Intermittent Fasting. Surely you have already heard of this thing or maybe even tried it in your diet. There are opinions here or there about this method, but what is surely known to everyone (we very much hope so) is that there is only one way to lose weight - maintaining a negative caloric balance Over time. Everyone agrees on that, right? Excellent!
in a meta-analysis, which included 19 clinical studies and lasted from 4 days to 3 months, and were conducted among 475 participants [54 percent women, 10 studies conducted among healthy people, and 9 studies among people with obesity and/or metabolic syndrome or fatty liver], it was found, Because compared to the control group, intermittent fasting contributed to greater weight loss [difference of 0.9-kilogram (0.1-)-1.7- 95%CI] and for the decrease in fat mass [difference of 1.6-kilogram (0.5-)-2.6- 95%CI] without damage to lean body mass.
It is also important to note that intermittent fasting has been found to be particularly effective in overweight or obese people, compared to people of normal weight, but this does not mean that you cannot derive health benefits from fasting even if you are not overweight. You can find links to additional studies at the end of the article.
In this article we will try to understand how this method can be applied effectively in our diet. We will understand the advantages of this method And how it can help you manage the process of weight loss in a convenient and simple way. By the way, it is completely possible to apply intermittent fasting also in the process of increasing muscle mass, but that is another topic. Here we will focus on the toning and weight loss process.
With all the diets around and all the different methods around us, finding the right approach and method for us can be quite a challenge. Many people have difficulty with strict diets and counting calories andTherefore, the method we will present below can be an excellent way to lose weight without counting calories But by sticking to simple guidelines with which we can be in a caloric deficit without feeling like we are in a deficit. Such a nice "combina"...
We'll get to that in a second...
Intermittent fasting has gained popularity in recent years due to its potential health benefits beyond just weight loss. Here are some key benefits:
- Improvement in insulin sensitivity: Fasting helps reduce insulin levels, which makes the body more sensitive to insulin. It can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Increased fat burning: During fasting, insulin levels decrease, which encourages the use of fat stores for energy.
- Improvement in metabolic health: Intermittent fasting can improve various metabolic indices, such as blood sugar levels, cholesterol and inflammation.
- Autophagy: Fasting stimulates autophagy, a cellular repair process that removes damaged cells and promotes longevity.
- Hormonal balance: Fasting can increase the production of norepinephrine, which increases metabolism, and growth hormone, which helps maintain muscle mass.
So basically, what is intermittent fasting?
The idea is simple: instead of eating the first meal of the day early in the morning, we simply postpone it until a few hours later. This means that the first meal of the day will start in the afternoon/afternoon. During this time we will focus on eating the foods we like, when we emphasize a minimum amount of protein of at least 1.3 grams of protein per kg of body (if you are training and we hope so of course, we would like to take it higher towards 1.5-1.6 grams per kg "c body weight).
It is important to keep these important guidelines at all times:
- We will keep as much protein as is sufficient every day - 1.3 - 1.6 grams of protein at least per kg of body weight
- Make sure to drink a lot of water and fluids (Zero and drinks without calories are also possible, but preferably water or soda) - at least 0.04 ml of liquids per kg of body weight per day.
- We will make sure to combine vegetables and fruits So that we get essential minerals and vitamins for the body.
- We will focus mainly on fresh foods, natural and less in processed foods.
How to begin? A simple guide that will help you implement the method step by step
📅 Week 1: Mindset and understanding
- Mindset: The mindset here is important, first of all we will understand if this method is for us and if we want to try something else and different. If so, we will understand that from now on this is the form of our nutritional conduct
- liquids: Drink plenty of water throughout the day. how much Multiply your body weight by 0.04 ml and you will get the desired number of liters. Drinking a lot helps wonders to "neutralize" the feeling of hunger and in general it is recommended and healthy to "flood" the body with fluids.
- Adjusting meal times: Write down your current eating habits and begin to internalize how you "manage" a shorter eating window in accordance with your lifetime. For example, try to eat dinner earlier and breakfast later.
