Is intermittent fasting actually good for weight loss? Here’s what the evidence says
If you've been thinking about reducing weight or being healthy in the last few years, you've definitely come across the terms intermittent fasting and intermittent fasting. Thousands of internet supporters, ranging from celebrities to fitness fanatics, believe that intermittent fasting has helped them lose weight more effectively than other diet strategies.
It's simple to see why intermittent fasting is so popular as a weight-loss strategy. It's not only simple, but it's also adaptable to every individual and doesn't require you to remove foods or watch calories. However, despite its popularity, intermittent fasting may not be superior to other diet approaches for weight loss.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that intermittent fasting is just as effective as monitoring calories for weight loss, including a recent research that followed individuals for over a year.
This has been demonstrated with many different types of intermittent fasting, including alternate-day fasting (where you fast or restrict calories every other day), 5:2 dieting (where you eat normally five days a week, then fast or restrict calories for two days), and time-restricted eating (where you eat normally five days a week, then fast or restrict calories for two days) (where you eat all of your days calories within a set time window, such as only eating during an eight hour window, then fasting for 16 hours). However, no research have proven that intermittent fasting is superior to traditional diets.
Intermittent fasting helps you eat less, but it has certain drawbacks. It reduces both the amount of physical activity we do and the intensity with which we exercise.
Regardless matter the form of intermittent fasting you practice, this is true. This shows that when calorie intake is drastically lowered – even for a short time – the body adapts by using less calories during exercise. However, researchers are baffled as to why this occurs.
While this may not necessarily impede weight reduction, lesser levels of physical activity can have other health consequences. For example, a recent study indicated that even three weeks of alternate-day fasting lowered physical activity and resulted in higher muscle loss than a daily calorie restriction diet. Fasting was similarly less beneficial for fat loss than everyday calorie restriction.
Intermittent fasting can cause muscle loss, and resistance training (such as weight lifting) can help avoid this. Shutterstock/ Maridav
Muscle mass is important for a variety of reasons, including blood sugar regulation and maintaining physical ability as we age. Diets that induce muscle loss should therefore be avoided. Combining intermittent fasting with exercise programs like strength training, on the other hand, may assist people maintain lean muscle mass while promoting fat loss.
While intermittent fasting may not be a miracle weight-loss treatment, it may nevertheless offer other health benefits.
Intermittent fasting improves blood pressure, insulin sensitivity (how well the body regulates blood sugar), and cholesterol levels to the same extent as daily calorie restriction, according to a recent review.
This effect is most likely linked to weight loss. However, because few studies have followed participants for more than a year, it's difficult to say whether these effects last.
According to certain studies, how you fast is also important. Early time-restricted eating, which is consuming all of your daily calories in the morning and fasting in the evening, usually from 4pm onwards, has shown encouraging outcomes in a number of trials. Eating early in the day aligns food consumption with our natural circadian rhythms, resulting in more efficient nutrient processing.
Early time-restricted eating has also been proven to benefit a number of health markers, including insulin sensitivity, a critical risk factor for type 2 diabetes. These improvements were observed even in the absence of weight loss.
Read more: Does the time you eat effect your body weight? Here's what science has discovered thus far.
There's also evidence that timing the two very low or no calorie diet days sequentially can boost the results of the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet. This could lead to higher increases in insulin sensitivity than would be seen with daily calorie reduction.
This could be because you're fasting for longer periods of time, which raises the amount of body fat you burn. Exercising while fasting, interestingly, may help you burn more fat and improve insulin sensitivity.
While intermittent fasting may not be better for weight reduction than other diets, changing how you do it – for example, fasting in the evening – may help you reap other health benefits.
Intermittent fasting is a safe and effective option for people who struggle to stay to calorie-restricted diets. It's also worth noting that the best outcomes come from combining intermittent fasting with exercise.
I'm a doctor, and I'll show you how to "melt" abdominal fat quickly.
Visceral fat, also known as abdominal fat, is a form of fat that surrounds your essential organs and is found deep within your abdomen. It's difficult to tell how much visceral fat you have just by looking at yourself. Visceral fat is not the type of fat that can be squeezed. It's the kind that sneaks up on us and wraps itself around our interior organs, which we can't see or access. That is why, when trying to lose weight, we must pay special attention to it.
Your ability to control visceral fat may be influenced by your genetics and physical makeup, so the amount you have isn't entirely in your hands. That doesn't rule out taking actions to improve your situation.
If you have abdominal obesity, you should have your visceral fat examined. It could be making things more difficult than they need to be, particularly if you're trying to reduce weight. Read on to learn more, and don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had COVID to protect your health and the health of others.
1
What is the Definition of Abdominal Fat?
belly fat is shredded
Subcutaneous fat around your lower body gives you a pear shape, whereas abdominal or visceral fat gives you an apple shape, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Increased fat around your abdominal organs is known as abdominal fat, and it raises your risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. As a result, it's known as active fat.
