Eat Stop Eat — The original “2 day diet.” Learn why dieting every day will ruin your fat loss. And how a simple nutritional strategy with only ONE rule is the key to rapid fat loss and lifelong weight management.
Intermittent fasting is a dietary philosophy in which extended periods of fasting are followed by brief periods of feasting, or 24 hours of fasting is followed by 24 hours of feasting (this is known as alternate day fasting).
There are numerous types of intermittent fasting, with the most common being a 16-hour fast followed by an 8-hour feasting window.
The foundation of intermittent fasting is built on a few basic concepts:
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- Increasing the amount of time your body spends oxidizing fat.
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- reducing the overall insulin load on the system
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- Increased energy levels.
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- Prolonged life expectancy.
Several major studies have recently been conducted to assess how these assertions hold up against the evidence, and the results have been rather interesting.
General Overview of Intermittent Fasting Components and Principles
Intermittent fasting is a diet that alternates between fasting and feasting periods. There are numerous types of intermittent fasting, with the most common being a 16-hour fast followed by an 8-hour feasting window.
Intermittent fasting does not, by definition, impose exact calorie allotments, macronutrient ratios, or a list of good or bad things to eat, and it is not generally food restrictive.
Meal Frequency and Timing
In contrast to many other dietary frameworks or regimens, intermittent fasting is nearly entirely dependent on meal timing and frequency. Intermittent fasting is commonly assumed to use a 16-hour fasting window followed by an 8-hour feasting window.
Most people will take 1-2 relatively large meals during the feasting window, while multiple modest meals can be had throughout this time. Other fasting methods, such as the alternative day fast, involve a 24-hour fast followed by a full 24-hour feast.
Restrictions/Limitations
There are no hard and fast food restrictions or limitations, except from the scheduling constraints and limitations. During the feasting window, this is frequently taken as “anything goes.”
In reality, however, individuals who get the best outcomes with intermittent fasting generally use another dietary framework (such as IIFYM or flexible dieting) to provide structure to their food consumption during the feasting window.
Is it divided into phases?
Intermittent fasting does not have any phases in its nutritional plan, yet some people will go through fasting cycles in which they fast for significant periods of time and then eat normally.
Who is it most suitable for?
Intermittent fasting is best suited for individuals who have busy lives and prefer to consume 1-2 meals per day rather than spread them out throughout the day. Fasting can also help people learn to control their hunger cues and alter their eating habits.
Intermittent fasting is also a good approach to help people control their calories because limiting the amount of time one consumes during the day can frequently lead to a reduction in overall calories.
How simple is it to follow?
Intermittent fasting is simple to implement because it does not limit or restrict food, allows you to eat without counting calories, and does not interfere with your social life (i.e. not being able to go out to dinner and order something on the menu). It can also make life easier because less time is spent cooking, eating, and cleaning up.
Some people who enjoy the process of cooking and eating may find it difficult to stick to the diet; people who struggle with learning to regulate hunger during the early stages of adopting the diet may also find it difficult to stick to.
Popular Belief Behind Diet
When opposed to our conventional 3 meals per day method, the prevalent view behind intermittent fasting is that it unlocks components of our evolution as humans and provides certain health and weight loss benefits.
Among the concepts that underpin intermittent fasting are:
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- Increasing the amount of time your body spends oxidizing fat.
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- reducing the overall insulin load on the system
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- Increased energy levels.
-
- Prolonged life expectancy.
Data Interpretation and Scientific Research
Several research have been conducted to investigate the benefits of intermittent fasting as a technique for promoting fat loss.
Many of the fundamental hypotheses about the overall health benefits of fasting remain valid, but whether or not this has more to do with calorie restriction is still debatable.
Fat Loss Benefits
One of the main benefits of intermittent fasting is that it aids in fat loss. Several research have been conducted to investigate the function of meal frequency in fat loss, including alternate day fasting and the intermittent fasting protocol.
For a long time, social media and fitness forums dismissed these studies as not being true studies of the specific intermittent fasting protocol; however, one study was recently conducted that followed the traditional 16/8 fasting/feasting protocol as prescribed by traditional intermittent fasting methods.
In this trial, the group following the intermittent fasting regimen lost roughly 3.5 pounds more fat than the control group; however, this occurred concurrently with lower calorie intake than the control group, so the greater fat loss was likely related to decreased calorie intake.
This study found that testosterone and IGF-1 levels decreased, as did levels of many pro-inflammatory cytokines, cortisol levels increased, insulin and blood glucose levels lowered, triglyceride levels decreased, T3 levels decreased, and RER levels decreased marginally.
All of these things would be expected in a calorie deficit. And, while the IF group was in a calorie deficit, it was a relatively minor one (less than 10% below maintenance), which is probably insufficient to explain those results.
Overall, it appears that IF “tricks” your body into believing you’re dieting, even if you’re at (or near) calorie maintenance, in a way that’s generally consistent with increased health and lifespan.
Overall Health Advantages
The implications of fasting on overall health and longevity are possibly the most intriguing areas of research on fasting. Several animal studies have indicated that fasting increases lifespan and improves several metabolic markers as the animals age.
Increases in autophagy, a cellular “cleaning process,” are perhaps the most well-known fasting phenomenon. There is some animal evidence that fasting may increase longevity; however, the data in humans is short term, and long term data is lacking, so much of this is still speculation.
Conclusion
Intermittent fasting is a food-flexible diet that may have some unique metabolic benefits for health and longevity. Intermittent fasting can be a good technique for fat loss, owing to its ability to manage calorie intake.
Intermittent fasting can be used in its most well-known version of a 16-hour fast followed by an 8-hour feasting window, or in an alternate-day fasting method of a 24-hour fast followed by a 24-hour feast. Intermittent fasting is simple to follow because it does not limit or restrict meals and allows you to consume without counting calories.