The most popular and the most common word that you will hear in fitness is “INTERMITTENT FASTING “!!! Much over rated and definitely effective, INTERMITTENT FASTING is definitely here to stay. There are different theories on how it originated and how it should be practiced.
But First things first, what is INTERMITTENT FASTING?
While almost every diet and nutritional program focuses on “what” you should eat, intermittent fasting primarily focuses on “when” you should eat. That is, with this program, you only eat during a specific period of time during the day. The remainder of the day is your fasting period. Due to the fact it focuses on “when” and not “what”, intermitted fasting is more of an eating pattern than a diet itself.
Before beginning an intermittent fasting program and deciding on which structure makes the most sense for you, it is important to discuss it with your sports nutritionist or trainer.
Eating & Fasting Windows
There are multiple ways to create an intermittent fasting program. One of the most popular regimens is the 16/8 fasting window. This program indicates that an individual would consume their food only during the specified eight-hour window, while fasting for the complete remainder. This plan typically is one of the easier regimens to follow as the pattern each day is the same and it is easier to stay on track with your window timeframes. There are programs with longer periods of fasting such as 24, 26, and 72 hours however, these can be more dangerous and may have some adverse effects. Another popular method is the 5:2 approach. With this regimen, an individual would eat regularly for five days, and be restricted to one low calorie meal per day for the two remaining days.
It is important to note that it can take a few weeks for your body to adjust to these new patterns of eating and so feelings of hunger and agitation can be quite normal in those early weeks of the plan’s adoption.
What Can You Eat?
One of the common misconceptions is that during the fasting periods you must stay abstinent from everything however, this is untrue. While fasting, you are still permitted to have low-calorie beverages such as water, tea, and coffee.
On the flip side, your eating window does not mean it’s time to pig out and eat everything. The food you’re consuming should still be healthy and nutritious options. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your food and have to be ultra restricted however, you want to be mindful of your ultimate goals and eating accordingly.
What are the Benefits?
There have been countless studies done to investigate the effectiveness of intermittent fasting and its potential benefits. Johns Hopkins neuroscientist Mark Mattson, PhD., illustrated many of these benefits in “Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Health, Aging, and Disease” in which he states research has revealed improvements in:
- Thinking and memory
- Heart health
- Physical performance
- Diabetes and obesity
- Tissue health
One of the biggest reasons people decide to give intermittent fasting a try is weight loss. With its structured periods of fasting, you are naturally reducing your caloric intake. Along with this, studies show that it can also alter your hormone levels to facilitate weight loss, and the release of fat burning hormones norepinephrine. Some of the effects on hormones also include lowered insulin levels and increased growth hormone levels, which in turn have been shown to increase your metabolic rate by 3.6-14%. Another advantage of intermittent fasting when compared to other dietary restrictive plans is that it has been shown to cause less muscle loss when in a caloric deficit.
It is important to note that intermittent fasting can have many different effects on different people, and it is not for everyone. It can however be a complete lifestyle change for the better and help you live a happier and healthier lifestyle.
Some people owe the Intermittent Fasting pattern to different religions like Jainism, or Buddhism , and a weekly fasting day to Hinduism, and even linked to Islami, as they observe Ramadan, but over the years it became more of a fitness practice only.
There are many benefits of Intermittent fasting. It helps curb your habits of munching and indulging in snacks or impulsive eating. Also, if you have a habit of over eating and portion control, even then this will help ease out.
You should be very careful before you start intermittent fasting schedule , as you have to be prepared that this will be very different from your current schedule/pattern. If you are in a habit of eating every now and then or having a few small meals, then you have to have a lot of strength to start this diet pattern. When we say strength, we mean mentally strong and have control over your greed/and desire to eat often.(Well that is not relevant as if you are reading this on the Muscletech website, you definitely have some serious fitness goals).
Once you start INTERMIENT FASTING, you will see a lot of changes in your body, and for the better. It heals your gut, and gives rest to your system also. Most of the people who follow intermittent fasting, also mention about better cleansing of the body, and feel their stomach and digestive system is much better.
Many people by default have a 12 hour window, lets say if they eat around 8.00 om, they have the breakfast not before 8.00 am the next day. Slowly ou can increase this window, and take it upto 16 hours.
You should also start your eating/ break your fasting diet with a fruit preferably. And then start your meals. As the eating window is not a very long one you have to plan your meals. You might initially feel that you will have cravings, but you wont have much cravings….And subconsciously you will be knowing that you are following intermittent fasting, so you shall be eating well, and enough so that you don’t feel hungry or are tempted to break your fast. Mostly you can have soft beverages such as coffee, tea , etc while you are on your fasting but slowly even that will become a habit and you wont have the urge to do it.
There are various opinions on following INTERMITTENT FASTING. Sometimes people follow a keto diet or any other fad diet , so at times one can have constipation, bloating and nausea as side effects.
It is important to have balanced meals, and eat very sensibly on a fasting diet.
INTERMITTENT FASTING also became very popular to break a plateau. Many people who follow a fitness lifestyle , often hit a plateau, and are stuck on a particular weight and body shape. They are unable to challenge themselves and hence the situation is called a plateau. That is a phase when despite their regular workout and diet patter, nothing seems to work for them; often in such cases INTERMITTENT FASTING is strongly recommended.
With the many benefits that you get from a fasting diet and pattern, you can start your new schedule right away.
