The Truth About Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is scheduled eating and scheduled times off from eating. During the “fasting” times you can drink non-caloric liquids like coffee or tea or water.
Here are some of the more popular methods:
OMD = One meal a day
Eat all your calories into one meal and the rest of the day you can drink only non-caloric liquids and coffee or tea.
5:2 Diet
You fast two non-consecutive days a week.
16:8 or 8 Hour A Day
Eat only between 7 am and 3 pm or whatever 8-hour time window you choose. Some like Noon to 8 pm. I call this 16:8 method the “skip breakfast model.”
12 Hours A Day
Have all your meals between 7 am and 7 pm or whatever time you choose
Alternate Day Fast
You eat normal meals every other day
Longer Fast are also done
There are a lot of versions of this and people sell their version in books, websites, courses and blogs.
The data for Intermittent Fasting shows that it is another version of eating less, or calorie restriction. Meaning, if you lose weight from this program you will enjoy all the benefits of weight loss – including better control over diabetes, less insulin resistance, lower weight, and lower fasting blood glucose levels.
If you overeat during the non-fasting portions you will get none of these benefits. Which is another way of saying – if you lose weight, by whatever method, you will have better blood sugar control and feel better.
THE NONSENSE OF INTERMITTENT FASTING
The woo side of Intermittent Fasting is you will reverse aging, arthritis, cancer, etc. Which is the woo side of every fad diet of someone who wants to sell you a book. Some of this are based on rat studies, so if you want to be a rat that lives a week longer in your short life (1-2 years average) then maybe take up fasting.
To be clear: fasting may help you lose weight and it is the weight loss that provides the benefit.
We all fast and eating less calories will help us lose weight, but if you do this, and it works for you – ok. But for most, it is not sustainable.
Despite the hype from “The Obesity Code” and other plans, this is not a magic cure – this is something that some can do easily.
Weight loss surgery is the most effective method of weight loss. Our patients should not use intermittent fasting. We find that surgery combined with the Mediterranean diet with making 5 of 9 points a day or more leads to sustained weight loss and optimal health.
DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU ARE:
- Under 18 years of age
- Pregnant
- Might become pregnant
- If you are breast feeding
- If you have had an eating disorder
- If you have advanced liver or kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, dementia, or have had strokes