The 5:2 diet, the 16:8 diet and the 20:4 diet.
Intermittent fasting, what exactly is it?
NordIQ answers the most frequently asked questions.
Intermittent fasting – what are the alternatives?
The 5:2 diet: You eat as usual five days a week but reduce your calorie intake on the remaining two days. If you are usually between 2000 and 2500 calories, your intake during the fasting days should be between 500 and 600.
The 6:1 diet: Basically the same method as the 5:2 diet. Here, however, the single fasting day is even more limited – you can only drink foods without calories.
The 16:8 diet: Here it’s not about days, but hours. 16 stands for the 16 hours a day you fast, and 8 for the 8-hour eating window.
The 20:4 diet: 20 hours of fasting is alternated with a 4 hour eating window.
How long does intermittent fasting last?
It is up to you. Testing for four weeks is recommended so that the body has time to adapt to new habits and you can see results. If you combine the method with exercise, it may be faster to notice differences, at least if your goal is to lose weight.
How does intermittent fasting affect health?
Studies show that intermittent fasting can improve your overall health. These include reduced mortality and better stress tolerance.
How does intermittent fasting affect insulin sensitivity?
For the better. When researchers have studied the effect of different long eating windows, the results have pointed towards that between six and eight hours, people improve insulin sensitivity.
How does intermittent fasting affect calorie consumption?
Here, the research points in slightly different directions. Some studies show that calorie consumption increases with intermittent fasting. Some believe that it remains unchanged and others that it even decreases.
What we can establish, however, is that the total caloric intake can be reduced more easily during intermittent fasting, as for many it is easier to reduce it during certain, fixed periods and then eat as usual the rest of the time. Read more about intermittent fasting and weight loss below.
Does Intermittent Fasting Have Any Downsides?
Although intermittent fasting is a method that works for many people, studies show that the benefits can be short-term. And in the long run, the health effects are actually no more or better compared to a regular, healthy diet where you eat every day.
Is Intermittent Fasting For Me?
Talk to your physician before going on a diet if you…
- Are pregnant
- Are breastfeeding
- Are underweight
- Are diabetic
- Are elite athletes or train at a very heavy load
- Have or have had any form of eating disorder or unhealthy relationship with food
- Have or have had stress-related illnesses
Is it easier to lose weight with intermittent fasting?
There is research that shows that it can be easier to lose weight using intermittent fasting, but it is very individual. For some, intermittent fasting works well – and for others less well.
Since you can eat “as usual” during intermittent fasting, it becomes easier for many to limit themselves to fewer calories during other periods.
Do I also have to exercise during intermittent fasting?
No, exercising is not a must during intermittent fasting, but if the goal is to lose weight, you have a better chance if you get in movement and exercise. A tip is to place the pass just before or at the end of an eating window, so that you can eat afterwards. For example, if you do strength training, it is important for muscle growth that you get nutrition and protein after the workout.
Is intermittent fasting good if you exercise?
Yes. Thanks to the increase in growth hormones, intermittent fasting can be a great way to maintain muscle mass while losing weight.
Leave a Reply