Intermittent Fasting, Centuries Old Eating Method Returns

When I first heard about Intermittent fasting, abbreviated as (IF), I wasn't too sure about this pattern of eating because it went against everything I originally learned.  

It has been instilled in my brain for years "don't skip breakfast - eat within an hour of waking up", "eat 6 meals a day and be sure to eat every 2-3 hours".   But I gave it a try and I must stay - I'm loving it.   Intermittent Fasting is not for everyone.  It is not a diet - or about the types of foods you eat, rather - the time that you eat them.   

Intermittent fasting means you have a specific amount of time you do eat and a specific amount of time that you do not eat (fast).  It can include anything from multiday fasts to skipping meals a few times a week. Many people consider it appealing because it doesn’t involve large daily calorie restriction.

Fasting is a practice that is centuries old, spanning across cultures, religions and countries. Although many in the states are using this method to support fat loss, there have been claims that intermittent fasting offers other health benefits besides weight loss, such as: 

• improving the body’s sensitivity to insulin
• lowering inflammation 
• improving the digestive system​
• losing body fat

The 2 most popular intermittent fasting methods: 

• Whole-day fasting involves regular one-day fasts. The strictest form would be Alternate day fasting (ADF). This involves a 24-hour fast followed by a 24-hour non-fasting period.
   
• Time-restricted feeding AKA as the 16/8 Method, involves eating only during a certain number of hours each day.  

Since the 16/8 method is the most commonly used and the easiest to adapt to that is the method I am going to discuss here.  

Time -Restricted Fasting -  16/8 Method 

How It Works:  
You fast (eat no food) for 16 hours,  then schedule your meals during the remaining 8 hours.

During the fasting period, you consume no calories. However, black coffee, calorie-free sweeteners,and sugar-free gum are permitted. (A splash of milk in your coffee won’t hurt, either.) Most people who practice this fasting method will find it easiest to fast through the night and into the morning. They usually break the fast roughly 6 hours after waking up. This schedule is adaptable to any person’s lifestyle, but maintaining a consistent feeding window time is important. Otherwise, the hormones in the body can get thrown out of whack and make sticking to the program harder. 

This eating eating method may work great for people who do not like to eat breakfast or who find they enjoy eating later in the evening.  ​

What and when you eat during the feeding window also depends on when you work out.

On days you exercise, carbohydrates are more important than fat. On rest days, carbohydrates should be lower and fat intake should be higher. Protein consumption should be high every day, or based on your goals, gender, age, body fat and activity levels. Regardless of your specific program, whole, unprocessed foods should make up the majority of your calorie intake. However, when there isn’t time for a meal, a protein shake (EPIQ Isolate Vanilla) or meal replacement is acceptable (in moderation).

The Pros and Cons of Intermittent Fasting

Pros: 

• Meal frequency is irrelevant. You can really eat whenever you want to within the eight-hour “feeding” period. That said, most people find breaking it up into three meals easier to stick to (since we’re typically already programmed to eat this way). It is however, recommended that you avoid snacks unless you are truly hungry of you are eating during the 8 hour period.  
• This eating method may work great for people who do not like to eat breakfast or who find they enjoy eating later in the evening.
• ​Limited eating times can 

​
Cons: 
Even though there is flexibility in when you eat, Leangains, the mind behind IF, has pretty specific guidelines for what to eat if you want to achieve the best result using this method with a diet, especially in relation to when you’re working out. The strict nutrition plan and scheduling meals perfectly around workouts can make the program a bit tougher to adhere to. (You can learn more about the specifics — as well as when to time these meals — directly from Leangains here and here.)
​These recommendations for what foods to eat are merely such - recommendations, however if your goal is to lose body fat implementing a diet that will monitor your calories and sugar intake are a must.  

References:  Information has been provided from the following resources: 
Leangains; Daily Burn 

The author of this blog acknowledges that the information provided in this article was provided by the referenced source(s) listed about and holds no copy-writes to the information.  All information including images are copy-written and sole ownership of the owner of such. ​