Intermittent fasting (IF) could be a life-changer if it is done correctly, experts say. “Intermittent” suggests a dietary pattern that combines times of fasting with times of eating.
Unlike a diet, IF does not ban certain foods from the menu. People who tried it have been able to consume their favorite foods even in larger portions and still lose weight.
There are many IF methods out there, but not each one is good for weight loss. Experts recommend first understanding how IF affects your body before you decide on a type of IF.
Fasting is very good for the body. It produces a hormone dubbed leptin that boosts the metabolism while decreasing hunger, it boosts the production of the human growth hormone fivefold, and it keeps insulin in healthy ranges. As a result, the stored body fat melts away as the body needs it for fuel.
Intermittent Fasting’s Benefits
IF can up the metabolic rate by up to 14% while training the body to tap fat deposits for fuel instead of burning sugar. Also, IF makes it more likely for you to not overeat as the eating window is very tight. While on IF, people have noticed fewer sugar cravings. These cravings tend to vanish as your stored sugar gets depleted.
Experts recommend the IF method that you can follow and works four your schedule. People are unique and have different schedules so there isn’t a universal method for weight loss.
The most popular types of IF are the 16:8 method, the Fast Diet aka 5:2, and the Eat-Stop-Eat method.
- During 16:8 method, you should fast for 16 hours and eat everything you want the following eight hours; the best way to do it is to skip breakfast.
- The 5:2 diet involves cutting calories to 500 for women and 600 for men two non-consecutive days in a week; the other days, you can eat whatever you want.
- The Eat-Stop-Eat method involves 24-hour-long fasting periods once or twice per week.
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