If you have some abdominal fat, it's not always termed visceral fat. It's subcutaneous fat that's stored beneath the skin and could be a source of belly fat. Subcutaneous fat is more apparent than subcutaneous fat, which can also be found in other regions of the body. Visceral fat is difficult to detect since it is buried within the abdominal cavity.
According to studies, visceral fat accounts for 10% of total body fat. Though visceral fat cannot be tested at home, the waist-hip ratio can be used to estimate visceral fat. A waist-hip ratio of more than 0.85 in women and 0.90 in males shows visceral fat, according to a study.
Visceral fat has been linked to an increased risk of diseases such as;
The story goes on.
Diabetes type 2
Diseases of the heart
Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia.
Cholesterol levels are high.
Blood pressure has risen.
Abdominal fat can be caused by a sedentary lifestyle, genetics, hormones, or a variety of drugs. The good news is that it can be decreased by adopting a healthy lifestyle. Continue reading to discover the most effective strategies to "melt" abdominal fat quickly.
2
Fasting on a regular basis
fasting
Intermittent fasting has recently received a lot of attention and is thought to be an effective weight-loss approach. It's a dietary regimen in which eating and fasting times are alternated. Intermittent fasting can be done in a variety of ways, depending on your lifestyle and eating habits.
Adapting to a healthy diet and intermittent fasting are the greatest ways to lose visceral fat. A new 2022 study backs up this assertion, demonstrating that intermittent fasting can help patients reduce weight, particularly visceral fat.
By modulating signals to the hypothalamus and other brain locations, the leptin hormone aids in weight management by regulating food intake and energy expenditure. Intermittent fasting has been demonstrated to help reduce fat, particularly in the belly and trunk, due to its modest energy restriction. The hormone leptin/adiponectin may improve as a result of weight loss, which may aid with hunger management.
As a result, adding intermittent fasting into your daily routine can aid in the reduction of abdominal fat.
3
Exercise that is aerobic in nature
A woman jogs uphill to burn twice as many calories, on a sunny day with the city as a backdrop.
Aerobic exercise increases peak oxygen intake, which is linked to total body fat percentage; it's also a good way to lose weight, especially belly fat.
150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week is thought to help reduce the risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome. Exercise helped people lose weight even when they didn't manage their calories, according to a 12-week study of participants who undertook aerobic exercise.
If you are overweight and wish to lose weight and reduce belly fat, high-intensity aerobic exercise is the way to go.
The following are some basic and efficient aerobic activities for reducing abdominal fat:
a brisk walk
Cycling
Running
Swimming
Jogging at a moderate pace
Including these exercise routines in your daily routine not only aids in the loss of belly fat but also enhances your overall health.
4
Stress Reduction
woman who is tense
People with high stress levels and poor coping abilities are more likely to gain belly fat, according to studies. The link between stress and belly fat distribution could be explained by cortisol secretion. Abdominal obesity can be caused by psychological stress and increased cortisol production, which leads to belly fat accumulation over time.
Mindfulness training can help you overcome overeating habits and lower the cortisol awakening response, which can lead to a decrease in belly fat over time. If you're stressed out at work or elsewhere, look for ways to relax. Yoga, meditation, and mindfulness are just a few of the techniques for remaining calm.
5
Don't Smoke
sign that says "no smoking"
According to a study published in the BMJ Open Journal, smoking causes an increase in abdominal fat. People frequently believe that stopping smoking leads to weight gain. Smoking lowers hunger, and quitting causes an increase in appetite and weight gain. However, this is simply a temporary effect; your body adapts after a few weeks, and you begin to reap the benefits.
When you stop smoking, your metabolic health improves significantly, which leads to weight loss. Quitting also lowers your chance of health problems, lowers your anxiety, and improves your mental health. As a result, in addition to making dietary and activity modifications, you should quit smoking if you want to lose belly fat.
6
Dietary Adjustments
Certain dietary changes can also aid in the attainment of a flat stomach;
Sugar and sugary beverages should be avoided. A higher intake of sugar-sweetened beverages has been connected to aberrant visceral fat buildup.
Stick to a low-carb diet. Cutting carbs helps to improve body composition, fat distribution, and glucose metabolism in particular.
Increase the amount of protein in your diet. By raising your metabolism and decreasing your hunger, this can help you shed visceral fat.
Make a meal plan ahead of time. It's not enough to eat a low-carb, high-protein diet; maintain track of your meals and plan ahead to practice mindful eating.
7
Doctor's Final Words
At a weight loss clinic, body fat is measured using an electronic bioelectrical impedance scale.
Visceral fat has been linked to a variety of health problems. Important lifestyle changes, on the other hand, can aid in the loss of stubborn belly fat and the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. I've included the four most effective methods for reducing visceral fat. You will surely see benefits if you merely do that. Also, don't go to any of these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID to safeguard your life and the lives of others.
