I’ve found that intermittent fasting is the most effective way to lose body fat and keep calories under control. Here are just a few advantages to this method:
Some diets require you to completely avoid certain types of foods (such as low carbohydrate diets). But with intermittent fasting you don’t have to eliminate any foods from your diet. You simply have to use moderation when you are not fasting.
There are also hormonal advantages to going short periods of time with no food. The human body adapts to a fast by elevating hormones associated with lipolysis (burning fat). These hormones remain elevated for anywhere from 24 to 72 hours, then return to normal (or below normal) levels. This is why24-48 hours is the maximum time length for a fast for losing weight.
Another advantage to this approach is the psychological one. Many dieters find fasting helps them to reduce their compulsive eating, as if the brain learns a different way to think about food and hunger.
There are two basic approaches to intermittent fasting:
One is the 16/8 approach—16 hours of fasting every day, followed by 8 hours of eating. This means the individual would be skipping breakfast every day and eating most of his/her calories in the afternoon/evening. This strategy is very popular among bodybuilders, and many trainees have been able to get lean even after failing with other methods.
One of the most detailed blueprints for the 16/8 approach is Jason Ferrugia’s Renegade Diet. This plan has become very popular among bodybuilders and athletes. One unique aspect of Ferruggia’s strategy is the option of tweaking the diet for either losing fat or building muscle.
Another way to practice intermittent fasting is to do a 24 hour fast once or twice a week (or about every 5 days). This method will appeal to those who want maximum flexibility in the diet.
Some will find that this way to diet takes some adjustment. It can be difficult for the first few days, but many dieters will find it easy to keep doing intermittent fasting after they have gotten used to it. But once the adjustments have been made, you will find it easy to adjust this form of calorie restriction into your lifestyle.
Remember that all fat loss diets are based on a limited calorie balance. There is really no such thing as one “best” approach. Any diet will work as long as you can maintain a calorie deficit for a long enough time to lose the desire amount of body fat.
