Everyone’s always asking me for an insider’s tip on what the next big secret in the dieting industry is… Specifically, people want to burn fat and build muscle while putting in as little effort as possible. They want it all, and sometimes that’s asking a little too much. But what If I told you there were programs ahead of the entire industry that could do that? Enter intermittent fasting. It’s certainly not a new concept but most people have no idea about the benefits of intermittent fasting.
INTERMITTENT FASTING KEY BENEFITS
Let’s kill a highly perpetuated myth before we move on to the benefits of intermittent fasting. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day: That weight loss myth is easily killed. Those who engage in regular fasting (often goes from sleep to lunch, meaning skipping breakfast) report increased focus, increased energy levels and better mood while fasting. Looking for your new coffee? You’ve found one that burns fat and gives you energy. Eating 6 meals a day on a sensible meal plan speeds up the metabolism:
If you are consuming the same number of calories and have the same macronutrient distribution (primarily talking about protein), consuming those calories and nutrients between 6 meals and 1
makes near 0 difference. Because at the end of the day with either method, if I cut calories, there will be the same caloric deficit, and if I add calories, there will be the same surplus!
And if there was a difference, I am inclined to believe that it is in favor of the fasting method. By increasing insulin sensitivity, intermittent fasting can make sure when you are eating the
calories are getting driven directly into your muscles! And when you aren’t fasting the increased adrenaline/noradrenaline will give you energy and burn fat!
The secret is intermittent fasting done in the right way and understanding this great dieting system. So, first of all, let’s answer two important questions that should help you understand intermittent fasting and why it works so well.
1. What Is Intermittent Fasting?
The “Word Web Dictionary” tells us that the word “intermittent” means, “Stopping and starting at irregular intervals.” In other words, when it comes to fasting, you do not fast every day or for long periods of time. You eat for several days, you fast for one day, then you eat again, etc. Actually, this is the only healthy way to use fasting to lose weight and it works great when done
right. If done wrong, it can cause some real problems. Yes, fasting and weight loss can work great together, plus intermittent fasting plenty of benefits:
- You don’t have to buy special foods
- You can eat the foods you love
- There are no complicated rules to follow
- It’s inexpensive to do
- It is enjoyable after your body acclimates
- You can stay on this type of weight loss system for a lifetime
2. Is This A Natural Way To Lose Weight?
You bet! Fasting and weight loss have been teaming up for thousands of years. Intermittent fasting is much more natural than eating every day. In days of old, when there were no supermarkets,
people would have to hunt for their food. No catchy, no easy…if you know what I mean. The body was designed to feed off fat when food was not available. When the hunter of the family
caught something they would eat for a few days, then have to catch something else. If you look at pictures of people just 100 years ago (when food was harder to come by) you will
notice very few fat people. Our constant access to food has really caused a great problem in our country. Even our children are overweight and are experiencing health problems as a result.
Intermittent fasting is a way of eating that involves a structured program on the times when you eat and when you do not eat. You structure your program according to your fancy. If you can
handle it, fast for a whole day! I recommend that you fast for 12 full hours before eating a meal. You can increase your fasting period later as you continue with the program.
Intermittent fasting is normal, healthy, and enjoyable…and, best of all, it works great for losing weight.
METHODS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING
You might fast through your sleep and into the afternoon, and then have a window of eating that lasts a few hours. In this period you would also have the workout.
Or it could mean that you wake up and eat a large meal, and fast late into the day until second/last meal.
Be smart and efficient, choose a program that gets you results with researched efficient methods. Either way the responsibility is taken at your leisure, but to squeeze the most results out of any
method you choose, do your research and listen to your body.
