Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss

No, I will not promise you here that you’ll lose weight in a week.

It’s a process that needs commitment and discipline. If you are someone who lacks both of them, please don’t read further. However, if you are ready to embrace the challenge and transform your eating habits, intermittent fasting can be a powerful tool to improve your overall health and well-being.

With modernization, many adults and children have experienced a significant change in their health. In the past, people had time to exercise and engage in outdoor activities. Bedtime was typically 11 p.m. and eating was restricted to certain times.

However, with the advent of the internet, Netflix, and other platforms, many people stay awake for longer hours to watch TV and scroll through social media. Various studies indicate that snacking while watching TV encourages compulsive eating. Consuming extra calories and engaging in less physical activity can lead to a higher risk of obesity, diabetes, and other illnesses. This is where intermittent fasting (IF) can be beneficial.

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting. The main focus in this dieting process remains on when to eat rather than what to eat. There are several methods in which one can follow the diet, the most common being 16:8 and 5:2. What are they? We will discuss it soon.

The ultimate objective is to enable your body to spend longer periods of time without meals. This can aid in blood sugar regulation, weight loss, enhanced metabolism, and greater brain function. IF is one of the most well-liked health and fitness trends in the globe right now.

This is mainly biology. If you are not interested in that, you are free to skip it. But I’ll try to make it easy and interesting for you.

When you chow down on a meal, the carbohydrates in your food break down into glucose. This glucose passes through the walls of your intestines and jumps into your bloodstream. It then heads off to different parts of the body to bring energy.

Whatever extra is left, is stored in liver and fat cells as glycogen and fat for later use.

Now, when you are not eating, your liver converts the stored glycogen back into glucose to provide energy for your body. For inactive people, it takes about 10–12 hours to use the stored glycogen. But if you exercise, it is used up more quickly.

Once all the stored glycogen is gone, the body starts to burn fat for energy. This happens because the fats are broken down into free fatty acids. They are then converted into additional energy in the liver. If you fast long enough, your body will continue to burn fat, which therefore leads to weight loss.

Now let’s talk about insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps in moving glucose into your body. Insulin levels rise to match the amount of glucose in your blood after you eat. But when you’re not eating, it drops.

Eating frequently throughout the day keeps insulin levels high, which eventually causes your body to become less sensitive to insulin. This is what leads to pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Fasting helps keep insulin levels low, reducing the risks of these conditions.

Fasting also benefits the brain. It is no less than a brain workout. It challenges your brain just like any physical or mental exercise, promoting the production of neurotrophic factors. These factors support the growth and survival of neurons, helping to maintain brain health.

So, not only does fasting help you shed extra pounds, but it also keeps your brain sharp and happy.

16:8 Method — Most common. You fast for 16 hours and eat during the 8-hour window.

5:2 Method — Eat normally for 5 days in a week. Restrict your calorie intake to around 500–600 calories on the other 2 days. The fasting days are generally non-consecutive.

Eat-Stop-Eat — Fasting for a complete 24 hours once or twice a week.

Alternate Day Fasting — Alternate between days of normal eating and days of fasting.

The Warrior Diet or 20:4 — Eat small amounts of raw fruits and vegetables during the day. Have a large meal at night.

The OMAD (One Meal a Day) — Extreme form of fasting. You eat one meal per day, within a one-hour window.

Spontaneous Meal Skipping — Less structured approach. Skip meals when you’re not hungry or too busy to eat.

Weight loss.

Improved metabolic health by enhancing insulin sensitivity.

Promoted cellular health by triggering autophagy, where cells remove damaged components.

Increases the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This supports neuron health and cognitive function.

Lowers inflammation levels. Beneficial for overall health and chronic disease prevention.

Reduces blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and inflammation risk factors.

Might extend lifespan by improving overall health and reducing disease risk.

Children and teens.

People with eating disorders.

People with type 1 diabetes, advance diabetes, or some other medical problems.

People who are underweight or frail.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women.

People over 65 years old.

People with low blood pressure.

People with heart, kidney, or liver disease.

Fasting can also be unsafe if overdone, or if not done correctly.

You can drink water and zero-calorie beverages such as black coffee and tea.

Yes. However, you’ll feel weaker and more tired. Go easy on your body.

Yes. According to research, IF is easy to incorporate into daily life and also easy to follow.

It will take time. There will be side effects of fasting like hunger, irritability, and loss of concentration. But if you stick with it for 3–4 weeks, you’ll definitely start getting the results.

Therefore, IF offers a range of health benefits, from weight loss to improved metabolic and brain health. While it requires discipline and commitment, the rewards can be significant. But please keep in mind — fasting is NOT for everyone. Consult a healthcare provider before starting. Embrace the challenge, stay consistent, and watch as the fasting transforms your health and well-being. Happy fasting!