USING INTERMITTENT FASTING FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Weight Loss: Intermittent Fasting for Improved Health and Longer Life
The internet is burning up with stories raving about the benefits of a lifestyle featuring intermittent fasting and its effects on weight loss, healthy eating, healthier living, and possibly a longer life.
Before I dive into the subject of intermittent fasting, I’d like to discuss some of the compelling responses I received about my weight loss articles. Recently, I received several responses from readers. Many of these were encouraging and thoughtful.
Replies about Weight Loss, Low Carb, Intermittent Fasting, TRE, and Keto
I heard from Steven Anthony, who told me how he lost 175 pounds, wrote, and published a book on Amazon. That book is BE LEAN!: Revealing the Long-Lost Secrets of Weight Management. (That is not an affiliate link.) Great job, Steven, and congratulations on your book. You can read about his journey here on Medium, Half the Man I Used to Be, here:
Sydney Duke Richey, another Medium writer whom I read and respect, said I missed or omitted, “A Whole Foods Plant-Based (no oil is best) way of eating is the best for reversing pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes, also heart disease. And good overall health in general. For some reason, people think it’s difficult, it’s not.”
Thanks, Sydney; although it was not my intent to omit it, I did not broach that subject aside from saying, “Make sure to eat lots of low carb vegetables with every meal to keep your colon clean,” because that article centered around a low carb lifestyle. However, I plan to write about a plant-based diet in an upcoming weight loss article.
BTW, you must read Sydney’s article that I rave about consistently, I Had Sex with a Rock Star, and I Don’t Regret It.
What’s more, she writes a lot of brilliant Haiku and poetry.
One lady, whose name I won’t mention, wrote, “One size does not fit all!” I am a 100-pound vegan living with diabetes; you shouldn’t generalize or words to that effect.
I’d just like to point out that the first two words in my article's title were “weight loss,” which should provide a hint about the topic. Perhaps, that’s why she later deleted her comments.
Whereas I’m not trying to be mean or intentionally leave anyone out, someone who only weighs 100 pounds should probably try to gain weight, not lose it. But it really depends on where you are comfortable.
The Mediterranean Diet Contribution
This is another topic I have on the schedule.
Livia Dabs, a Medium writer from Granada, wrote how she lost 30 pounds with the Mediterranean Diet. She provided the following link to her article:
Although I liked the entire article, I enjoyed reading about the 100-year-old recipe book she found. She points out that they didn’t use all the processed crap back then that we get subjected to now. Of course, most of us do not have chickens in our backyard or a “victory garden” in the backyard.
Though some of Michelle Marie Warner's articles point out, such as How I Discovered the Benefits of Unschooling, returning to some old ways is not such a bad idea. She writes about teaching her children to grow their food rather than only the traditional “reading, writing, and arithmetic.”
Randy Wilson replied with how he went from a max weight of 290, down to a consistent 180–190 pounds. He says this is where he feels “most comfortable” without depriving himself, and he has what he says, “Is a healthier relationship with food…”
You can read his COVID-19 and Diabetes — the Ultimate Risk, which is loaded with helpful information, here:
Thanks for reading everyone, and keep those responses coming. If my article doesn’t hit a cord, maybe the next one will. I am just trying to introduce my readers to some of the methods they can use to lose weight if they wish.
The important thing is that you feel comfortable with the “skin you’re in”!
How about Intermittent Fasting? Have You Tried It?
Multiple nutritionists and researchers conducted various clinical studies, and there are many substantive findings of intermittent fasting. Likewise, there are many methods to apply it. Finding a system that works for you is likely the most difficult part of the process.
First of all, there is no set rule saying you must fast for “X” number of hours, though most studies have found the optimal ratio to be 18:6 for quicker weight loss. You don’t even have to do it every day. Some like to fast every other day. Flexibility is good!
Some people prefer 16:8, and of course, the ten-hour restrictive eating (TRE) lifestyle could work well for you too. I will delve deeper into TRE in a future article.
There are even apps to help you track your time and progress. You can read Fasting Applications: 6 Best Intermittent Fasting Apps for 2020 (this is not an affiliate link) to help you decide which is right for you.
Intermittent fasting, in my opinion, is excellent for those who do not want to concern themselves with eating a specific number of calories or stick to a low carb or Keto diet. However, I like to combine low carb and intermittent fasting to achieve my weight loss goals.
Intermittent Fasting and Irritability
Fasting can, however, affect your stress levels, irritability, impact cognitive performance, and other emotional states. These effects could be particularly concerning for those who experience problems with low sugar anger or annoyance. For some, fasting intensifies that effect.
Another consideration is that most intermittent fasting gurus suggest you only drink water (lots of it), coffee, and tea. I start my day with a liter of water and then drink an 8 or 16-ounce glass hourly. For those whose caffeine use intensifies irritability, you might choose to limit your drinks to water or de-caf.
The Carry-Over Affect
Intermittent fasting can also impact your body’s burning of ketones or body fat. Contrary to popular belief, Ketogenesis does not start burning body fat immediately. After several hours of caloric restriction, your body switches over to a metabolism that burns body fat after consuming what’s eaten.
Nonetheless, scientific evidence shows a cellular response that carries over after fasting into your feeding time and boosts your body’s physical and mental efficiency.
A metabolic change occurs in your body from glucose fueled to Ketogenic body or amino acid use, which brings about an increase in metabolic efficiency. This influences the body’s use of oxygen and CO2 creation, which affects health and aging.
How Does Intermittent Fasting Launch Metabolic Switching?
Glucose is your body’s usual energy source. In Ketogenesis, your body uses the triglycerides it has stored. Fatty or amino acids get converted into energy.
Therefore, the longer you fast, the more body fat you burn, but you also benefit from these effects into your eating time in the way of increased energy.
Takeaways
In this study, Dr. Cabo and Mattson took a closer look at the findings of Doctors Sahol and Weindruch's 1997 research about intermittent fasting. The NEJM published a medical abstract, and these are some of my summarized notes and opinions. I am not an expert, nor a nutritionist. I gather information and write about it.
According to the study, intermittent fasting increases blood circulation, helps the body regulate sugar, feeds on abdominal fat, and boosts the individual’s overall efficiency and ability to perform physically by increasing the body’s antioxidant defenses.
When you look at how we ate during ancient times, we were hunters and gatherers. When we found or caught food, we ate. There was no refrigerator to store the leftovers. We gorged and slept, then started hunting and gathering again. Much of that sleeping and hunting time was fasting.
Although different people will experience different results and even use different timeframes for fasting, intermittent fasting seems to be a safe and effective weight-loss method that allows us to live longer with a decreased bodyweight, which helps us regulate insulin sensitivity. However, you should always eat and drink a healthy amount.
Always consult a physician and/or nutritionist before starting any weight loss program, including intermittent fasting.
References:
1. https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/qa/what-are-ketones
2. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-ways-to-do-intermittent-fasting
3. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
4. https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJM199710023371407
5. https://www.spaceotechnologies.com/best-intermittent-fasting-apps-in-2020/
Stephen Dalton is a retired US Army First Sergeant with a degree in journalism from the University of Maryland and a Certified US English Chicago Manual of Style Editor. Top Writer in Fiction, Short Story, VR, Design, & Creativity. Editor of Pop Off, Top Dalton’s Blog, 100WordStory, B.O.S.S., and SportsShorts100WordsOnly
You can see his portfolio here. Email [email protected]
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Reddit | Ko-fi
