After two months of feasts, it’s a good time to fast. Although every new year brings a string of broken resolutions, intermittent fasting has real staying power. No matter the time of year, if you’re looking to lose weight or improve your health, restricting your eating times can help. So what exactly is intermittent fasting, and why do so many medical professionals recommend it?
The Fastest Fasts
Fasting isn’t new, of course. It’s been an important component in religious and spiritual practices for millennia. Nor is using fasting as part of a diet regimen intended to replace your individual observances. When used as a component in a health or fitness program, fasting is a bit different. While those who observe sun-up to sun-down fasts often abstain from liquids entirely, water is an important part of intermittent fasting. Other liquids like coffee or tea are also allowed.
Fasts as part of religious observations are usually limited in duration. Intermittent fasting is more of a lifestyle. Adherents may stay on the program for years. There are a number of popular intermittent fasting techniques.
With Eat-Stop-Eat, you go 24 hours without eating once or twice a week. Most who practice this method stop eating with one dinner and don’t resume eating until their next dinner 24 hours later.
With the five-two plan, you eat as you normally would five days per week. On two non-consecutive days you eat 500 calories.
The 16/8 method is probably the most popular and easiest to follow. Basically, you only eat for one-third of the day, the rest of the time you fast. Despite the name, however, new fasters should start with a 12-hour restriction. So if the last thing you eat is at 7 p.m., then the first thing you eat can be at 7 a.m. Gradually increase the time when you are not eating. However, do not be discouraged if you never consistently hit 16 hours. Blood sugar issues and excessive hunger are more likely to occur when you fast for longer periods. Indeed, an older study suggests that women have more issues with blood sugar levels than men when fasting every other day.
Fasting Advantages
If you are in a relationship, discuss trying a fasting regimen together. It’s hard to stick to a program when one-half of a couple uses time-restricted eating and the other half Scarf chips at midnight. Different attitudes about fitness and health can harm marriage as easily as fights over finances or politics. Of course, those dealing with an ongoing problem may want to consult a qualified divorce attorney.
So what are the advantages to intermittent fasting? Over time, most fasters eat less food. People on the 16/8 method often eat only two meals a day. When you are eating, the same rules apply as they do to healthy eating in general—consume plenty of green, leafy veggies, whole grains, fruits, and lean protein. When you break the fast, consider doing so with scrambled eggs, a smoothie, or steel-cut oatmeal with a bit of added whey protein powder. Binging brownies during your “feeding time” isn’t going to deliver quite the same benefits. And these benefits go far beyond simple weight loss.
Besides eating less and losing weight, participants in one study who lifted weights while on the 16/8 program reduced fat and gained muscle. When you fast, your body stops relying on liver-stored glucose for its energy. Instead, it starts using ketones, which your body stores in fat. The so-called ketogenic benefit has been linked to everything from reduced obesity to lowered risk for diabetes, cancers, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular disease. Many intermittent fasters find it easier to stick to the program than other diets. Whether or not you’ve failed at other diets, intermittent fasting is one you should try.
