Intermittent fasting is one of America’s most popular diets. According to the 2022 survey by the International Food Information Council (IFIC), roughly 12% of the Americans surveyed swear by IF.
So, what is intermittent fasting? Intermittent fasting means fasting irregularly. You switch from periods of eating to periods of fasting or reduced calorie intake each day or week. Intermittent fasting joins other popular diets, including the Keto diet, the DASH diet, and the Paleolithic.
Why would anyone choose to abstain from food over other non-fast diets? Keep reading for reasons why intermittent fasting is one of the fastest-growing diets today.
What is Driving Intermittent Fasting Popularity?
There’s No Food Restriction!
The greatest advantage that intermittent fasting has over other diets is that it’s not restrictive in terms of what you can eat. Because it’s not a dietary per se, you can eat anything you want when doing intermittent fasting. Yes- that includes celebrating with pizzas and Slurpees during your eating window. There’s a big BUT, though.
If you are doing intermittent fasting to lose weight, it’s crucial that you consider the quality of the calories you’re taking. We advise considering the importance of nutrition in your weight loss or fitness goals. Ensure your intermittent fasting meals consist of a variety of healthy foods that pack essential nutrients for quality calories.
The Way Intermittent Fasting Works Makes Sense
The science behind how intermittent fasting works for weight loss is really straightforward. Actually, this pattern of eating promotes weight loss in three ways.
To start, intermittent fasting creates a calorie deficit by causing you to eat and drink fewer calories than you are burning. Most intermittent fasting methods like the 16:8 and OMAD make it a challenge to eat all your recommended calories per day. This leads to a calorie deficit, which leads to substantial weight loss when repeated regularly.
Another reason intermittent fasting is an effective weight loss tool is that it causes a significant drop in insulin levels. Suppression of insulin levels has been linked to loss of fat mass and body weight.
The other way intermittent fasting effectively leads to weight loss is by increasing the period between meals. After burning all the calories from your last meal, the body starts burning through stored glycogen and later switches to fat burning, leading to weight loss.
The Many Methods of Doing Intermittent Fasting
There are many variations of intermittent fasting, meaning there’s an approach to suit everyone’s schedule and goals. These intermittent fasting methods vary in terms of intensity and how fast they produce results. Whether you are fasting for the first time or a veteran looking to shed weight fast, there’s an intermittent fasting schedule for your level, needs, and lifestyle.
Overnight or 12-hour fasting is considered the easiest method of intermittent fasting. This is a popular starting point for beginners because most of the fasting hours are spent sleeping. The 12-hour IF method won’t lead to faster weight loss results at least compared to other higher-intensity approaches. But it weans you off midnight snacking habits, improves digestion, and increases insulin sensitivity. All of these form the basis for successful weight loss.
People who want to lose weight quickly with intermittent fasting turn to One Meal A Day (OMAD), alternate day fasting, and the 5:2 fasting method. While those who want a sustainable, safe, and effective fasting method often prefer the 16:8 intermittent fasting approach.
Its Evidence-Based Benefits
Intermittent fasting is better known as a weight loss dieting strategy. And there are tons of studies to support this claim. In a review of 27 trials, intermittent fasting resulted in 0.8% to 30% loss of baseline weight, showing promise for managing obesity.
It turns out that skipping meals has lots of other health benefits beyond shedding some pounds. Here are other science-backed benefits of intermittent fasting:
May Boost Metabolism
Having a faster metabolic rate means that you have more energy than when your metabolism is slow. It also means proper blood circulation, which is crucial for keeping all organs, including the heart and brain, in optimal performance. A higher metabolism also promotes weight loss because you burn more calories at rest and during physical activities. There is solid evidence that intermittent fasting may help boost and maintain a faster metabolism.
It May Protect Your Heart!
A lot of things happen in your body when you start alternating between periods of eating and fasting. One such change is reduced chronic inflammation in the heart. Inflammation in your blood circulatory system may cause loose plaques that have the potential to trigger blood clots, the major cause of heart attacks and strokes.
It May be a Longevity Hack
Most people- if not everyone- wish there was a way to turn back or slow down the aging clock. Most non-human models have consistently demonstrated that intermittent fasting helps extend healthspan and lifespan. We don’t have enough clinical investigations on humans yet. However, it has been observed that the body’s organs respond to intermittent fasting by initiating DNA repair, suppressing inflammation, and improving their antioxidant effects. Emerging evidence also links intermittent fasting to the reversed progression of some types of cancers. Experts also recommend combining perioding fasting with standard cancer treatments to promote efficacy and reduce side effects.
Conclusion
Intermittent fasting is a safe and effective way of losing weight. An IF method like OMAD can help you lose 3-5 kilograms of weight in the first two weeks if done properly. But don’t use these figures to make hasty decisions. Intermittent fasting has its fair share of side effects. While most of them are mild, they have the potential to disrupt your daily routine. Common intermittent fasting side effects to expect include hunger, fatigue, brain fatigue, constipation, headaches, and crankiness.
Despite its growing list of benefits, intermittent fasting is not for everyone. The following people should consider intermittent fasting alternatives:
- People with sleep problems
- Those with a history of eating disorders
- Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers
- Individuals with digestive issues
- Those who work jobs that require a great deal of focus and concentration
- Children and teens under 18 years
- Anyone with a weak immunity
- People suffering from diabetes
Hi, I’m the Founder and Developer of Paramedics World, a blog truly devoted to Paramedics. I am a Medical Lab Tech, a Web Developer and Bibliophiliac. My greatest hobby is to teach and motivate other peoples to do whatever they wanna do in life.