Intermittent fasting diet in detail

Intermittent fasting for weight loss, in detail, the benefits, types, and the most common questions

Intermittent fasting may be one of the ancient secrets to staying healthy. It is an ancient habit that has been practiced throughout history.

It is considered a health secret because this habit has been largely ignored in recent years. But many people around the world are now re-discovering this eating habit.

Intermittent fasting may provide many benefits if followed properly, and these benefits include losing excess weight and managing type 2 diabetes, in addition to many other benefits.

Additionally, fasting can help you save a lot of time and money.

What is intermittent fasting ?

Intermittent fasting in a Briefly، It is eating what you want from food during a certain period of time, and refraining from eating for another period of time.

There are different common schedules that are recommended to follow, all of which are divided by day or week into eating and fasting periods.

Does intermittent fasting mean hunger ?

No, fasting differs from hunger in an essential way: it can be controlled. As for hunger, it is the involuntary absence of food for a prolonged period of time, which leads to severe suffering or even death.

Fasting is completely different from hunger, it is voluntary and means abstaining from eating for religious, health, or other reasons.

Fasting is performed by people who are not underweight, and thus have enough fat stored in the body to make up for the lack of food. Intermittent fasting should not cause suffering, and a person definitely does not die from it.

In fasting, food is always available, but you choose not to eat it. This can last for any length of time, from a few hours to a few days or - under medical supervision - for several weeks in a row.

You may start fasting any time you choose, and you can also choose when to end the fast. You can start or stop fasting for any reason, or even no reason at all.

Fasting has no specific duration, because it is just abstinence from eating. Anytime you want to start and stop eating, you can fast intermittently.

For example, you might fast from breakfast to dinner, which is roughly 12-14 hours. In this sense, intermittent fasting should be considered a part of everyday life.

Read also : Unexpected foods hinder weight loss

Intermittent fasting is perhaps the oldest and strongest food habit

Intermittent fasting is not unusual, as it is part of normal daily life. It is perhaps the oldest and strongest food habit humans have ever made. However, we lost interest in it for some reason and ignored its therapeutic benefits.

The basic rule of thumb in correct fasting is that we have a choice of fasting or not fasting whenever we like.

Read on below to learn how to get started with intermittent fasting.

 The principle of balance between eating and fasting

In general, the intermittent fasting diet allows the body to use the energy stored in it. For example, the excess body fat is burned.

It is important to realize that this is normal and that humans can fast for short periods of time - hours or days - without adverse health consequences.

Body fat is just a nutritional energy source that has been stored for when it's needed. If you don't get enough food, your body will simply "burn" the fats stored in it for energy.

Life is based on balance. As good and bad, white and black. The same applies to eating and fasting. Fasting is simply the other side of eating. And if you are not eating, then you are fasting. Here's how it works for you:

When we eat, more food energy is obtained which can be used immediately. Little of this energy is stored for later use. Insulin is the main hormone that stores food energy.

Insulin rises when we eat food, which helps store excess energy in two separate ways.

Carbohydrates are digested into monosaccharides of glucose, which can be linked together in long chains to form glycogen, which is then stored in the liver or muscles.

However, the space for storing carbohydrates is limited, and once the maximum is reached, the liver begins converting the excess glucose into fat.

Some of this newly formed fat is stored in the liver, but most of it is exported as fatty deposits elsewhere in the body.

Although this process is more complex, there is no upper limit to the amount of fat that can be formed.

 Therefore, there are two integrated systems for storing food energy in our bodies.

One is easily accessible but with limited storage space (glycogen), the other is more difficult to access but with almost unlimited storage space (fat).

The process goes in the opposite direction when we are not eating (intermittent fasting). Insulin levels decrease, which causes the body to start burning the stored energy because there is no longer energy coming through food.

After the amount of sugar in the blood decreases, the body begins to withdraw glucose stored in the muscles and liver to burn it for energy.

Glycogen is the easily accessible energy source. Where it is broken down into glucose molecules in order to provide energy to various body cells.

This can provide enough energy to sustain many of the body's needs for up to 24-36 hours. After that, the body will break down fats for energy.

Read also : How to lose weight in a very short time

Thus the body is actually only in two states :

• Nutrition status (high insulin)
• The fasting state (low insulin)

We are either storing the energy from food, or we are burning the stored energy. This means that if the period of eating and fasting were balanced, then there would be no change in the net weight of the body.

If we start eating the moment we get out of bed, and don't stop until we go to sleep, we spend most of our time feeding.

Over time, we may gain weight, because we do not allow our body to burn off the stored food energy.

To restore balance or to lose weight, we may simply need to increase the amount of time we spend burning food energy. This is the intermittent fasting diet.

