Fasting and Weight Loss Secrets – You Can Lose Weight
Fasting and Weight Loss Secrets – You Can Lose Weight |
FASTING AND WEIGHT LOSS
for your health, but it can also ramp up your weight loss. Studies have shown
that calorie restriction and periodic fasts may increase both weight loss and
fat loss. An intermittent fasting diet may also provide you with the mental
reprieve you need to stick to the diet for the long term rather than
restricting yourself to a certain number of calories every day, you only eat a
reduced-calorie count a few days a week. In addition to increasing weight loss,
an intermittent fasting diet may also help you to incorporate healthy eating
habits.
Average Caloric Guidelines
Average-Caloric-Guidelines |
widely depending on your gender, age, weight, and activity level. Adult males
typically require more calories than adult females because they have a higher
percentage of muscle, which requires more energy to maintain. Your size is also
a factor a woman who stands 5’2 will naturally require fewer calories than a woman of similar build who
stands 5’8. It is also important to note that the more active your lifestyle,
the more calories your body will require to fuel everyday functions.
for a sedentary lifestyle is between 1,800 and 2,000 calories. Moderately
active women may require between 2,000 and 2,200 calories, while very active
women might need as much as 2,400 calories per day. Adult men with sedentary
lifestyles generally require between 2,000 and 2,600 calories per day. Men who
are moderately active may need between 2,200 and 2,800 calories, while very
active men may need up to 3,000 calories per day. See the table below for a
breakdown of age ranges and caloric needs based on activity level (USDA, 2010).
The Science of Calorie Restriction
idea that reducing your caloric intake will lead to weight loss. It is simply a
matter of science: eating fewer calories than you burn will cause you to lose
weight. Extended periods of calorie restriction, however, may have the opposite
effect. Drastic calorie reduction often leads to rapid weight loss, which
studies have shown is difficult to maintain. Once you return to a normal diet,
your body will quickly regain the weight you lost, perhaps even some extra. Over
time, your body is also likely to adapt to the reduced caloric intake and any
extra calories consumed may be stored as fat.
may not be healthy, periods of reduced caloric intake are scientifically proven
to increase weight loss. One pound of fat is equal to about 3,500 calories, so
every 3,500 calories eliminated (through calorie reduction or exercise) will
theoretically be one pound lost. It is important to remember, however, that
your body requires calories to function. Your body needs a minimal number of
calories on a daily basis that you should not drop below this are called your
basal metabolic rate (BMR). If you drop below your BMR, it could have a
negative effect on your health.
between the numbers of calories you consume and the number you burn. Food is
fuel for your body it converts calories into physical energy to maintain bodily
functions. The extra calories you eat are stored as fat and reserved for later.
If you consume fewer calories than you burn, your body will begin to burn fat
for fuel. The more fat your body burns, the more weight you will lose.
Fasting for Improved Eating Habits
fasting can improve your eating habits is that it may change the way you look
at food. In many modern Western cultures, food has become something of an
addiction it is no longer simply a source of fuel but an object of obsession.
An intermittent fasting diet may help you break your dependence on food,
helping you identify poor eating habits and encouraging you to take steps to
improve them.
something looks good. we are prone to succumbing to false hunger cues triggered by
fast-food commercials, pizza delivery ads, and the simple abundance of food in
our modern culture. Engaging in an intermittent fasting diet will force your
body to experience true hunger, thus helping you relearn what it feels like.
After experiencing genuine hunger on a fasting day, you may be able to stave
off false hunger on non-fasting days.
habits is by encouraging you to focus on wholesome, nutritious foods. On
fasting days, because you are consuming a low number of calories, it is
important that you get those calories from nutritious foods. Making healthier
eating choices on fasting days may carry over into your non-fasting days,
improving your eating habits overall.
