I wanted to write a blog about what intermittent fasting is, as I usually get a lot of clients enquiring about IF and whether it is something they should try.
Earlier this week I attended an education seminar on what intermittent fasting is and thought I would share my findings.
Before I share my thoughts on what I learnt, I thought I would put it to the test.
For 2 weeks I decided to go on this IF diet using the 16:8 method. Meaning 16 hours fasting with an 8-hour window to eat. There are various IF diets available, but this one suited me the most for my lifestyle.
So here are my results based on this diet:
Loss of 8lbs
Increase in muscle mass (due to the training I was doing)
Reduction in fat loss
Reduction in waist size
Increase in Basal Metabolic rate (amount of energy used) (calories)
So how did I feel about intermittent fasting and what did I learn?
To sum it up, I actually felt good, even though I wasn’t allowed to eat breakfast, which for me is something that I'm used to having. For the first few days it was hard. However, as I got used to my eating window my body just adapted to it.
I started to appreciate and enjoy my food a lot more, and due to the 8-hour window that I was allowed to eat, this stopped me snacking in the evenings.
I can understand why this would work. It’s simple :
I was always in a calorie deficit due to my new eating habits and regular daily training regime.
If you change your eating habits like this one, you will most likely start to lose weight. As this diet becomes the norm, you will then stop and slow down your weight loss journey. However, to kick start this again you simply increase your energy expenditure..
Here are some health benefits of this particular diet:
Weight Loss
Heart health (reduce bad cholesterol)
Brain health
Anti-aging
Reduction of Inflammation
Known to reduce cancer
Who should avoid this diet:
If you are underweight
Insulin-dependent diabetics
Women breastfeeding or who are pregnant
The IF diet should also be avoided if you:
Don’t eat enough (consistently eating low calories)
Don’t sleep well enough
Are super stressed
Are only focused on weight
Feel shitty when trying it.
Would I recommend the intermittent fasting diet?
NO - my recommendation would be to establish healthy eating habits as this is more sustainable long term.
YES - If you are fully aware this is short term and need to lose weight quickly.
Hope this helps.
If you need a kickstart, drop us an email at support@slimfitpt.co.uk and we will get you signed up on our Online Personal Training Package.
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