Fasting for Weight Loss is a Hot Topic
A quick search of the web will reveal that fasting for weight loss is a pretty hot topic right now. It is my impression that fasting can indeed offer noticeable assistance in terms of hastening weight loss and improving the general health of those undertaking such a measure. Intermittent fasting has been shown to provide several notable health benefits, including reducing body fat levels, improving sensitivity to insulin, reducing oxidative damage, repairing muscle tissue, and lowering blood pressure.
A potential reason for the ability of fasting to do all of these things is that as the body enters a fasting mode, and there is a limited amount of nutrients in the system, the body embarks on a series of restorative process which would not be triggered in the presence of large quantities of food. It is easier for the body and requires less energy (food) to repair tissue as opposed to splinting a cell and making a new one. Your cells repair and the span of them is improved through this practice. Studies on mice have shown that calorie reduction directly effects their life span. This study may be applicable to the human animal, as well.
Why Fasting for Weight Loss is so Effective
There are two primary explanations for the fact that fasting for weight loss is so effective
1. If little or no food is present in your body, fat burning is sure to follow. Your body will need to pull energy from its resources when there is not additional fat, protein and sugar flowing through the body from a meal. Such sources include fats stored in the cells as well as carbohydrates retained in the muscles and the liver. As long as you don’t fast for too long and start to cannibalize yourself you can lose a lot of body fat without that much effort by just skipping a meal or not eating for 24 hours.
2. Fasting is a simple method of cutting calories without having to completely avoid the foods you love. This might sound counter-intuitive but by not eating for a meal or two you have just dramatically reduced the amount of calories you would have normally eaten for the day. You will still consume less calories total each week if you use intermittent fasting. This is effective even if you have your favorite foods as long as you don't eat too much of them, as well.
You will need to consider how fasting fits into your daily life. It may not be for everyone, or at the very least good for every day. I started experimenting with intermittent fasting a few months ago and it has really helped me keep my body fat under control.
Techniques for Fasting
My two preferred techniques for fasting are:
1. I just skip breakfast, which enables me to not eat for over 15 hours. I generally eat dinner around 8:00 PM and instead of waking up and having breakfast I just have a cup of coffee and wait till about 11:00 AM or 12:00 PM and then have lunch. I make certain not to overindulge at lunchtime. I try to avoid having anything too fatty or heavy for that meal. Avoiding breakfast saves me roughly 500 to 600 calories from my daily intake, and helps me stay in a fat burning zone for several additional hours.
In addition to my fasting, I will often add in a brisk walk first thing in the morning to burn extra fat. Walking on an empty stomach is a great way to burn some stored fat calories.
2. While I still drink a morning cup of coffee or cups of green tea during the day, I also sometimes fast for a 24-hour period. Your hunger levels are not as high as you might think on a 24 hour fast. It can be very shocking. Many of us eat emotionally, or simply because we are on a mental schedule as opposed to because of true hunger. Sometimes I even feel energized and think clearly by not eating for a day and still have a great workout without any food in my system. Certain research suggests that growth hormone levels tend to rise in those who exercise while fasting. The key is to make certain not to overindulge in food the following day. I am able to cut an entire day of calories from my weekly total. You can trim the calories you consume for the entire week by simply doing a 2-hour fast and then eating normally in the following days.
Best Fasting Program for Weight Loss
I got the idea to try a 24-hour fasting weight loss from the Brad Pilon Eat Stop Eating program. If you are looking to lose weight fast and want to follow a specific program I think you will like the Eat Stop Eating web site. Brad just updated the program a couple of weeks ago.
If you are looking to reach a goal for body composition, fasting is another tool that you can use to get there. I would be interested in your experiences with skipping breakfast or using intermittent fasting for 24-hour periods. What, if any, effects did you experience when you did not eat? Did you lose weight?
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