Intermittent fasting is a dieting trend where people limit food intake to certain windows each day, usually only eating during an 8 hour period and fasting for the remaining 16 hours, 2-3 nonconsecutive days per week. A study showed that overweight women who followed an intermittent fasting plan of eating a maximum of 650 calories 1-2 days a week and up to 2,500 calories the other days lost on average 14 pounds in 6 months, more than another group who ate 1,500 calories daily and lost 12 pounds. Intermittent fasting may help burn more stored fat during low calorie days and make people more aware of true hunger sensations compared to habitual eating.

1. To Fast Or Not To Fast — Is
Intermittent Fasting Right For
You?

2. One thing all diets have in common, is
that they limit or restrict calories or
specific food groups. While anyone who
has ever turned to diets for weight loss is
familiar with the concept of limiting and
restricting calories and food groups,
there is a new dieting trend that many
are turning to—intermittent fasting.

3. Most nutritionists and physicians will
agree that starving yourself and skipping
meals altogether is not only unhealthy
http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/pdf/1479
-5868-9-99.pdf, but that it will throw
your body into “starvation mode”. While
some individuals fast for religious
reasons opposed to dietary reasons,
fasting for dieting works on an entirely
different premise than simply starving
yourself.

4. Intermittent Fasting Defined
When you hear the term “intermittent
fasting”, you may jump to the conclusion
that it is a method in which you eliminate
food and calories altogether—however
that is not the case. And, in fact, it is
already showing good results
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-
25549805

5. Intermittent fasting differs from traditional
fasting diets, and religious fasting in that
2-3 nonconsecutive days per week.
It is also different to fad detox diets
http://www.slimshortcut.com/lemon-
detox-diet/ where calories are being
dramatically decreased and instead being
replaced by water with some lemon in it!
With this type of fasting however, the
opposite is true. Food is encouraged, but,
only within the "eating windows", which is
usually about 8 hours out of a 24 hour
day.

6. There are many methodologies as to why
this form of dieting is so successful, one
is that you are only “depriving” or
limiting your diet a few days a week—
which is easier to maintain than every
single day of the week.

7. Does Intermittent Fasting Really Work?

A study posted in the International
Journal of Obesity
http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v35/n
5/full/ijo2010171a.html showed some
promising results.

8.  A group of overweight women who ate a
maximum of 650 calories per day, 1-2
days a week—and up to 2,500 calories
the remaining days a week lost an
average of about 14 pounds in a 6 month
period.
A second group of overweight women
were asked to consume a maximum of
1,500 calories for the same 6 month
period, however lost only an average of
12 pounds per person.

9. There are many methodologies as to why
a larger amount of weight loss can be
achieved with intermittent fasting. One
methodology is that the lower calorie
days your body burn more of its stored
fat.

10. Another methodology is that on the lower
calorie days, individuals are more aware
of the truth sensation of being hungry—
opposed to eating only because it is
“time” or because they are craving
something.
This true realization of hunger and
needing food, opposed to wanting food
may help dieters to successfully change
their eating patterns on their full calorie
days—without conscious effort.

11. Intermittent fasting is not ideal for all
individuals, particularly anyone with
diabetes. As with all diets and health and
wellness plans it is important to maintain
a consistent relationship with your health
care professional.