Intermittent fasting is an eating plan for people who want to shed some pounds in a healthy manner. By carefully observing the time frame of intermittent fasting, it is possible to shed a few pounds every time the plan is completed. Let us see what is intermittent fasting and how does intermittent fasting works.
What is intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a process of mental and physical activity that usually involves abstaining for long periods of time from eating or drinking. It is usually followed by consuming normally within the same day.
There are many different ways to complete intermittent fasting but the most common one includes restricting calories so that the body burns more fat cells. Calorie restriction is necessary as the calorie intake is reduced and the body needs to burn fat for energy.
There are many people who suffer from diabetes and many people do not even know that they have diabetes.
This is because when a person has low blood sugar, insulin level remains high. When a person does not take in enough calories from snacks or meals, then the insulin level continues to stay high. As a result, the body stores fat as a result of the inability of the body to absorb calories, and hence, the weight increases and becomes difficult to lose.
But intermittent fasting enables a person to lose some weight while reducing the calorie intake and thereby, reducing insulin levels. This helps in losing some weight.
However, there are many benefits associated with this method and intermittent fasting is also referred to as the alternate-day fasting method. It has been found that obesity is controlled, diabetes is prevented, cardiovascular diseases and other diseases related to energy metabolism are cured, and body weight is also reduced.
Intermittent fasting is very easy to perform. You can start by making simple food for breakfast and lunch. After you eat, you should wait for around 20 minutes and then eat another small meal. In the evenings, you can eat a light snack. But, if you feel hungry, you can take fruits and raw vegetables as an alternative to junk food.
Is Intermittent Fasting effective?
With intermittent fasting as a weight-loss strategy, you are sure to have great results. But, it is important to know how to make intermittent fasting a part of your weight loss plan.
As mentioned above, you should first limit calories. As a result, your body will be able to burn fat easily. As a result of less calorie intake, more energy is produced by the metabolism. This helps in burning fats more effectively.
Other things that you need to consider in your intermittent fasting plan involve the number of days you will fast. It all depends on your weight and health condition. Experts recommend starting with three days per week. As you go along, you may increase the number of days per week so long as your health condition allows it.
As you probably saw, there are many different ways to implement intermittent fasting as a weight-loss method. You should not be limited to only one way because your body may not react positively to it. Try it out and see for yourself how it works for you.
Based on numerous human studies, eating smaller portions of food throughout the day has its own benefits. The best example of this is the study on the calorie restriction diet.
Through this type of intermittent fasting every day, the body burns up more fat. Aside from losing some weight, it can also help prevent diseases like diabetes, heart diseases, and cancer due to the decreased intake of calories.
Mixed opinions on intermittent fasting
But, experts also suggest that it is not recommended to eat less during intermittent fasting. They believe that you still need to eat your regular meals. In fact, the studies suggest that you should still eat your regular meals but you should do it for less than three hours.
Keep in mind that your body needs time to process and absorb the nutrients from the foods that you eat. As a result, you should not expect your body to lose fat quickly.
Of course, intermittent fasting has its advantages as well. It allows people to manage their nutrition better. This type of fast also helps people strengthen their immune system. Another advantage is that it helps you lose excess weight because your metabolism will be forced to slow down.
Full fasts are not recommended for diabetic individuals or those who suffer from any disease that affects the lungs or heart, because the breathing and the pumping action are impaired while fasting. For these reasons, full fasts are not suggested as an alternate-day fasting method.
