Intermittent Fasting for Fat Loss

Intermittent Fasting for Fat Loss

In the ongoing battle for weight loss, I believe that every piece of information counts.

Something you’ve probably heard a lot about is calorie restriction. But what you may not have heard about is intermittent calorie restriction or intermittent fasting.

There’s a bunch of new research out about the potential benefits of intermittent fasting, so I thought I’d offer up a review of this somewhat controversial topic.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting essentially means alternating between days of very low calorie intake (300 – 800 calories) and days of unrestricted eating (of course focusing on healthy natural foods). While some may engage in complete fasting intermittently, I’m using the term “fasting” to also include extreme calorie restriction.

Many of you may have never considered fasting of any kind, assuming it was entirely unhealthy. I have to admit that I used to have the same idea in mind, but there’s more to the story. Keep reading to learn more…

Is Intermittent Fasting Good for Fat Loss?

A number of studies have recently compared the benefits of daily calorie restriction (i.e., the typical dieting) and intermittent restriction or fasting. What they found may surprise you.

Research is showing that both methods are actually effective fat loss strategies. The difference, however, seems to be in the type of weight lost. On normal daily calorie restriction diets, most of the weight lost is indeed fat, while the rest is muscle mass. The ratio is typically 75% fat / 25% muscle.

Obviously any loss in muscle mass is a bad thing, especially if your goal is also muscle gain. And in the long run, retaining as much muscle mass as possible is key to healthy aging and living a long life.