Intermittent fasting for weight loss: To follow or to avoid?

Intermittent fasting (IF) is currently one of the world's most popular health and fitness trends.

Intermittent fasting is a weight loss method where fasting and eating are interrupted for a specific time frame, usually 6 to 8 hours a day. For example, 16/8 intermittent fasting involves restricting food intake to just 8 hours a day and fasting for the remaining 16 hours. Some diets include fasting for 24 hours once or twice a week, or drastically reducing calories a few days a week, but eating normally at other times.

Intermittent fasting can cause muscle loss

The study, recently published in the journal JAMA, is one of the most in-depth studies of eating habits over a period of time. In this method, people fast for about 12 hours or more each day. This diet aims to fast in the morning and eat all meals daily from noon to 8 o'clock. It is extremely popular in today's best-selling weight loss books and supported by many celebrities.

Research over the years has shown that using this method can promote weight loss and improve metabolism. Although most of this data comes from animal experiments or small studies of relatively short duration in humans. The diet works because it gives people the freedom to eat what they want at a given time, which often results in them consuming fewer calories, experts say.

Violation of the body's biological clock

Many experts point to a contradiction between intermittent fasting and previous research. Previous research has shown that weight loss is more effective when we consume calories in the early morning, the body metabolizes food better than skipping breakfast and eating most of the meal in the afternoon and evening.

Research also shows that overweight people who eat a full breakfast, a moderate lunch, and a light dinner lose more weight and significantly improve their health than those who eat a small breakfast and dinner.

Who should be careful or should avoid this way of losing weight ?

Intermittent fasting is certainly not for everyone. If you are underweight or have a history of eating disorders, you should not fast without consulting a medical professional. Intermittent fasting is also not recommended for women who plan to become pregnant, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding. You should consult your doctor if you experience any side effects or health concerns.