What Is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is simply an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. Humans have practiced some form of fasting for hundreds of thousands of years. As a result, our bodies have evolved to function without food for extended periods of time.
Popular intermittent fasting schedules are:
The 16/8 Method: Also referred to as Leangains Protocol, this method skips breakfast, limits your eating period to 8 hours, and requires fasting for 16 hours.
The Eat-Stop-Eat: This method involves fasting for 24 hours either once or twice a week.
The 5:2 Diet: This involves eating 500 to 600 calories on two non-consecutive days of the week, but eating normally the other 5 days. For example, restricting yourself to 600 calories only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Is Intermittent Fasting Safe?
Unlike a lot of fad diets, intermittent fasting is backed by decades of research studies and medical literature. Studies have shown that although it may not work for everybody, intermittent fasting is a safe and effective way to lose weight.
It should be noted that fasting for more than 24 hours or up to several days in a row can be unsafe, as it puts stress on the cardiovascular system. If you take insulin or other medications that affect blood sugar, talk to your doctor about intermittent fasting to see if it’s right for you.
What Are The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting?
Supports Weight Management
Intermittent fasting trains your body to burn fat for energy, and can even help you preserve muscle mass more effectively than calorie restriction alone. Once your body is successfully in fat-burning mode, your adrenaline levels increase, which in turn can boost your metabolism.
Maintains Blood Glucose Levels
Fasting helps to keep blood sugar levels normal because during a fast, no new glucose is entering the body. Instead, the body uses up existing glucose that has already been stored. A small study even showed that fasting helped those with type 2 diabetes significantly decrease blood sugar levels.
Simplifies Weight Loss
Intermittent fasting gives you the freedom to continue making and eating your favorite recipes. This means that you can ditch the meal planning and detailed shopping lists. All you have to do is pick which fasting schedule you want to follow based on your lifestyle, and follow it!
Are you seeking even more guidance on your journey towards weight loss and better health? Right Weight Center is here to help. We offer several personalized programs designed to help you reach your goals in a supportive, physician-directed environment. In addition to four different weight loss plans, we offer fat-burning boosters to help you lose or maintain your weight.
Give us a call at 301-345-7885 or walk-in during our office hours to discuss your weight loss goals at our two locations in Greenbelt and Camp Springs, MD.
