Weight Loss by Intermittent Fasting (Pros and Cons)

Weight Loss By Intermittent Fasting (Pros and Cons)

Weight Loss By Intermittent Fasting (Pros and Cons)

Weight Loss! Intermittent fasting is a dietary approach that focuses on time-restricted eating. Fluctuating between specific periods of fasting and ‘allowed eating’ time that is usually limited to 8 or fewer hours each day.

There are many potential patterns. But some common example time frames for intermittent fasting include daily fasting for 16 hours with 8 hours of eating (16:8 method) or 24-hour fasting a couple of times each week (5:2 method).

If the problem you have is eating too much, then, intermittent fasting is one of the things you can do to lose weight.

Losing weight is not a ball in the park. It takes a lot of commitments, dedication, and consistency. Intermittent fasting is one of the ways to lose weight.

Types of Intermittent fasting

  1. Warrior diet – This is when you eat high protein like eggs, vegetables, and low-calorie food content for 20 hours. And then you have only 4 hours to eat all the calories you want.
  2. Eat, stop eating – this is when you fast for up to 24 hours a week. And eat regularly for the rest of the week.
  3. 5/2 diet – eating regularly for 5 days but restricting your diet for the remaining 2 days.
  4. 16/8 method – Abstaining for 16 hours and then eating normally for the remaining 8 hours.

Pros of intermittent fasting

Health claims of an intermittent fasting diet range from helping with weight loss to preventing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and even cancer.

While much of this research comes from animal studies, some human data has also offered promising results. Especially related to the potential for helping with weight loss. And improving some aspects of nutrition-related diseases such as diabetes.

Here are four potential benefits of intermittent fasting that are supported by research:

  1. Fasting for a long period causes a shift in the body’s metabolism. This shift causes fat to be a source of energy and not glucose.
  2. Logically, intermittent fasting makes the person consume fewer calories than they would have if they were not fasting.
  3. Research has shown that reducing the amount of food you eat in a day might stop people from having hypertension and lower blood pressure.
  4. Intermittent fasting also lowers insulin levels.

Cons of intermittent fasting

So far, the effects of intermittent fasting seem overall positive. But there can always be a downside to every diet if it’s not approached in the right way.

Here are four potential risk factors or “cons” associated with intermittent fasting:

  1. It makes no sense to exercise less self-control on days you are not fasting and eat too much food and calories.
  2. Intermittent fasting causes the person to be dizzy, nauseous, moody, tired or have headaches.
  3. It can lead to eating disorders.

Should you Try the Intermittent Fasting Diet?

There are many potential benefits of intermittent fasting. But the research is still too limited to say for sure if this is something you should be incorporating in your life to help your health

If you choose to try intermittent fasting, continue to incorporate basic nutrition principles that have been well established by science to optimize your health, including calorie control to maintain healthy weight and a balanced diet that incorporates all of the essential micronutrients.

Always involve your doctor or dietitian in any major changes to your nutrition to make sure that your new approach is safe for you.

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