Trying to lose weight is hard work. You need to plan meals and breakfast and make a big effort for it. Dieting can also be very antisocial. But what if you could accelerate weight loss, spend less time, with the “promise” of better results? This is where “fasting” diets come in. Intermittent fasting has become extremely popular in recent years. It is a pattern of eating that is the cycle between the fasting and eating period. However, all kinds of myths still exist around this topic
Skipping breakfast helps you lose weight
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” There is a persistent myth that there is something “special” about breakfast. People believe that skipping breakfast leads to excessive hunger, greed and weight gain
This study suggests that it does not matter for weight loss whether you eat breakfast or not eat, although there may be some individual variability. However, some studies suggest that children and adolescents who eat breakfast perform better in school. Eating breakfast can be beneficial for many people, but it is not necessary. Controlled trials show no difference in eating and skipping breakfast for the purpose of weight loss.
Fasting puts your body in the “starvation method”
A common argument against intermittent fasting is that it can put your body into “starvation mode”. According to claims, eating makes your body feel like it is starving, so it shuts down its metabolism and prevents you from burning fat.
It is indeed true that prolonged weight loss can reduce calorie intake. This is a real effect and can burn hundreds of fewer calories per day.
However, this happens with weight loss no matter which method you use. There is no evidence that intermittent fasting is more so than with other weight-loss strategies. In fact, the evidence actually shows that short-term fasting can promote increased metabolic rate.
Some people believe that if we fast, our bodies will start burning muscle and use it for fuel.
It is true that it usually occurs with dieting, but there is no evidence that it is higher than with intermittent fasting in other ways.
In fact, some studies have also reported that intermittent fasting is better for maintaining muscle. In a review study, intermittent calorie restriction caused the same amount of weight loss as sustained calorie restriction, but muscle. A very little reduction in there was also a study in which participants at the same amount of calories as they used to, except for one large meal in the evening.
These people lost body fat and actually had a slight increase (almost statistically significant) in their muscles, along with a bunch of other beneficial effects on health markers.
Intermittent fasting is also popular among many bodybuilders, making it an effective way to maintain a high amount of muscle mass with a low body fat percentage.
Some people think that fasting can be bad, but nothing can be further from the truth.
Several studies suggest that intermittent fasting, and intermittent calorie restriction, can have incredibly impressive health benefits.
For example, intermittent fasting changes the expression of genes related to longevity and protection for the disease and has been shown to extend age in test animals.
It also has major benefits for metabolic health, such as improved insulin sensitivity, reduced oxidative stress and inflammation, and reduction of various risk factors for heart disease.
Some people think that fasting is harmful, but it is contrary to the truth. Short term fasting is actually a powerful benefit for your body and brain.
Some claim that intermittent fasting will not cause weight loss, as it makes you eat more during the eating period.
This is partly true. After a fast, people may eat themselves a little more if they did not fast. In other words, they compensate for “lost” calories during fasting by eating more during the next few meals. However, this compensation is not complete. A study showed that those who fasted all day consumed only 500 extra calories the next day.
Intermittent fasting reduces overall food intake while promoting metabolism. It also reduces insulin levels, increases norepinephrine, and increases human growth hormone by up to 5 times. Due to these factors, intermittent fasting makes you lose fat, not gain it.
The truth is, intermittent fasting is one of the world’s most powerful tools for losing weight. It says that it makes you eat more, going into “starvation mode” and gaining weight is the exact opposite of the truth.