Intermittent Fasting To Lose Weight

Intermittent fasting (IF) is a very trendy weight loss tool which focuses upon an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. IF does not specify the foods you should/should not eat but restricts when you should eat them.

The most popular IF method is 16/8 in which the individual skips breakfast to restrict their daily eating window to 8 hours e.g. 1-9PM meaning that 16 hours are fasted. Many people find the 16/8 method the simplest and most sustainable.

Weight loss is the most common reason for people adopting IF. By reducing the eating window to just 8 hours individuals eat fewer meals leading to an automatic reduction in calorie intake (2 or 3 meals if adopting 16/8). Additionally, IF alters hormone levels to further facilitate weight loss. The partnership of lower insulin and increased growth hormone levels contribute to release of fat burning hormone noradrenaline. As a result of the hormonal changes IF can increase your metabolic rate between 3.6-14%.

However, it is important to remember that the success of IF relies upon the individual not binging during their eating periods as the bottom line is always calories in versus calories out.