Over the past couple of years Intermittent fasting also known as IF, has become the new “go to miracle weight loss solution”. It’s something we get asked about at least once or twice a week usually from people desperate to lose weight.
But is perception reality? Well as is usually the case.. Yes and No.
IF CAN help you lose weight… conversely and as is often the case it can cause you to gain
weight… yep you read that right GAIN weight. Let’s look into it a bit to understand why.
In the end your weight is determined by one thing and one thing only.. Calories in vs calories out otherwise knowns as CICO.
Now I know there’s lots of so called “experts” out there who will tell you differently but I’m here to tell you unless they’ve found a way to circumvent the Laws of Thermodynamics it simply isn’t true.
Simply put if you eat less calories than your body burns you’ll lose weight and if you eat more calories than your body needs then it will get stored as energy by the body in the form of fat.
It really is that simple, yet so many people can’t seem to grasp it.
But what does that have to do with Intermittent fasting you say? Well CICO still applies so in the end if IF helps you eat less calories than you burn then you’ll indeed lose weight.
BUUTTTTTT if as often happens it causes you to eat even more calories than you have been well my friends guess what you’ll gain weight.
Now I’m not saying IF doesn’t work in fact we’ve had people in our Healthy Eating & Lifestyle Weight Loss Program implement some aspects of IF to great success.
So having said all that how can IF help you lose weight and what are some of the other possible benefits?
As we said Intermittent fasting can indeed help you modify your fitness level by targeting several body functions, including:
Weight loss - This is perhaps the main reason people start intermittent fasting as it could lead to fast weight loss which is the main appeal to most people.
And research has found that it is indeed possible (again remember CICO). You see when researchers studied this phenomenon to get a full grasp of the underlying mechanisms, they found that intermittent fasting-related weight loss is due to wait for it….caloric deficit, but it also led ins some (not all) cases to make hormonal regulation more efficient, and also led to decreased insulin resistance in some subjects.
Moreover, the basal metabolic rate (BMR) which essentially is the amount of calories your body needs simply to say alive was found in some people on the intermittent fasting diet to significantly increase.
BMR is a variable often shifting thing… it’s subject to numerous factors, including age, gender, weight, height, body type, diet, degree of physical activity, and genetics.
Unfortunately, most diets slow down BMR, which decreases the rate of weight loss. In some cases intermittent fasting can be an exception to this rule.
Decreased insulin resistance - Insulin resistance is a major cause of weight gain and obesity.
Fortunately, several studies concluded that intermitting fasting can improve insulin sensitivity and helps in the regulation of blood sugar levels.
These findings suggest that intermittent fasting is quite beneficial for pre-diabetic individuals and people looking to improve their fitness. That said if you are diabetic or pre-diabetic don’t just assume it’s going to resolve the issue or that you should follow it. As always speak to your medical professional before making any significant changes.
Improved cardiovascular health
Intermittent fasting increases the efficiency of cardiac function and reduces the risk of diseases, such as coronary artery disease (CAD).
This will allow you to be more efficient during exercises to reach optimal performance and increase weight loss.
As we said IF can indeed work if it helps you to stay within the CICO Formula. In other words if it helps you to eat less each day it will work.
But as we mentioned for many the opposite occurs and they end up eating more, often MUCH MORE than they would if they didn’t follow IF.
In a nutshell let’s say your eating “window” is noon to 8pm a common one you’ll see. Well as 8pm approaches you know you’re going to have to get till noon the next day so you consciously or unconsciously eat a huge meal so that you can “get through” till noon.
Then noon rolls around and you’re starving and yep you guessed it you end up eating another huge meal because well you’re starving. So even though you only many have eaten twice the calories in those 2 meals add up to MORE than you would have eaten if you say had done 3 meals and 2 snacks instead.
Again let’s be clear we are neither for or against IF, we’re simply saying that it is not a “miracle diet” as is so often pronounced nor is it a myth as others might say. It can and indeed has worked for many and the opposite is true also. In the end it comes down to you, your lifestyle and ultimately whether it helps you to eat less.
One final note the biggest struggle when it comes to weight loss is addressing the underlying causes as in what causes you to eat more than your body needs.
This is a core component of our H.E.L.P program. We work with you to figure out and address those issues as well as help you figure out the best way for you to make the changes needed to help you not just lose weight but keep it off.
Honestly as the members of our H.E.L.P program will tell you it’s the one thing they found most beneficial because it enabled them to find ways to cope and eat less not just for a few weeks or months but for life. AND they love the fact they don’t have to feel deprived or that they have to give up the foods they love because they aren’t on their “diet”
If you’d like to find out more about how we can “H.E.L.P” you (see what I did there, lol) drop us a line and we'll contact you to have a chat and see if you’re a good fit for the program.
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