Dealing with the Side Effects
it is important to understand the potential side effects. Not only will you
feel hungry on fasting days, but you may also experience other physiological
effects. When you first begin fasting, it may take time for your body to
adjust, and during the adjustment period, you may experience negative side
effects. Some of these may include muscle weakness, headache, fatigue, and
dizziness. Over time, however, your body will adjust to the fasting regimen and
you may experience increased energy levels, reduced hunger, and stabilized
hormonal function.
you will need to figure out a way to deal with the hunger. Hunger shouldn’t be
a problem on non-fasting days, but the reduced calorie count required on
fasting days may leave you feeling famished. The guidelines of an intermittent
fasting diet suggest that you consume two main meals per day to stay within the
recommended calorie range. To keep yourself from getting too hungry, try to
keep those meals under 200 calories and supplement them with low-calorie
snacks. You can also try drinking hot tea to help you feel full.
Consecutive Versus Non-Consecutive Fast Days
for weight loss, this type of diet can also be difficult to follow. Surveys
taken by individuals participating in alternate-day fasting diets (fasting
every other day) suggest that this type of program is difficult to adapt to.
Fasting every other day may result in increased hunger as well as serious side
effects including sleeping disorders and persistent fatigue.
non-consecutive days, has been shown to be a much easier diet to follow.
Fasting one or two days a week while engaging in normal eating habits for the
remaining days has a less significant mental impact on participants. Simply
knowing that you will be able to eat normally the next day may help you get
through your fast day more easily than if you knew you would be fasting again
the day after.
Fasting and You’re Eating Habits
extra pounds, think about how long it took you to put on that extra weight.
Chances are, you gained weight slowly over time rather than putting on ten to
twenty pounds in a matter of days. This is the foundation of one of the major
controversies surrounding fasting the idea that if the weight comes off too
quickly, it won’t last. Because it takes time for the body to gain weight,
skeptics of the intermittent fasting diet suggest that losing weight should
also be a gradual process. Though this idea is practical in theory, the truth
is a little more complicated.
loss you also need to evaluate your eating habits, including the way you think
about food, to achieve healthy, lasting weight loss. If you engage in an
intermittent fasting routine but continue to overindulge in high-calorie foods
on non-fasting days, you may experience a yo-yo effect with your weight loss.
Any progress you make on fasting days will be negated by the extra calories you
consume on non-fasting days. To make the weight loss you achieve on an
intermittent fasting diet last, you may need to make a few adjustments to your lifestyle.
think about food. Do you spend a great deal of time every day thinking about
food, planning your next meal, or indulging your cravings? These kinds of
thought processes are what lead you to overindulge on non-fasting days. If you
think about food as fuel for your body rather than a reward or a guilty
pleasure, you may find it easier to make healthy eating choices. You may also
find it helpful to eliminate unhealthy foods from your refrigerator and pantry.
Stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables so when you do feel hungry, you are
more likely to choose a healthy snack rather than an unhealthy one.
to the following list:
Foods to Eliminate from Your Diet
cakes, and other sweets
sugar and flours
dinners and prepared entrees
cereals
milk and heavy cream
yogurt
and cheese-based sauces
cuts of meat
or fat for cooking
salad dressings
cream and dip for chips
Replacement Foods
fruits and vegetables
popcorn (low butter)
cakes and vegetable chips
sweeteners in moderation (honey, maple syrup, etc.)
milk or non-dairy milk (almond milk, coconut milk, etc.)
non-fat Greek yogurt with fruit
sauces
protein sources (chicken, turkey, fish, shrimp, etc.)
with vegetable broth
salad dressings
change your eating habits to engage in an intermittent fasting diet, but you
can maximize your results by making healthy eating choices even on non-fasting
days. Don’t feel like you have to quit cold turkey all of the foods in the
first list you can eliminate them from your diet slowly over time or simply limit
your consumption of those items, if you prefer. The only way you will reach
your weight loss goals following an intermittent fasting diet is if you stick
to it do whatever you have to in order to make the diet something you can stick
to for the long term.
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