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HOW INTERMITTENT FASTING CAN STOP WEIGHT REGAIN
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I get many enquiries from clients about intermittent fasting and, while it isn’t always suitable for everyone, it can be really effective in stopping weight regain.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is not a diet, it’s an eating schedule that focuses on periods of eating followed by periods of fasting. Rather than specifying what you should eat, it reduces the amount of time that you spend eating and (when followed safely) can be a powerful tool to stop weight regain. Fasting is a practise that has been followed in many religions for centuries and over recent years it has become a popular method of weight loss and maintenance.
How does Intermittent Fasting Work?
Intermittent fasting works by the body going into a fasted state 8 to 12 hours after your last meal, which is when the body begins burning fat instead.
When we eat, our insulin levels rise and this helps to store the energy we receive from food in the form of glucose and is stored in the muscle or liver. The liver can only store a certain amount of this glucose and when it has reached capacity it starts to turn the excess into fat. The process of fasting after your last meal is when insulin levels start to fall allowing the body to burn fat for energy.
There are lots of different ways of following an intermittent fasting pattern.
The most popular is 16:8, which involves eating during an eight-hour time slot followed by a period of fasting for the next 16 hours. For example, on a 16:8 plan someone may eat between 9am and 5pm and then would avoid eating again until 9am the following day.
The 5:2 reduces your calorie intake to around 500-600 calories on two days of the week, followed by five days of eating a healthy and balanced diet.
There are some extreme methods of intermittent fasting such as fasting for 20 hours, with an eating window of 4 hours or alternate day fasting (ADF) which is a pattern of fasting on alternate days. I would never recommend this for any of my bariatric or weight loss clients as going without food for too long would encourage your body to go into ‘starvation mode’ and would start storing fat. Entire days without food is impractical, could make it difficult to concentrate and would increase irritability.
The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting and How it Can Stop Weight Regain
Incorporating intermittent fasting into your daily routine often requires little change and fits with any dietary requirements - anyone who has allergies and those who don’t eat certain foods like meat, fish or wheat can easily follow an intermittent fasting plan.
Weight regain is often caused by inconsistency with working with your surgery or emotional eating. For those who have developed habits of
emotional eating. Intermittent fasting is also effective in challenging the pattern of turning to food late in the evenings when you may eat if you’re stressed or bored.
Studies have also shown that intermittent fasting can also:
- improve cognitive function, memory and general brain health,
- improve resting heart rate,
- decrease blood sugar levels,
- improve sleep
Intermittent fasting allows for the occasional treat. I often find that restricting what we eat is counterproductive. One of the biggest potential causes of dieting failure is the concept of not allowing ourselves to indulge in certain foods and this often results in a restrictive, scarcity mindset, followed by cravings and bingeing. When combined with a balanced diet, intermittent fasting allows us to enjoy our favourite foods every so often without feeling guilty.
Intermittent fasting is cost-effective, can fit within any lifestyle and saves time. It doesn’t require extensive and expensive meal preparation.
Things to Consider When Following an Intermittent Fasting Pattern
Like any changes that are made to diet and exercise patterns, intermittent fasting does not bring immediate results. It may take a few weeks for your body to get used to its new routine and in the first few weeks it is likely that you may feel hungry and irritable.
It is important to remember that, in order to stop weight regain, a healthy and balanced diet must be also followed. Binge-eating on high-calorie and junk foods won’t support an intermittent fasting plan.
Intermittent fasting is not suitable for people under the age of 18.
It is also not advisable for anyone who has had a history of eating disorders or depression, or those who have type one diabetes.
Intermittent fasting is not suitable for pregnant women or women who are breastfeeding.
The period of time in which an intermittent fasting plan can be followed will vary from person to person. For some it is more of a short term option to help kickstart a healthier eating pattern, whereas others can use it as a longer lifestyle change.
Want to know more about intermittent fasting and if it can work for you? Book a Discovery Call with me today!
Big hugs,
Van x
