So, want to start your incredible weight lost journey, but may not be sure where to start? Maybe you have been down this road before and quit and started and quit and so on… But now you told yourself its different “THIS TIME I’M REALLY GOING TO DO IT”! “THIS TIME I”M GETTING THAT WEIGHT OFF”. Well let’s do it than. Whatever your reason maybe: to fit in your wedding dress, get ready for the beach because this is your year, impress that special somebody, looking for a new hobby, or for your overall health. Congratulations!!!! You can do it, but I will not be easy. So let intermittent Fasting help.
What is Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is a type of pattern for eating. The best way to break it down is thinking of it as windows or periods. You have an eating period/window, and you have your fasting window/period. For example, a very popular schedule for intermittent fasting is an 8/16 in which one well have and eating period for 8 hours and a fasting period of 16 hours.
How to Intermittent Fast
So, we are getting an idea of what is, but exactly how do we do it, how do we execute it? Shall we take a look at some of the more popular ones. Let’s starts with the 8/16. As mentioned above, but how would that look in a regular day its quite simple actually, for example, you would start your eating period at 8am and can have your meals and calories for the day until 4pm. After 4pm you are not to eat or drink anything other than water, black coffee, and/or plain tea. Ones eating period starts again at 8 am the next day. These hours and times can be manipulated to best fit your schedule and life.
Another crowd favorite is the 6/18, 6 hour eating window with an 18-hour fasting window. Similar to the 8/16 but shorter eating period more calorically restrictive. The 5/2 is another excellent choice. In this IF (intermittent fasting) type one eats normal for 5 days per week and only one meal for 2 days out of the week. For example, Mon-Tues normal day of eating, Wed only one meal, Thus-Sat normal, and Sun only one meal. There also the 24, 36, 48, 72 hour fasting period. Some of these are not recommended such as the 72 and 48. Always check with your doctor before starting any new diet especially with preexisting medical conditions.
Can I lose Weight with IF?
Now what we all really what to know. Can I, or in other words you, lose weight with IF. The simple answer is YES. YES, you can. But how exactly does it work? Well, the science of weight lost is quite simple. Weight lost is a simple math problem. One has to put out more energy than one has coming in. Or (what you eat)- (your activities + basic life sustaining functions) = most be negative to lose weight
How Intermittent Fasting Works
How exactly does IF help with this math problem? Intermittent fasting helps in many ways. First it makes us be more calorie restrictive, as opposed to eating and snacking whenever we want. For most people they eat 3 times a day and snack throughout the day whenever they are feeling hungry. But intermittent fasting puts a stop to snacking all day. It also allows you to eat good portioned sized meals, so you are not hungry all the time as opposed to many “fad diets”.
Intermittent Fasting helps get rid of stored body fat. To get a better understanding for this think of the human body as a car that requires fuel. If someone is eating throughout the whole day, they are constantly fulling up. And the person’s body uses the energy form the food they are constantly eating to fuel them through the day. If one is constantly fueling up their car, they will never tap into the reserve tank. The stored body fat in the human body is like that reserve tank. What we want is to tap into our reserves and put that energy to use.
Intermittent Fasting helps to burn stored body fat through the processes of ketogenesis. Ketogenesis is more easily reached during fasting. During ketogenesis the body stops using energy from glucose and beings getting its energy from fat.
Why should I use it?
Intermittent fasting is a much simpler way to be calorie restrictive. IF is also very flexible that can be made to fit your busy schedule. It does not matter if you work nights, weekends, and/or holidays. You can intermittent fast. This is one of the main reasons that allows it to be maintained and done over long period of time. Weight lost is not about dieting it is about getting a better and healthier lifestyle and intermittent fasting can help you achieve that lifestyle.
Nobody wants to work hard, loss all that weight just to gain it back. Intermittent fasting is a lifestyle change that is sustainable, unlike many fad diets. IF is truly a health way to achieve your weight loss goals. Intermittent fasting is actually good for most people with many benefits. Make sure to consult your doctor before being intermittent fasting and/or any other diet.
Wait there is more
Intermittent fasting has many other health benefits. Weight lost is not its only trick. Studies have shown that intermittent fasting has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Intermittent fasting maybe able to also improve your overall health. Your weight lost journey and health are important. Let Intermittent Fasting help.