The usual practice to date, recommended by all nutritionists, included many small meals during the 24 hours.
However, the new trend, called the Intermittent Fasting Diet and suggests the consumption of foods at specific day times.
Our article tries to find the details of this new diet model and the reasons for the popularity of this new diet proposal, wondering if it works or is just another nice story for a new nutrition style.
As a fact we have to think if frequent meals activate the metabolism, or the long periods of nutritional breaks.
Many questions, all of them with pros and cons.
Having adopted that metabolism should not be “asleep” and be constantly efficient, our task is to consume small meals regularly, we now find ourselves out of this theory with an opposite approach.
According to this theory – which has become a global trend – taking breaks from food for certain periods of time during the day, does not produce negative results for the organism’s metabolic rate, but instead promotes the fat loss, helping quite effectively to control blood sugar levels, by suppressing the feeling of hunger, gluttony, and reducing the ratio body fat/weight.
Sounds a little strange, raising questions to all of us, therefore we decided to take a closer look at this new diet model suggested by many nutritionists and explore its pros and cons.
First we should note (making clear) that there are many different frameworks for implementing this diet program called Intermittent Fasting Diet.
Any person could select the model thought to be the best for its organism and style, more compatible with its own needs and its own endurance on break period from meals.
Basically, this diet program promotes no dietary or calorie restrictions. The principle rule of this diet relies on the time constraint only.
WHAT IT’S BELIEVED ABOUT INTERMITTENT FASTING: According to many nutritionists Intermittent Fasting is not another diet plan, but a way to consume food in a right and balanced way.
Many argue that this is a healthier way of nutrition since – even in nature – humans have not had constant access to food.
Actually an advantage supporting this new way of food consumption is to forget the oppressive rule of many & frequent meals during the day and to classify meals in a specific time slot, meaning that, you may select the type of Intermittent Fasting desired to follow depending on your expectations and stamina and integrate meals within the time slot suggested by the specific type.
Here are the types of Intermittent Fasting Diet
Several types of this diet plan are available, so everyone may find that one “working” best for its organism.
Perhaps the most common of all Intermittent Fasting Diet models is the 16-hour (abstinence from food) and 8-hour (allowance of meals).
A great thing is that everyone may select the time slot within 24 hours, to introduce the 8 hours of food.
So many persons opt for skipping breakfast – starting with their first lunch around 1:00 pm – while others prefer starting with a good breakfast and skip dinner.
It is clearly a matter of personal preference and selection of what will work best in their organism within their working hours.
Second model for more “tough” users includes 24-hour fast for 1 day per week, meaning that during 6 days there is a free food consumption of personal choice (always within a balanced caloric intake of about 2000 calories / day) without time restrictions, while for 1 day there is complete abstinence from any food.
It is also allowed to consume coffee or tea without sweeteners, milk, and cream and generally with no any other additive.
This type of fasting for 1 entire week day is ideal for those wishing to control and maintain a stable body weight, meaning that the desired weight has been reached, so a weight stabilization program is desirable to offer all benefits of Intermittent Fasting to health.
In this type of Intermittent Fasting Diet, the person follows a fasting day plan followed by non-fasting days.
A milder version of the classic version of Intermittent Fasting, also allowing a few weekdays completely free.
This program offers several fasting benefits to organism, while at the same time it’s much milder and more feasible even for people who cannot easily follow dietary restrictions, achieving a slower but satisfactory weight loss and “calming down” the appetite.
Next is the 5 to 2 days model, meaning that 5 days any food consumed and 2 days include an extremely low-calorie diet (i.e. about 500 to 600 calories per day only).
No. This after all, is the purpose of this particular diet program, not presenting any other substantial limitations, neither in quantity nor in meal type.
During Fasting hours (regardless of Intermittent Fasting Diet selected), no allowance is possible for any food.
Drinking fluids is essential – so organism’s hydration is complete – however with no added sugar or other extra additives.
Surely, this means plenty of water with squeezed lemon, with a little apple cider vinegar, coffee (plain) or tea (plain).
No soft drinks (neither those diet drinks) nor alcoholic beverages are allowed.
Intermittent food administration may cause health complications or de-coordinate their treatment.
Intermittent Fasting Diet in a short time “captured” all media around the world, becoming a new trend.
Reasonably, everybody wonders: What is so special about it?
Is it for “overturning” everything taught to us to date for so long about frequent meals and their necessity?
Is it for finally giving a solution to many people trying in every way to lose weight and not succeeding?
I think, taking into account myself and my own problems with every diet I started, that Intermittent Fasting Diet became popular because “touches” even people with emotional food overconsumption.
People who treat food as a “consolation” (I am among them) are the most difficult to stay loyal to any diet plan imposed.
It’s not a matter of stomach hunger, it’s rather a soul hunger. Stress, anxiety, sadness, anxiety, everything ends up to food.
The more intense the emotions experienced, the more “invincible” the desire to consume food.
Therefore, the fact that Intermittent Fasting manages to “controlling” and “regulating” this urge for food associated with the individual’s psyche, the fact bringing the person closer to its nature, teaching limits, are the elements making it stand out so quickly.
It gives the organism time, ability and teaching capability to “listen”, “take note” and “understand” its real needs, if is hungry, and how much hunger there is, if understands the food consumed, if until now consumed food mechanically, with no norm & for no reason.
Yes. Depending on the type of Intermittent Fasting Diet selected, a lot of weight may be lost or just maintain the body weight constant (without new ups and downs).
The weight loss achieved – even if the same intermittent diet program with that of your partner – varies from person to person.
The kilos eventually lost are a combination of many factors involving health, fitness, heredity, gender, ancestry and many more, only to be perfectly determined medically.
So don’t be surprised if personal weight loss to someone else’s weight loss. It’s just that timing is different. You will achieve the result, may a little more time is required to make you’re the organism metabolize fat better.
It is also widely used as a healthy way to prevent the obesity development or type 2 diabetes in people with genetic predisposition.
Truth is somewhere in the middle.
It is true that, from one point onwards and since organism does not receive food for a long time begins to break down muscle mass to ensure the required energy.
Certainly, this does not happen in any case if you do not just consume food for a few hours.
Organism is a very “smart” machine with powerful survival mechanisms.
Muscle breakdown is the result of long-term starvation or disease (such as anorexia nervosa).
The intermittent fasting diet is not for everyone. As it lowers blood sugar levels, it is not a compatible diet plan for people with type 2 diabetes, nor for minors, pregnant, or breastfeeding women. Persons with chronic diseases, people with any disease, or persons taking medication for some reason, people with eating disorders, with mental disorders or people with Crohn’s syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome or other gastrointestinal condition are also excluded from this diet application.
In these cases, medical monitoring is recommended throughout the course of fasting (even if the doctor treating you allows its application first).
Combining a healthy diet – such as an extreme break (I recommend 16-8) – with a quality & safe dietary supplement can help a person adopt a healthier diet and eliminate the extra kilos risking its health.
I recommend a 100% natural dietary supplement, as PhenQ, activating the metabolism and at the same time creating a greater feeling of fullness (so that even if you belong to those who find it difficult to trick their hunger to manage to get out during the 18 hours of fasting).
If you find it difficult, you can start with an even easier type of Intermittent Fasting, such as the type “Fasting – Non-Fasting”! Gradually – and once you get used to the new way of food consuming intermittently – you can increase the hours of fasting to the desired result.
You want my opinion? Do not resort to extreme food abstinence applications. You may experience unimaginable damage to your organism.
It would be sufficient to follow a balanced diet with small “breaks” in dietary intake.