Intermittent Fasting for weight loss

One the most common reasons that people try out Intermittent fasting is to help lose weight, and that is with good reason.

Adopting an Intermittent fasting diet actually helps you lose weight in three different ways. Because of that, intermittent fasting is quickly becoming one of the most popular methods for a fast and healthy weight loss.

Fasting for weight loss

Fasting has been around for centuries. It started out as a spiritual practice, where devotees would go for long periods of time with lille or no food. Intermittent fasting is similar, but less extreme.

In intermittent fasting, you go without food for periods of time, some methods like 16-8, you go for a few hours a day not eating. There are plenty of methods to choose from, so you can easily find the right diet for you.

The body is incredibly adaptable, so it can quickly learn to get by with a significantly reduced calorie intake. Intermittent fasting takes care of this. By continually switching between low caloric intake during fasts and normal eating periods. Doing this “tricks” the body into wanting to burn those fat deposits. (1)

This adaption to a lower caloric intake can lead to a variety of positive changes taking place throughout the body. It lowers bloodpressure, promotes burning fat deposits, and even leads to positive metabolic changes.

Changing your body from the ground up

As mentioned above, going on IF brings a number of positive changes to your body. Lowering your intake of calories will actually alter your body, right down to your cells.

Insulin, the hormone regulating your body’s metabolism of carbohydrates lowers when you fast. The lower levels of insulin helps your body burn fat.

Because of this, Intermittent fasting can greatly help diabetics, whose bodies have trouble regulating their insulin levels.

Your body also releases norepinephrine. This is a molecule in the same family as adrenaline, and it binds itself to your bodies fat cells, releasing energy. In this way, you both burn fat and release energy that you need for exercise or work. (2)

Human growth hormone (HGH) also increases when you intermittently fast for weight loss. Human growth hormone helps to repair cells. This can help repair organs, boost recovery and promote fat burning. (3).

The changes in the body are massive when you fast, and many of them positive.

Eating less

It is simple, but eating less just helps you lose weight. Intermittent fasting really helps you do this simple, but for some pretty difficult step.

Adopting intermittent fasting for weight loss helps you reduce the calories you take on, atleast during the fasting periods. But won’t you just eat more during the time you are allowed to eat? Actually not. Studies have shown that people actually dont eat more during their eating periods. (4)

Those who lose weight on intermittent diets have an easier time maintaining their weightloss. This is because those who are on an intermittent diet don’t have an increased appetite. This means that they dont just put on all the weight they just lost. This seems to be because a tests shows lower levels of leptin, a hormone that inhibits hunger. Therefor intermittent fasting can help you reduce your appetite while staying healthy.

Retain musclemass while losing weight

We all know the dilemma, we want to lose weight, but usually, what goes first when we cut back on food, are those hard-earned muscles.

Intermittent fasting has been shown to help maintain muscle mass while burning fat. This is known as lean gains.

Comparing intermittent fasting to a normal diet of calorie reduction yields surprising results. Intermittent fasting shows a similar weight reduction as calorie reduction, but with much higher percentage of retained muscle mass.

Summary

Intermittent fasting for weight loss is one of the main reasons people get started. It is proven to help in many ways. IF is a healthy alternative to a traditional calorie restriction diet. It can help improve metabolism and retain musclemass while losing fat.

Intermittent fasting is safe for most people to try, but if you have any concerns be sure to kontakt your doctor. Otherwise, you can start fasting today!