In essence, intermittent fasting allows the body to use its stored energy. The important thing is to understand that it is not wrong to do so.

This is how our bodies are designed. This is also what dogs, cats, lions and bears do. This is what humans should do.

 If you eat every three hours as often as recommended, your body will be constantly using the food energy coming into it.

 Thus, you may not need to burn much body fat. If this happens, then you lack balance. That is, you lack intermittent fasting.

The benefits of intermittent fasting diet

The most important benefit of fasting is weight loss. However, there are many other potential benefits, some of which have been known since ancient times.

Periods of fasting have often been called “purges” or “detoxification,” but the idea is similar - for example, abstaining from eating for a certain period of time will remove all toxins from our bodies.

Some of the health benefits of intermittent fasting  diet include:

• Loss of weight and body fats.
• Increase fat burning rate.
• Reducing the amount of insulin and blood sugar levels.
• Type 2 diabetes management.
• Improving focus and mental abilities.
• Increase energy rates.
• It might increase growth hormone, at least in the short term.
• May improve cholesterol levels in the blood.
• It may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
• It may guarantee a longer life span.
• It may help to activate cellular cleansing by stimulating autophagy.
• May reduce inflammation.

Fasting offers many unique benefits that are not available in traditional diets. Whereas, traditional diets can complicate life, while intermittent fasting may simplify it.

Where meals can be expensive, and intermittent fasting is free. While the diets take some time, fasting saves time.

And when diets are limited in availability, fasting is always available. As mentioned previously, fasting is a powerful and effective way to lower insulin levels and reduce body weight.

Short fast (less than 24 hours)

The intermittent fasting diet provides a lot of flexibility. You can fast as long or as short as you like, but long fasts for several days may require medical supervision. Here are some of the most popular systems. In general, short fasts are frequently observed.

Intermittent fasting diet 8/16

This method of intermittent fasting involves fasting for two days every day for 16 hours. Then eat food during a period of 8 hours.

You can eat all the food you want within an 8-hour period and then fast for 16 hours. Generally, this is done daily.

For example, you can eat all of your meals during the time period from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM. This means skipping breakfast.

But some people prefer to skip dinner instead. You usually eat two or three meals during the 8-hour period.

Intermittent fasting 4/20

This pattern includes a 4-hour eating period and then a 20-hour fast. For example, you could eat between 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM every day and then fast for another 20 hours.

In general, this may include eating one or two small meals during this time.

Long fast (more than 24 hours)

Fasting for 24 hours

This method includes intermittent fasting to fasting from dinner to dinner (or lunch to lunch).

If you eat dinner on the first day, you will skip breakfast and lunch the next day and have dinner again the next day.

This means that you will be eating daily, but only once per day. This pattern of fasting is done two to three times a week.

Intermittent fasting 5/2

This is the intermittent fasting pattern that has the most scientific support, as most studies of intermittent fasting have provided advice on following this pattern.

Dr. Michael Mosley published this pattern of intermittent fasting in his book "The Fast Diet."

This pattern involves five days of normal eating and two days of fasting. However, on these two days, you are allowed to eat 500 calories each day.

These calories can be consumed at any time during the day, so you can either eat them in batches throughout the day or one batch as a meal.

Intermittent fasting for 36 hours

This pattern involves fasting for an entire day. For example, if you eat dinner on the first day, you will fast for the second day and not eat anything until breakfast on the third day.

This usually takes 36 hours of fasting. It has the advantage that it may provide effective weight loss benefit.

Extending the period of fasting

Generally, for fasts greater than 48 hours, I recommend taking a general multivitamin to avoid micronutrient deficiencies.

I discourage people from fasting for more than 14 days due to the high risk of developing refeeding syndrome, which is characterized by a serious imbalance of fluids and minerals that can occur when reintroducing food after a long fast.

Frequently asked questions about intermittent fasting from people's experiences

Who are the people who should not fast? What are the caveats?

You should not follow intermittent fasting if you :

• You are underweight, meaning you have a body mass index (BMI <18.5), or you suffer from an eating disorder such as anorexia.

• If you are pregnant - you need extra nutrients for your baby.

• During breastfeeding - you need extra nutrients for your baby.

•  If you are a child under the age of 18 - you need additional nutrients to grow.

You may be able to fast - but you may need to do so under medical supervision - in these cases :

• If you have diabetes, type 1 or 2.

• If you are taking prescription medication.

• If you suffer from gout or high uric acid.

• If you suffer from any serious medical problems, such as liver disease, kidney disease or heart disease.

Does intermittent fasting not make me hungry?

No. This is the most common intermittent fasting myth, and it is generally untrue. In fact, some studies suggest that intermittent fasting may increase your basal metabolic rate (at least initially) and possibly improve overall body composition.

