast for 20 hours
each day then eat one large meal every night.
Pros: Raw fruit and veg, fresh
juice, and a few servings of protein, if desired, are allowed during the
fasting window.
Cons: The strict guidelines
about what to eat for that final meal can be hard to follow, and some don't
like eating a large meal at night.
Alternate Day Fasting or UpDayDown Day Diet
What is It? Started by James Johnson, MD, you eat very little
one day (one-fifth your normal daily calorie intake), then the next day eat
your normal daily calorie intake. Then repeat! For example, on fasting days,
you eat 400 calories, and on nonfasting days, you eat 2,000 calories.
Pros: Cutting this many
calories per week results in weight loss.
Cons: You may find it too
strict for your schedule to fast every other day. Or you might find it hard to
stick to 500 calories on those fasting days, which can also increase the
likelihood of going overboard on calories on your regular eating days.
One thing Leslie warns about
when thinking about intermittent fasting is that if you have a history of
eating disorders, it could trigger unhealthy behaviours. And although you're
restricting calories at certain points, intermittent fasting doesn't give you
the green light to eat bad things like fries and ice cream during your eating
window. The quality of the calories you do consume is still very important.
Leslie also comments that you can't increase your daily calorie amount and
expect to lose weight.
Leslie wouldn't recommend the
plans that restrict daily calories to 500 a day or not eating all day, unless
it's for religious reasons. For women, this can stress out the body, affecting
normal hormone production, and if calories are restricted too much, it can stop
a woman's menstrual cycle. She says, "The 16/8 intermittent fasting plan
is a safer version and can still have the boost of weight loss success you
need." It's also a plan you can safely commit to on a long-term basis.
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