📅 Week 2: Start with a 12-hour fast
- Fasting for 12 hours: It's much easier than it sounds. After all, at night we don't eat anyway, assuming we sleep for 7 hours for example, all we do is pull a few more hours after we woke up and we're already 12 hours without food.
- Nutritious and healthy eating: Focus on balanced and full meals during your eating window. Include natural foods, lean protein sources, vegetables and fruits and of course lots of fluids (as we discussed earlier).
📅 Week 3: Increasing the fasting window gradually to 14 hours
- Fasting for 14 hours: After the second week we passed successfully, we will extend the fasting window to 14 hours (for example, from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 a.m.). It's only two more hours, but gradually increasing the fast helps the body get used to it.
- listening to the body: Eat mindfully during your eating window. Try to understand when you have reached your satiety threshold and try to pay attention to the feelings of hunger you feel. Drink a glass of water when the feeling of hunger rises and try to feel what happens in the body afterwards (the chances are that suddenly the feeling of hunger has disappeared).
📅 Week 4: Reaching a 16-hour fast!
- Fasting for 16 hours: In the fourth week we will already switch to a 16-hour fast (for example, 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.) and an 8-hour eating window. This is the typical schedule of intermittent fasting (8/16). By the way, if you want, you can quite easily pass 7/17, 6/18 and even beyond 🙂
- meal planning: Once we've reached our destination, we'll make adjustments to our daily schedule and plan our meals optimally to ensure we get enough nutrients and nutrients during our eating window. We will focus on quality protein sources, healthy fats and vegetables.
Integrating intermittent fasting in the toning and weight loss process
So as I mentioned earlier, The most important thing in the weight loss process is to be in a caloric deficit for a long time. This means that we need to make sure that we are putting out more energy than we are taking in. Food = energy.
This means that if we eat less (or combine an activity that increases the burning of energy) we will be in a "negative account" and thus we will succeed in losing weight. Intermittent fasting is simply another tool that helps us to be in a deficit in an easier way (especially mentally).
Think about it: it is much easier to eat 2000 calories in a shorter eating window compared to the same 2000 calories throughout the day. It is important to note that there is no single way that is good for everyone and it is entirely possible that eating the "normal" way will suit you better. But from our experience with clients, intermittent fasting can be an amazing tool that helps a lot in the weight loss process.
If you've never tried it, it might be worth giving it a chance. You have nothing to lose here and in the worst case you will lose a few kg in a few weeks 😉
Give it a chance and you might be surprised...
In conclusion…
Intermittent fasting can completely become a lifestyle and with gradual assimilation as we mentioned here, you will be able to lose weight easily and simply. And it's important to remember The key to success is progress, not perfection.
Intermittent fasting, as a strategy that determines when to eat and when not to eat, can be extremely beneficial with the weight loss process and even help us healthily, it's just important to understand that this is not a magic solution and that these positive effects depend on the type, quantity and quality of the food we eat during the eating hours. Eating ultra-processed food, high in trans fat, high in salt and sugar will not contribute to human health just by observing intermittent fasting.
The amount of calories should also be taken into account and as I mentioned at the beginning, only a caloric deficit over time will cause us to lose weight, so going wild and eating large amounts during the eating window will not allow the body to lose weight, even though during the fast we did not put calories into the body.
Ultimately, any diet or other strategy that produces a caloric deficit will actually lead to weight loss and fat loss. So take it as another method in your toolbox 🙂
Successfully!
Scientific sources:
- Benefits of intermittent fasting in the process of losing weight: Beneficial Effects of Time-Restricted Eating on Metabolic Diseases: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Improvement in insulin sensitivity: Early Time-Restricted Feeding Improves 24-Hour Glucose Levels and Affects Markers of the Circadian Clock, Aging, and Autophagy in Humans
- Increased fat burning: Effects of eight weeks of time-restricted feeding (16/8) on basal metabolism
- Improvement in metabolic health: Metabolic Effects of Intermittent Fasting
