Intermittent fasting was once popular to be a way to lose weight. What kind of intermittent fasting is done? And is intermittent fasting healthy?
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is dietary habit that is done by eating as usual for several days in 1 week, and fasting on other days. Fasting can be done by not eating at all for a certain period of time, or simply reducing the calories that come in.
Intermittent Fasting Methods
After knowing what is intermittent fasting, next, we will discuss the methods used
There are various methods (6 methods) that can be chosen to undergo this fasting, but there are three intermittent fasts methods that are most common, namely:
16/8 Method or Leangains protocol
Do not eat for 16 hours a day. For example, if you choose to eat at 4 am, then you can just eat again at 8 pm.
Eat-stop-eat
Fasting 24 hours a day, usually done twice a week. So if you eat at 7am, then you can just eat again the next day, at 7 a.m. as well.
Diet 5-2
In two days that are not consecutive in 1 week, you can only eat no more than 500-600 calories a day. While in the other 5 days, you can eat as usual.
Among the above three methods, many people prefer the 16/8 method because it is considered to be the easiest to do and reliable for the long term.
Alternate-Day Fasting (ADF)
The next way you can do is with a daily fasting method. This may be difficult to do because this type of fasting is quite extreme for beginners so it is not advisable to use an alternate-day fasting.
On fasting day, you are required to limit a maximum of 500 calories or about 25 percent of normal intake. So you have to consume foods that contain a bit of calories so that your weight will not rise after running the fasting with this method.
When you do this method to fast, it will feel hungry when sleeping on a daily basis. This is because your food intake is limited and maybe this hunger will be sustained throughout the day. This fast is not recommended for beginners.
Health benefits of intermittent fasting
Various processes in the body change when we do not consume food for a while.
This relates to the hormones, genes and cell repair processes that we develop to cope with hunger.
The health benefits of intermittent fasting also depend on a healthy diet outside the fasting hour. Here are the health benefits of intermittent fasting.
- Blood sugar levels remain constant throughout the morning. Therefore, our appetite will decrease..
- Many people claim this fast can improve health and increase energy.
- The body becomes not easily hungry and the ability of focus increases.
- Insulin levels decreased significantly and growth hormone increases. This is what makes us youthful.
- Weight loss is reduced.
- Accelerate metabolism.
- Increase production of stem cells.
- Some research proves if intermittent fasting can prolong life.
- Makes the body feel comfortable.
Read also:
Fasting and blood sugar levels
How to Intermittent Fasting to be successful
There are a few things to keep in mind if you want to lose weight with intermittent fasting:
Food quality
The food you consume is important. Try to prioritize a single-made meal (eating single ingredients).
Calories
The number of calories affects. Try to eat normally during the non-fasting period, not to be excessive as the calorie compensation you missed during fasting.
Consistency
Just like any other weight loss method, you should stay consistent for long periods of time.
Patience
It takes time for your body to adapt to the intermittent fasting protocol. For simplicity, try to be consistent with your meal schedule.
Most popular intermittent fasting protocols also recommend strength training. This is especially important if you want to burn body fat while forming muscle.
At first, calorie calculations are generally not required with intermittent fasting. However, if your weight loss stops, then calorie counting can be a useful thing.
Thank you very much for reading What is Intermittent Fasting: Definition, Methods, Health Benefits, and How To Be Successful, hopefully useful.
