Wanting to get healthier and lose some weight are often intertwined down to their very cores. The healthiest of people also eat the healthiest and most well-balanced diets that can be made. Of course, each and every one of us is different and what works for some may not work for other. It greatly depends on the gender, age, activity level, and the overall lifestyle of the person, and who can forget about genetics? Shedding off some pounds and wanting to be slimmer is a daunting task and it takes a lot of effort and dedication. It is not only done through a different diet either, but also exercise so that the fat can be burned quicker.
However, without a change in how and when one eats, there is no losing any weight. In the modern world, losing weight has almost become a science. There appears to be a new type of diet or regime each year and the hype surrounds it quite quickly. Do they all work and if so, how well? If they do not work, why is that the case?
Taking a Different Route
Overwhelming and confusing to say the least, and despite many advancements in food quality and technology, a contemporary person looking to slim down has nothing but headaches and questions when they decide to take the decisive step towards a leaner physique. Perhaps something a tad more different than strict dieting is in order, something we all know as fasting. More particularly, intermittent fasting.
You have probably heard of either of these terms before, but do you know what they imply and what they mean? In this article we talk about how much weight can be lost within a 30-day period with intermittent fasting so make sure to read on to find out more. Perhaps this is exactly what you have been looking for without ever knowing it.
What Is Fasting?
Defined as willful refrainment from eating and/or drinking either anything or just certain types of food and beverage groups, it is the action many people take during the week for different reasons. Certain cultures and traditions have religious fasting, particularly in months or weeks leading up to a major holiday.
Fasting also exists prior to medical procedures or tests in order for the results to be better and more accurate. Food is a big part of who we are as beings and it can prevent many things from being accurately reviewed. Also, food is capable of changing one’s energy levels, mood, and will to do certain things. Therefore, fasting has existed for thousands of years a willing action to purify the body from certain ingredients. For example, many Orthodox Christians have the Christmas fasting period leading up to the holiday during which they do not eat anything that contains animal fat, or drink alcohol.
What about Intermittent Fasting?
So now you know a bit more about fasting as a concept, but what is intermittent fasting? Is it the same as regular fasting or is there something more to it? This type is more connected to meal timing schedules, mainly between voluntary reduced calorie intake and non-fasting over a certain timeframe. It is also known as intermittent energy restriction and it includes such approaches as alternate day, periodic, and time-restricted fasting.
Similar to calorie restriction diets, it is a very popular method of eating healthier (or less) and therefore losing weight. However, it can also lead to insulin resistance and a lower risk of cardio metabolic diseases. Obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and inflammation are all said to be easier to deal with and less likely to occur with this type of eating. But how much weight can you lose with this regime within a one-month period? Is 30 days long enough to feel and spot the difference?
Weight Loss in a Single Month
Without further ado, let us talk about how much weight you can expect to lose within a month if you decide to employ intermittent fasting. It is said that doing it correctly and by aligning your body, mind, and soul to it gives you a chance to lose between 2 and 6 kg per month. This is not bad really especially if you plan to do it for more than a few months. Of course, 2 kg is not that much and it is not something people usually feel. It is just over what daily fluctuations of the body goes through.
However, somewhere around 5 kg is a considerable loss especially in a single month. This means that intermittent fasting does work. Without falling back on your regime and with being active more than you usually are, the effects can be even better and you may very well become fitter while losing weight, substituting extra body fat with more muscles.
Methods to Try
There you have it folks, it seems like this fasting method truly does give us great monthly results. That means the only thing left to do is to try out this eating regime yourself. Wondering how and where to start? Well, there are several great methods you should evaluate. There is the time-restricted earing that involves fasting each day for 12 hours at least, eating in the remaining hours.
The 16/8 method is the most famous here where you fast for 16 hours and then you have an 8-hour window to eat 2, 3, or 4 meals, depending on the individual. There also exists the 5:2 diet, where you eat as you normally do for 5 days of the week and then restrict your calorie intake drastically to only 500 or 600 for the other 2 days. A lot of fasters use the week days as the 5 days, and then lower their intake during the weekend.
The eat-stop-eat tactic is also neat, especially if you cannot last 2 straight days with such a low calorie intake. It consists of 24-hour fasts multiple times per week. So you eat normally for 24 hours, say between Monday 12 AM and Tuesday 12 AM, and then you fast for the next 24 hours, that is until Wednesday at 12 AM.
This is similar to alternate day fasting, albeit the latter is stricter since you do not eat for at least three days a week. Lastly, you can try the warrior diet when you eat small amounts of raw fruits and veggies during the day and a single large meal at night, basically for a somewhat late dinner.