Can I exercise while fasting?

Yes sure. You can continue all your normal activities, including exercise, while fasting. You do not need to eat before exercising to save energy.

Alternatively, your body can burn stored energy (such as body fat) for energy.

However, if you have been doing aerobic exercise for a long time, pre-workout eating may increase performance. This is good if you are participating in an athletic competition.

Keep in mind that it may be important to drink fluids and replenish sodium (salt) when exercising while fasting.

Intermittent fasting harms or side effects

There can be a number of potentially annoying side effects of intermittent fasting. Here's what to do if you encounter :

• Hunger is one of the most common side effects of intermittent fasting. This may not be a problem if you are on a ketogenic diet or a low-carb diet, where you eat large amounts of fat.

• Constipation is common. Eating less food means going to the toilet less often. You do not need medication unless you are experiencing discomfort. Medicinal laxatives can be used to help.

• Headaches are common and tend to disappear after fasting. Eating less salt often helps relieve this problem.

• Mineral water may help if your stomach tends to gargle.

• Other possible side effects include dizziness, heartburn, and muscle cramps.

• A more serious side effect is refeeding syndrome. Fortunately, this is rare and generally only occurs when fasting for a long time (5 to 10 days or more), that is, when a person is malnourished.

Why does blood sugar rise during fasting ?

This is due to the hormonal changes that occur during intermittent fasting.  Your body will produce sugar in order to provide energy for your system.

What do I do when feeling hungry ?

The most important thing is that hunger usually passes in transit.  Many people worry that hunger during intermittent fasting will continue to increase until it becomes impossible to tolerate, but this does not happen naturally.

Instead, hunger is fleeting.  And if you simply ignore it and drink a cup of tea or coffee, you will likely forget it.

During long periods of fasting, hunger increases on the second day.  After that, it gradually decreases.  And many people have told us through their experiences of complete loss of hunger by day 3-4.

As your body will become dependent on fats during this period.  That is, your body will consume its own fats for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so you will not feel hungry.

Does fasting burn muscles ?

No, this is not correct.  During fasting, the body first breaks down glycogen into glucose for energy.

After that, the body increases fat burning to provide energy.  Excess amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) are also used for energy

But the body does not burn its own muscles for fuel unless it is forced to.

It would be naive to think that our bodies store energy in the form of glycogen and fat and then burn muscles when needed.

In trials involving more than 1,000 people who tried various intermittent fasting regimens, no one complained of muscle loss.

Read also : How to lose weight in a very short time

What are the most important tips for intermittent fasting in my experience ?

Here are important tips, in short :

• drink water.

• Occupy yourself.

• Drink coffee or tea.

• Try to ignore hunger.

• If people don't support you with the idea of ​​fasting intermittently for health reasons, then you shouldn't tell them about it.

• Give yourself one month to see if intermittent fasting (such as 16: 8) is right for you.

• Follow a low-carb diet between fasting periods. This reduces hunger and makes the intermittent fasting diet easier. This may also increase the effect on weight loss and help manage type 2 diabetes.

Intermittent fasting diet experiences

How do I break my fast ?

Eating a very large meal after fasting is a mistake we all did, myself included, this can cause stomach pain. But don't worry, most people will quickly learn to eat as normally as possible after fasting.

Isn't it important to eat breakfast every morning ?

not necessarily. This seems to be an old misconception, based on the statistics, skipping your morning meal gives your body more time to burn fat for energy.

And remember, skipping breakfast doesn't cause you to eat more.

Can a woman fast ?

Yes, but there are exceptions. Women who are underweight or who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not fast.

More over, for women who want to get pregnant, intermittent fasting with low body fat may increase the likelihood of irregular menstruation and this reduces the chance of pregnancy.

Other than that, there is no special reason why women should not fast. But women can have problems during intermittent fasting, but men can have problems like this as well.

And sometimes, women just don't get the desired results that they want, but this happens to men as well.

Studies show that the average weight loss for both women and men who fast is the same.

Is not fasting the same as reducing calories ?

No, not necessarily. Fasting can reduce the time you spend eating and primarily address the issue of "when to eat".

While reducing the number of calories addresses the issue of "what to eat and how much". They are separate issues and should not be confused with them.

 Fasting may also reduce calories, but its benefits go far beyond that.

Will I lose weight thanks to intermittent fasting ?

Probably yes. It is unreasonable that you will not lose weight if you do not eat.

In theory, it is, of course, possible to eat more food after fasting, which causes you to lose effort and regain the weight you lost.

But studies generally show that people tend to eat less after fasting.

Intermittent fasting has been called the "ancient secret of weight loss" because it may be one of the most effective eating habits in losing weight, however, it has been mostly ignored by doctors and dieticians since a long time ago.