Are you tired of losing fat on your belly, thighs, or back? Want to show off those skinny jeans? Or flaunt yourself in that short black dress? This winter, let’s try intermittent fasting to burn calories, lose those extra kilos, and get the body we desire. The biggest question is, HOW?
Most of us are aware that losing weight is very difficult, but once you make up your mind to do it, no one can stop you. Nothing will come in your way. Let’s talk about the method that is gaining a lot of popularity – “Intermittent fasting.”
What Is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a periodic cycle between fasting and eating. There isn’t any specific list of foods included in it; hence, you can choose healthy foods. Intermittent fasting mainly focuses on eating patterns as it is not a diet.
There are many ways to put it into action. 5:2 diet is one of them. You eat five days a week and fast for two days. To lose more weight, you cut back some calories from your daily intake. Another popular one is the 16:8 diet. In this diet, you consume protein-rich foods low in carbs for 8 hours a day while you fast strictly for the next 16 hours.
16:8 Diet: How Does It Work?
The 16:8 diet works on building metabolism during fasting, helping you to burn more calories quickly when you finally eat. The 16:8 diet also helps burn calories while you fast, the calories you consumed during the 8 hours of eating. When you fast, and there is no direct energy source, the body starts using the stored fat for energy, which helps in weight loss.
It is a very easy way to lose weight where you can eat your breakfast, lunch, and some healthy snacks during the day and skip dinner, or you may skip breakfast and enjoy your lunch and dinner. This intermittent fasting works quite well when you switch to whole grains like oats, barley, and buckwheat and increase protein intake by consuming meat, poultry, fish, legumes, eggs, nuts, and seeds.
Benefits Of 16:8 Diet
Studies had observed a significant reduction in the blood pressure and blood sugar levels after consuming this diet, giving another reason to try this. Diet has around 70-80% role in weight loss. If you want to speed up the process, bring up some exercise too.
Disadvantages Of 16:8 Diet
The main disadvantage of the diet is its difficulty to maintain. Sixteen hours of fasting is a long period, and thus it is tough. During your fasting time, all you can think about is food, which causes a lack of concentration while doing other work. Some people are also known to fill up their tummies with pizza and burgers during non-fasting periods.
You will still lose weight due to calorie deficit but lose health due to a lack of proteins and vitamins. Some studies also reported increased anxiety and changes in lipid profiles. The choice of intermittent fasting is dependent solely on your convenience. You have various diets options to choose from.
Types Of Intermittent Fasting
- 5:2 Diet: You eat for five days a week and then fast for the next two days.
- Overnight Fasting: You skip dinner and resume eating in the morning (with a window period of 12 hours). Example: If you stop eating at 7 pm, you resume it at 7 am.
- Whole Day Fasting: People eat only once a day. Some people tend to eat dinner only during the day and continue the same.
- Alternate Day Fasting: People tend to eat one day and fast the other.
A Sample Diet For Intermittent Fasting
- 8:00 am – Wake up, drink 500 ml water (before brushing)
- 9:00 am – Drink 0.5 – 0.75 l of water with 1 serving of greens, 250 ml green tea
- 11:00 am – 250 ml green tea/water
- 12:00 pm – Workout session
- 1:30 pm – Eat a first meal, a large portion
- 3:00 pm – Eat a second meal, moderate portion
- 6:00 pm – 1 cup of green tea or any other unsweetened beverage
- 8:00 pm – 1 l water or more as required
This was all about following intermittent fasting to burn calories. But I really think it is worth a try! So let’s try this one out, and good luck with losing those extra fats this winter!
