So what exactly is intermittent fasting? The protocol calls for two different stages of the day: a period of eating and drinking nothing but calorie free foods such as water and black coffee known as the fasting period, and a period of eating all of the calories needed for the day known as the feasting period. The fasting period can be anywhere from 16-48 hours long and the feasting period can be no longer than 8 hours.
So how does this method work to fight fat, increase fitness and contribute to overall health? Although research has consistently shown benefits of the eating routine, many of the details of how it works is still up for debate. Many believe that since carbohydrates are the first fuel your body utilizes as energy, the fasted state allows for all of carbs to be burned off without it being stored as excess fat. Once the carbohydrates are used up, your body prefers the consumed fat and excess fat reserves. Protein is much harder to store as fat so it is utilized to maintain muscle mass. Furthermore, the daily spiking of insulin levels during the feasting period keeps the body from going into starvation mode, reassuring the metabolism that it is okay to burn fat so it won't hold on to it.
Regardless of how intermittent fasting works, it has been shown to be very effective among many individuals and scientific studies have backed it up consistently. Many are even claiming that it can help treat Alzheimer's, diabetes, heart disease and cancer but those claims are still controversial. Hopefully we will get more answers but for now, we can try IF out on ourselves to see if it is beneficial to our daily lives.
Posted By: Forootan Alizadehasil
This is a very interesting topic. That intermittent fasting actually works, and has proven effective in many people is promising. I'm wondering how much people would be able to consume during the feasting period, how many calories or which foods for intermittent fasting to be effective.
ReplyDeleteYustina Kang (Group 2)
It's always cool seeing different methods of eating. I took a nutrition course and learned basically the opposite. Many small meals a day throughout the day to keep your metabolism going. It's what worked for me when I used to cut for wrestling. Definitely enlightening though I may try it out.
Deletecommented by Nick Michienzi
This is a very approach to food. I have heard that recently its been suggested to have many, small meals throughout the day, rather than 3 square meals, and this seems to be the complete opposite. I definitely think everyone's body specifically has certain needs that either food consumption routine may not meet, and can be moderately tweaked to match individual needs.
ReplyDeleteErina Taradai
That is the old-school method of "healthy eating". It was previously thought that eating many meals throughout the day would feed the metabolism allowing for faster catabolization. But that theory has since been disproven. From what I understand, scientists have discovered that the metabolism shift that occurs due to diet has to do with volume and not frequency. For example, you could eat 2000 calories throughout the day in 6 small meals or have one 2000 calorie meal and burn same amount of "extra calories" from the thermogenesis.
DeletePosted By: Forootan Alizadehasil
I have heard arguments in favor of intermittent fasting as well as against it. I am really curious about the actual results of a strict intermittent fasting diet. Some argue that a period of fasting followed by "feasting" will lead to fat accumulation, while others claim that it actually leads to fat loss. Different dieting techniques should be put to the test in highly controlled studies with many participants in order to gauge their effectiveness. I personally would love to know if intermittent fasting is actually an effective fat loss technique.
ReplyDeleteBradley Sarasin (Group 3)
Well at the end of the day, it really comes down to calories in vs. calories out. If your feasting period consists of a caloric surplus where you're taking in more than you are burning, you are going to gain weight no matter what. The argument of intermittent fasting says that it allows for quicker weight loss when in a caloric deficit.
DeletePosted by: Forootan Alizadehasil
I've accidentally taken up intermittent fasting as a result of a crazy college work schedule. It's not strict but I definitely eat more food less frequently, and I've lost some weight compared to when I was eating 3 full meals a day over the summer. I've always been more of a grazing eater, but I find that fasting and feasting is more convenient when I'm just so busy.
ReplyDelete-Josef Mazzuchi
This actually works(if done correctly), It's good to eat small meals through out the day. Your body adapts really well with it. Overall it's good for your stomach because it'll work less.
ReplyDeleteI'm commenting on my comment to this post. I forgot to write my name.
Delete- David Mota (2)