Dr. Rashmi Byakodi is a writer who aims to make her readers' lives better and more enjoyable.
How to Lose 15 Pounds in a Week: 8 Weight-Reduction Tips Fad diets and juice cleanses for quick weight loss frequently lack vital nutrients that your body requires to function properly. Rather than scaring your body with procedures that may or may not be scientifically proven, start burning fat quickly the healthy way by following these seven basic rules.
Here are eight suggestions for losing 15 pounds in a week:
1. Get Rid of Carbs That Aren't Good For You
You'll need to change your diet to lose weight quickly. It's always been about calories in vs. calories out when it comes to fat loss. The greatest way to lose weight in five days is to plan beforehand.
Starting a few weeks before your five-day "cut," gradually reduce your carb intake until you're consuming less than 50 grams per day. The real weight loss will occur on days when you consume fewer than 50 grams of carbs.
For example, if you weigh 185 pounds and generally consume 400 grams of carbohydrates per day, try eating 300 grams for a week, 200 grams the following week, 100 grams the following week, and eventually less than 50 grams for five days.
Carbohydrates That Aren't Good for You
Carbohydrates are divided into three categories:
Carbohydrates that are simple
Carbohydrates that are complex
Fiber in the diet
Carbs like pasta, rice, bread, potatoes, and other starches are high in calories, making it difficult to lose weight quickly. Furthermore, they bind to water more than protein or fats, causing men to shed a few pounds over time due to the loss of water weight.
Intermittent fasting is a great way to lose weight.
Fasting intermittently lengthens the time between meals; the simplest way to do this is to skip breakfast. If your last meal was at 6 p.m. the night before, you'll have fasted for 18 hours if you wait until noon the next day for your first meal.
Intermittent fasting boosted lipid oxidation, which resulted in higher fat loss, according to a 2005 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
According to a research published in the Journal of Physiology in 2010, fasting paired with exercise improves insulin sensitivity, allowing your body to better partition nutrients between fat and muscle.
How to go about it:
For the next few days, skip breakfast and eat your first healthy meal in the afternoon.
3. Exercise with high-intensity intervals
If you want to lose weight quickly, you'll need to increase your cardio intensity. HIIT enhances VO2 max and burns more calories than continuous aerobic training, according to a recent study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
Furthermore, a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in 2013 indicated that HIIT rowing burnt considerably more fat than regular rowing over the course of four weeks.
Instead of spending hours on the treadmill, concentrate on fat-burning circuits that target your complete body.
Create a circuit including goblet squats, dumbbell/barbell rows, push presses, and pushups, and complete each for 30 seconds before resting for another 30 seconds before moving on to the next.
Finish with max-effort intervals of 15 seconds on, 15 seconds off on an Airdyne bike, rowing machine, prowler, or other machine.
3. Consume Fish Oil
With your current diet and workout routine, fish oil can help you burn more fat.
Fish oil supplementation resulted in an additional reduction in fat mass and an increase in muscle gain, according to a 2010 study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. If you want to lose weight in five days, increase your fish oil consumption to 1 gram per 1% body fat. Take 16g of fish oil, spread out throughout the day, if you're 16 percent body fat.
4. Take a glass of warm or hot water.
Drinking plenty of water keeps you hydrated and allows you to operate at your best. Dehydration, even mild dehydration, can impair your gym performance and slow your metabolism as your body tries to conserve water.
However, simply drinking water can help you lose weight faster. In a 2003 study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, researchers discovered that consuming two cups of warm or hot water for 40 minutes improved metabolism by 30%.
5. Increase your intake of lean protein
Protein is essential for fat loss:
It makes you feel full, preventing overeating and unnecessary nibbling.
Because protein takes more energy to digest than carbs or fat, it increases your calorie burn throughout the day.
It reduces muscle atrophy that may occur as a result of a calorie deficit.
Consume at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight from entire foods such as lean meats, nuts, eggs, and high-quality protein powders.
6. Make Use Of Safe Supplements
Fat-burners are over-the-counter supplements that usually combine several herbs and stimulants to raise your core temperature, which can help you burn more calories at rest and during activity, as well as decrease your hunger.
Green tea extract, caffeine, synephrine, capsicum, raspberry ketones, and garcinia cambogia are all common constituents in fat-burning supplements that help you burn more calories.
Synephrine is a chemical compound present in citrus fruits such as mandarins and clementines. According to recent study, it is safe for the heart and may even increase resting metabolic rate. Capsicum, a plant with spicy seeds and fruits, is commonly used to relieve pain.
Intentional ingestion, according to a 2011 Chemical Senses assessment, may help with weight loss. Caffeine and garcinia cambogia decrease appetite, allowing you to eat smaller portions and avoid junk food cravings.
Fat-burning supplements can boost your metabolism, give you more energy, reduce hunger, and raise your core temperature, all of which help you burn more calories indirectly.
However, keep an eye out for these chemicals' adverse effects and don't mix them with other stimulants or drugs.
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