It has been one of the most popular weight loss trends for a few years now. And as one of the few, it doesn’t get harsh criticism from nutritionists. People who have tried it say that intermittent fasting finally helped them lose weight because they were able to curb their tendency to overeat.
One thing can be said at first. Intermittent fasting is safe and can help you lose weight. However, it is not suitable for some people for health reasons, and may not be suitable for others, or it may take them a while to find a period that is suitable for them, where they alternate periods of eating with periods of fasting.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
It is an eating pattern that assumes that you will not eat anything after a predetermined recurring period. It must be at least 12 hours, but normally from 14 to 16 hours and exceptionally longer. Maximum 40 hours. During the time without food, the person should drink enough (if awake), and can also drink tea or coffee, but without sugar or milk.
Expert studies also looked at the effect of intermittent fasting, which is generally accepted to be at least as effective in terms of weight loss as permanent energy restriction; this has been proven, for example, by the work of an expert from the National Library of Medicine. At the same time, according to nutrition experts, intermittent fasting is more tolerable for people and at the same time there is less risk of yo-yo effect.
The Eat Stop Eat Diet for Science
New research suggests that intermittent fasting is a great way to lose weight. Two studies in which 100 obese women intermittently fasted and 100 overweight women reduced their daily energy intake by 25% showed that both diets resulted in the same weight loss over three to six months. However, women on intermittent fasting experienced greater loss of body fat. The so-called Vardi study from 2019 showed that intermittent fasting improved insulin sensitivity, unlike traditional reducing diets. Intermittent fasting may also be suitable for those who do not want to control their energy intake, ”says Lucy Ryczkova, a senior nutrition therapist at the Public University Hospital in Prague.
In practice, it seems that if you decide to fast for 24 hours, you will last catch yourself on Monday at 7pm, for example, and not eat again until Tuesday at 7pm. At Eat Stop Eat, also known as intermittent fasting, you can also find a form that involves fasting for twenty-four hours once or twice a week. However, it is not recommended for beginners.
Different Variations of Intermittent Fasting
16:8 Intermittent fasting is popular, where one doesn’t eat for sixteen hours and eats for eight hours, during which one should eat two to three meals. For some people, a 14:10 ratio is more bearable, when they can enjoy certain foods in ten hours.
You can even choose a 12:12 ratio, which isn’t very intermittent fasting. Taking into account that sleep is also included in the period without food, this may mean that a person eats at six in the evening, goes to bed at ten, and can have another meal at six in the morning. But it might be a change for someone who is used to eating until midnight.
What is The 5:2 Diet?
An alternative is the 5:2 diet, this form of intermittent fasting means you eat normally for five days and for two days – this should not be two days in a row – you limit your daily calorie intake to 2,000 to 2,500 (dietary supplement). Here, Lucie Růžičková highlights the need to choose the right foods on days when energy intake is limited.
“The recommended amount of energy includes, for example, three rolls of butter, which are energy-dense foods that will make you hungry and hungry, so you can’t afford to eat nothing else.” that are filling at the same time, such as a small piece of bread with low-fat cheese and chives, steamed turkey breast with vegetable rice or baked tomatoes with zucchini and low-fat fresh cheese”, advises the expert.
