Get the facts about the popular weight-loss method intermittent fasting…
The world of weight loss is crammed full of dieting methods – most of which have failed to stand up to the test of time. It seems that almost every month some eager ‘guru’ somewhere or other is is inflicting yet another sure-fire way to shed those unwanted pounds, and before you know it there are devotees spreading the word as if a new religion had arrived.
Most of these turn out to be fads at best, or despicable snake oil at worst.
And so now we have the latest one: Intermittent Fasting. I’ve been having a look at it recently and at the gushing praises of some of the followers, so I thought I’d share this article with you all. It seems to be fairly balanced and does explain the concept quite well at the basic level. See what you think…
If eating is #life, intermittent fasting might not be for you. Instead of waking up and eating breakfast, grabbing lunch around noon, then dinner after work, your schedule is a little — OK, a lot — more strict and your calorie intake is lacking. But, to some people, the weird schedule seems to be worth it.
From benefits like losing weight to feeling more energized, this diet definitely has a giant results-driven, science-backed fan club. Here’s what you should know.
What is intermittent fasting?
When you’re intermittent fasting, your eating schedule basically revolves around a cycle of feeding and fasting, says Toronto-based nutritionist Abby Langer, RD. Some people do a whole-day fast, others choose alternate-day fasting, and some simply do time-restricted eating.
If you choose to do whole-day fasting, you’ll eat less than 500 calories for two consecutive days, then on the other five days, you eat whatever you want in a given week. Alternate-day fasting — or 5:2 — involves eating 500 calories the first day, whatever you want the next day, 500 the next, and so on. And for the last method, you do a bit of fasting every day, only eating between a certain time period — like 12 p.m. to 8 p.m — with no calorie restrictions.
What are the benefits?
For the most part, intermittent fasting has a pretty standard concept: eating less. And avoiding all those excess calories can do your body good in more ways than one.
The most talked-about benefit is weight loss, which simply comes down to science: “It works because the net caloric intake is less than what a person would eat over the course of seven normal-eating days. If you’re cutting out calories, you’re probably going to lose weight,” Langer says. “It may also be an easier way to lose weight rather than, say, a straight low-calorie diet or other diets, such as the ketogenic diet. It all depends on the person.” … read more at redbookmag.com
Make sure to check out the full article
Hopefully this information will at least get you thinking about the concept of Intermittent Fasting. Will I be trying it myself? In truth the best I can say on this is that the jury is out. It seems to me to have all the makings of a classic fad, but time will tell of course.
What are your thoughts? Please let us all know below