Intermittent fasting is a proven strategy to help you lose weight. According to the first study results, it could also prevent some diseases. But is it sustainable?
Achieving your desired weight
Fasting has gained traction in recent years as a means to drop pounds quickly. It’s not hard
to see why. If you stop eating, you will lose weight. No surprise there. But most people
want to lose the weight permanently, and in a way that helps you improve your health, not
put it in jeopardy. And that’s where fasting seems to come up short.
At Vida180, we understand the allure of fasting, but it’s not the path we think is best. We
advocate having many small meals that can be flexibly distributed throughout the day.
Eating frequently helps prevent food cravings that lead to overeating. And a well-
conceived diet plan designed to provide you with all the nutrients your body needs allows
you to lose weight slowly, safely and steadily.
Create a custom diet plan today that delivers everything your body needs for energy
and nutrition so you can lose weight with ease. Start now with your free diet analysis!
Why intermittent fasting can be ineffective
Fasting for weight loss often leads to undereating. Your metabolism slows, and the body
shuts down. It begins holding on to its reserves, slowing digestion and halting fat
breakdown. The result? When you give up intermittent fasting, you experience the yo-yo
effect. The pounds creep back on, and you can easily end up weighing even more than
when you started!
Intermittent fasting is not a permanent solution for most people. You can do it for a while
but at some point it becomes an insurmountable battle. Eating on a rigid schedule means
you’re constantly watching the clock and manipulating your day’s activities to be able to
eat at the right time. You’ll also begin dreading the hours or days when you can’t eat – and
that’s no fun!
Here’s how intermittent fasting works
In contrast to classic fasting, interval fasting involves eating for specific periods of time,
followed by not eating for certain periods of time. The most popular fasting method is
the 16:8 diet.
After a 16-hour fast, you can eat within a time window of 8 hours. For example, if you eat
nothing after 6 p.m. in the evening, you can use the nightly meal break as fasting and then
eat breakfast at 10 a.m. in the morning.
Another very common method is the 5:2 fast. You eat normally 5 days a week, and you
severely restrict your food intake on two days of the week. Women are allowed to
consume only 500 calories on each of these 2 days; men 600 calories. You can drink plenty
of water and unsweetened tea. Energy sources such as bread, pasta and rice are forbidden
on fasting days. If you’re like most people, you’ll find yourself feeling famished and low
energy on fast days.
Who should NOT do intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is generally not suitable for people with previous illnesses. Also
pregnant women, breastfeeding women and women who want to have children in the
near future should not do intermittent fasting.
If you don’t have any of these disqualifications, you also should consider whether
intermittent fasting fits into your lifestyle. If you’re currently under significant pressure
and feel stressed by your everyday life, you don’t want the additional anxiety that can be
caused by fasting.
If you have a physically demanding job, or one that requires high alertness at all times
(think air traffic controller or high-rise steel worker), you may not be a fit for this dieting
strategy.
A Better Way Forward
Fasting is just one weight-loss method. It’s certainly not right for everyone. Most people
find it’s unsustainable. Eventually, their resolve weakens, their motivation fades and they
revert to their old habits.
At Vida180, we believe you’re better able to lose weight permanently through a healthy
change in diet. You can follow a meal plan that allows you to eat nutritious foods in
healthy portions on a regular schedule. You’ll lose weight, but at a slow, steady pace. Along
the way, you’ll learn to make permanent positive changes in your eating habits that will
help you maintain your weight loss.
Whatever method you choose for your weight-loss journey, be sure it fits into your
lifestyle. You want something that you can stick to.
Vida180 has plans developed around eating 3 main meals and 2 snacks daily to provide
the body with everything it needs for nutrition, sustainable energy and good health.
Our diet plans also give you freedom to eat when you want and to customize your chosen
plan to your own preferences.
Take a look around Vida180. You’ll see we offer you an extensive collection of
healthy, low-calorie, weight loss recipes. Let us design a meal plan that’s tailored to your
specific needs and lifestyle. Get started now with your free personal diet analysis!