Intermittent fasting diet: benefits, and how to do it step by step

The Intermittent Fasting Diet Has Become Very Popular, Because It Works. It is a great alternative for when, for example, you have been on a low calorie diet for a while but suddenly you are no longer losing weight or height.

The characteristic of this diet is that it entails a significant caloric reduction. For this reason, although it is a highly recommended diet, it is suggested to consult a doctor before trying it if we suffer from cardiovascular or metabolic diseases.

How to do the intermittent fasting diet?

Intermittent fasting is very effective, but it is not for everyone. As we have already mentioned, people with some type of chronic disease should see a doctor before performing it, and those who perform it should be careful in balancing fasting and intake.

There are two main types of intermittent fasting diet. Both consist of suspending the intake of any food for a period of time and eat just about anything (no bingeing or excess sugars or fats) for another period of hours. We explain here how to carry them out.

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1. 16/8 intermittent diet

The 16/8 intermittent diet is the most widely used of this type of diet. It is also known as "Leangains”. This diet consists of fasting for 16 hours and eating for the remaining 8 hours. Fasting includes the usual hours of sleep plus a few more hours, which could correspond to breakfast, that is, you could have your first intake at noon and eat naturally until 8 at night, where you would start the fast.

According to people who have opted for an intermittent fasting diet, the opinion seems to be that this is the simplest and that is why it is the best known.This prolonged and intermittent fasting causes the body to deplete its energy reserves during the time in which there is no food intake. This is directly reflected in a loss of fat and therefore weight and height. This is the "magic" behind intermittent fasting.

For this diet to work, certain recommendations must be followed so that health is not affected. In the first place, special care must be taken in the meals that are eaten. Remember that it is not about abusing the quantities, but above all, take care that they are foods low in fat and calories. You also have to be prepared for the moments of hunger and fatigue that occur in the fasting period.

During the 8 hours in which food can be ingested, remember to keep in mind that most of the food should be fruits and vegetables. Yes OK do not forget about proteinsIt is recommended that it be a moderate amount and that most of them be white meat or fish and minimize the consumption of red meat. Carbohydrates should also take up only a quarter of the plate.

On the other hand, during the 16 hours of fasting, some symptoms such as fatigue or too much hunger may occur. Most people say that hunger ends up not being noticeable after a while, but if that isn't the case, you can choose to drink something like unsweetened tea or coffee. Of course, natural water cannot be absent. During the first days of fasting, physical activity should be reduced and gradually restored.

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Diet 5: 2

On the 5: 2 intermittent fasting diet it's a bit more complex. In this case, the way in which the fast is carried out is different and could be more bearable for some people. It consists of reducing the intake to a maximum of 600 calories for two days.. The rest of the days the feeding is normal, as long as a balanced and healthy diet is followed.

The two days in which caloric intake is reduced do not have to be consecutive. This helps a lot not to despair and end up abandoning the intermittent fasting diet. Since although it is not a fast as such, the caloric reduction is important and helps the body burn its fat reserves by not having a high and constant intake of calories. However, you must take care of the feeding that will be carried out the rest of the days.

An example of a 5: 2 diet could be choosing Tuesdays and Thursdays for days when caloric intake will be very low.. If the food for that day is prepared in advance, it will be more practical to carry it out. Plan a very low calorie but still healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner. In this case, vegetables and some fruits will be a great ally as they help you feel full with a really low caloric intake.

In addition, during these days you have to completely forget about any type of juice or sugary drink. Natural water is the best ally, although throughout the day you could drink a tea or coffee with a little sweetener, preferably a sugar substitute. You have to prepare a snack for mid-morning or mid-afternoon. Whether it's a fruit or nuts, they are an excellent option.

The rest of the days you have to have under control what you eat. We must not relax too much and trust that we have two days of low caloric intake. It is important to remember that it is not about compensating for fasting days, you simply have to enjoy that you can eat more, but never forget that the plate should be full of fruits and vegetables, with carbohydrates and proteins in a ratio of one fourth part.

This intermittent fasting diet works even better when accompanied by an exercise routine. It is mainly recommended to do cardio exercises, but in reality any physical activity goes very well with this diet to promote weight loss. However, exercise must be suspended, especially if it is very heavy, during the days of fasting or caloric reduction.

Bibliographic references

• Ganesan, K., Habboush, Y., & Sultan, S. (2018). Intermittent Fasting: The Choice for a Healthier Lifestyle. Cureus, 10 (7), e2947. doi: 10.7759 / cureus.2947.
• Harvie, M., & Howell, A. (2017). Potential Benefits and Harms of Intermittent Energy Restriction and Intermittent Fasting Amongst Obese, Overweight and Normal Weight Subjects-A Narrative Review of Human and Animal Evidence. Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 7 (1), 4. doi: 10.3390 / bs7010004.