BENEFITS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING
There are many fasting benefits and in my experience, very few drawbacks. Fasting means going 24 to 36 hours, usually 36, without eating any solid food. Drinking water and lots of it is a must. It
helps with detoxification and makes you feel a little fuller. It’s also acceptable to drink juice during a fast, no more than a couple ounces every 2 hours. Organic apple juice is being recommended. Some people claim that drinking juice can help your system to process and eliminate toxins while fasting. I tend to stick to nothing but water. If nothing else, you feel like you really stuck to your fasting at the end. Except for one month off, I’ve been fasting every week for almost a year. I initially did it to detox and lose weight. I think I accomplished both of those things and I now use it to maintain my weight. In combination with diet and exercise, fasting helped me to lose 30 pounds over the past year. Below are some of the fasting benefits that I’ve personally experienced over the past year. Deeper, better quality sleep – You should always end your fast on a morning, that way you spend most of the last hours of it sleeping rather than thinking about how hungry you are. You should also be sure to set your alarm clock because you sleep so deep at the end of a fast that it’s hard to get up. You get that very comfortable sleep like in the winter when it’s warm under the covers and cold outside. Feel better – I often work out before eating on the last day of a fast because you feel energized. Actually the whole second half of any fast you tend to feel detoxed and like your system is operating efficiently. I won’t kid you, at times you can feel very hungry and generally rough during a fast but once you’ve done it a few times you’ll ignore that.
DETOXIFICATION
One of the main fasting benefits is detox. Your body collects toxins just from your normal daily activities so it’s important to detox once in a while. This requires giving your liver a break so
it can stop processing food and focus on cleaning out your blood. You can actually feel this, your system feels cleaner after you’ve digested your last morsel of food.
CONTROL OVER EATING HABITS
This is one that most people don’t discuss but I’ve found that fasting is helpful in convincing you that you are in control of your eating. Most people think it’s a biological imperative that they eat at least 3 times a day. It’s not. Your body can go much longer without food and it’s a good exercise to go without the food so that you can understand how hunger is just a signal. It’s important information, but it’s completely within your control to ignore it for quite some time.
WEIGHT LOSS
This is probably the biggest reason I started fasting but it’s not really what I consider the biggest benefit. Don’t get me wrong, you can quickly drop 5 to 10 pounds by fasting. But it’s not a great strategy for long term weight loss unless you plan to fast every week like I do. Even then, you should modify the rest of your diet and exercise routine to make sure you’re retaining your muscle mass because your body will cannibalize your muscles for food when you fast. I suggest fasting a few times and seeing how you like it. Then later, once you know how it affects you, you can use it to drop a few pounds before a high school reunion.
HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE
Studies have shown that cleansing your body through an intermittent fasting program can lower blood pressure, regulate blood sugar, reduce cholesterol, and help to ward of diseases such as alzheimer’s. It can also increase your metabolism, mental alertness and increases energy levels. If you want to increase your weight loss results while using this method add in a workout routine.
Working out several days a week will help to speed up the amount of weight that you lose. Exercise is also good for your overall health. While you are not dieting, it would help your results if you tried to eat healthier foods on the days that you are not fasting. This includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Also, drink ample amounts of water. Water is necessary to cleanse the body of waste and toxins.
Other benefits of fasting include:
- Increased Insulin sensitivity/nutrient portioning, makes for a great way to build muscle without gaining fat!
- Increased adrenaline/noradrenaline, meaning more time spent burning fat!
- Reduced appetite and hunger, possibility of feeling full due to eating all calories in fewer meals
Example:
If you’re allotted 1800 calories on your diet, would you rather eat 2 900 calorie meals, or 6 300 calorie meals?
*Increased energy and focus.
You probably sleep for around 6 to 8 hours. During this time, your body is in fasting mode. When your body is in fasting mode, it usually produces more insulin. More insulin in your body causes
your body to have increased insulin sensitivity. When your body has increased insulin sensitivity, you lose more fat. The brilliance of intermittent fasting weight loss program is that you skip
breakfast to extend the period of your body’s insulin sensitivity. This means that your body is going to be on fat loss mode for a longer period. You will lose more weight. A longer fasting mode also has a good effect on the Growth hormone levels in your body. By skipping breakfast or eating during a specific period, your body produces Growth hormone.
Growth hormone is what you want your body producing when you are trying to lose weight. This is simply because Growth hormone promotes weight loss in your body. When you are on an intermittent fasting weight loss program, your Growth hormone levels are usually at their peak. You will be losing more weight during this period. High Growth hormone levels in your body also have several other health benefits. This program is simply amazing!
Intermittent fasting weight loss program is radically different from most weight loss programs being promoted in the market. However, its ideas are scientifically sound when it comes to losing
weight. You should give this program a go if you are serious about weight loss.