Do Intermittent Fasting Diets Work?

Do Intermittent Fasting Diets Work, are they Safe and What’s the Best Plan?
In the spirit of new year, new start, January is the most popular month for rethinking what we eat and drink. And while there are a huge range of diets to choose from, fasting has become an increasingly popular choice over the last decade.

Intermittent fasting typically involves not eating or drinking anything other than water for set periods of time, and in some cases limiting your calorie intake in the hours you are allowed to eat.

Is it safe?
The NHS website took an indepth look at a study into the benefits of fasting on alternate days and suggested that restricting calorie intake in this way may not be a good idea for those who have a chronic health condition or a history of eating disorders. Anyone in these categories is advised to speak to their GP before embarking on a new diet plan.

In general for healthy individuals, following a tried and tested and moderate fasting plan such as the 5:2 or 16:8 diets, is considered safe.

Is it a good way to lose weight?
Research from the University of California, San Francisco, recently poured cold water on the idea that simply restricting your hours of eating was enough to shift the pounds.

They tasked a group of volunteers with following a 16:8 fasting diet, while others ate three meals a day whenever they wanted.

Both groups saw a modest fall in their weight, suggesting the fasting plan made virtually no difference.

The diet is based on the 8 Hour Diet book, by author David Zinczenko and editor-in-chief of Men’s Health Peter Moore, who argues that a daily fasting period gives the body the time it needs to process food and burn away extra fat.

Scottish dietitian Dr Carrie Ruxton, who herself follows a 16:8 type plan, believes limiting your hours of eating can be useful but only if you are cutting out calories within that timeframe.

She said: “My take on this study is it’s good news that you can lose weight either way. For a long time I’ve believed there are many ways to lose weight and it depends on your own personal circumstances, preferences and the way you want to live your life. Too many people have been given the lie that there’s a perfect diet that you have to follow if you want to lose weight or be healthy and you’re made to feel guilty.

“If you eat carbohydrates you’re told, ‘Oh no, you shouldn’t be having that,’ or it’s the same if you eat fat, so it’s almost like for everything you want to eat there’s somebody leaning over your shoulder telling you you can’t eat it.

“It comes down to calories at the end of the day so whichever method works for you to cut your calories and create a calorie deficit, that is how you will lose weight best.”

Source: Press & Journal