An intermittent fasting diet is a new way to lose weight that restricts the time in which you consume food in an alternating cycle of fasting and eating.
Intermittent Fasting Diet
The intermittent fasting diet or IF is not new in the field of diet and nutrition. It rose again to fame in 2013, known as “The 8-hour diet,” by Peter Moore and David Zinczenko. They claimed that eating within 8 hours can result in incredible weight loss. Many celebrities have tried the diet because of its popularity, like Beyoncé, Miranda Kerr, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, and Benedict Cumberbatch. Today, it remains a popular eating style for those who want to lose weight.
As a nutritionist, I always encourage my clients to lose weight healthily without sacrificing overall health. This article will provide you practical tips to lose weight using the proper intermittent fasting schedule.
Benefits of Intermittent Fasting Diet
There are some studies about this type of diet and its benefits to overall health. The following are advantages that you can get out of it:
- Weight loss
- Longer lifespan
- Increase metabolism
- Improve immune system
Aside from weight management, IF is also useful for people with type 2 diabetes. Hence, it may decrease insulin resistance that helps lowering blood sugar levels. A human study found out that IF may reduce 3 to 6 percent of blood sugar and a 20 to 31 percent decrease in fasting insulin. Another study in rats with increased sugar levels proved that IF protects them against kidney damage, a serious complication of diabetes.
Get Started with Intermittent Fasting Schedule
Maybe you want to start this diet regime, but you are unsure how and where to start. Here are effective ways on how you can start an intermittent fasting schedule the healthy way.
- The first step is to know more about IF. As a nutritionist, it is dangerous for people with low blood sugar to do an IF. Therefore, it is vital to talk to your doctor right before changing your diet.
- If you are healthy without underlying health problems, the next thing to do is find the right intermittent fasting schedule. You can choose from six different patterns. The most popular pattern is the 16/8 method, in which you need to fast for 16 hours and eat during the 8 hours. I advise you to eat between noon and 8 in the evening.
- After doing your research and choosing the right schedule for you, then you are good to go.
Effective Ways to Manage IF
Just like any other diet method, an intermittent fasting diet is not an easy task to do in the beginning. It is important to prepare yourself to deal with some side effects, like fatigue, stomach grumbling, irritability, and stress because of the new eating pattern. The following are useful tips for you to accomplish it the easy way:
- Start with a realistic eating pattern or schedule. You have the liberty to choose your eating pattern and stick to it at the beginning. According to Dr. Amy Lee and Head Nutritionist from Nucific, there is no need to dive straight to a strict eating pattern.
- Always drink enough water. Hence, it is vital to keep your body hydrated using non-caloric fluids. Therefore, it is better to stay away from sugary drinks.
- Eat slowly and frequently during the eating window hour. I recommend eating every 3 hours within the 8-hour window so you may get the needed calories a day.
- It is easier to plan healthy meals and do not be tempted to eat snacks or comfort foods.
During your eating window in your intermittent fasting schedule, it is important to eat whole foods like vegetables, protein, and foods rich in fiber. It is better to do it the right way in any diet without sacrificing your health. If you want to learn more about losing weight the healthy way, you can click here.