Intermittent fasting-Here is all that you want know

Intermittent fasting as a way to lose weight is being used by a lot of people. What is intermittent fasting?

Diet, hunger strike and Intermittent fasting

• Diet

Dieting, calorie restriction, was once considered the simplest and most effective way to lose weight. One of the most well-known theories is that cutting 500 calories a day, which translates to 3,500 calories (1 pound of calories) a week, will result in a pound of weight loss a week. This method, is to treat people as machines, they think that as long as the control of calorie difference, can be simple and rough weight loss. 

But in fact, there are studies that follow diets to lose weight, and they show that if you lose weight on a diet, you basically get it back. Because genes and hormones don't allow you to control your caloric intake.That's why so many girls never get out of the cycle of dieting- gluttony-dieting.

• Hunger strike

A hunger strike is usually done to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy, by consuming only liquid rather than solid food.

During the first three days of hunger strike, the body is still using energy from glucose. After that, the liver begins to use up body fat in a process called ketosis. After burning fat, the body goes into "starvation mode." At this point, the body "mines" muscles and vital organs for energy, and the loss of bone marrow can be life-threatening.

• Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting means not eating for a fixed period of time during the day, lowering insulin levels, which lowers blood sugar and puts the body into a fat-burning state. For the rest of the meal, eat less carbs, more vegetables and enough fat to increase your satiety and energy for the next round of fasting. The principle of intermittent fasting is to use insulin secretion to increase the rate at which the body burns fat while maintaining a high metabolism.

Intermittent fasting mode

• 16:8: Stop eating for 16 hours a day and eat for the remaining 8 hours. People who take this approach usually choose to eat between noon and 8 p.m.
•  5:2: Eat only 25% of your daily calorie intake on two non-consecutive days each week.
• 24 hour: Choose one day per week or month where you don't eat any calories.

Intermittent fasting enthusiasts say it is an effective way to lose weight. In a 2017 article published in the Annual Review of Nutrition, 11 of 16 trials reported weight loss. However, the study also found that some diets are not recommended. Alternating fasting, for example, can cause extreme hunger and is therefore not practical.

The history of compulsive intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting has existed throughout human history for religious, cultural and spiritual reasons. But as a way of eating, the tradition is much older. There was a time in our ancestral history when we did compulsive intermittent fasting. Back then, hunter-gatherers could only get food after they had captured their prey, so it was normal for them to go without food.

Today, however, we have abundant food reserves and much less activity, which has led to obesity becoming a common phenomenon in many areas.

Gluttony and Hunger

In clinical practice, many people don't do intermittent fasting properly. They may keep their calories below 500 on intermittent fasting days, but overeat at other times, and this won't be effective.

In order to diet more healthy, safe and effective, during the "window period" when you can eat, you need to eat food with high nutritional value, that is, a healthy diet.

The scientists stressed that intermittent eaters need to eat essential fats found in oily fish, nuts and seeds, as well as lean proteins, whole grains, starchy carbohydrates and plenty of fruit and vegetables to provide adequate dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals.

How long can you keep it up?

There are many ways of intermittent fasting, but everyone's constitution is different, different ways of constitution in the face of the same intermittent fasting, the result is different.Take myself as an example, I weigh more than 60kg, and the intermittent fasting was carried out for 12 days. The first week had an effect, and the weight dropped to 59kg. From the 7th day, due to the body's defense mechanism, the weight returned to the normal level. And during the intermittent fasting period, I always felt weak when I did strength training. So I use intermittent fasting as a short-term fat loss process.

When you go on a diet, you should do it gradually, allowing your body to adjust to the rhythm, so that you can safely achieve your fat loss goal.

Not for Everyone

For some people with health problems, intermittent fasting may not be appropriate.

People with a history of eating disorders such as advanced diabetes, anorexia and bulimia, as well as those with chronic illnesses or pregnant or lactating women should not attempt intermittent fasting unless under strict supervision by a doctor. In addition, patients with gastric ulcers should stop intermittent fasting.

While this type of diet has become very popular over the past decade, it hasn't been around long enough to prove whether it's any better or worse than the others. But if we use it appropriately, intermittent fasting can still have positive effects.