Dieting and Fasting
What does fasting have to do with dieting?
Intermittent fasting (IF) typically consists of a 24-hour fast period followed by several days of ‘normal’ eating. On paper this sounds like a great idea, but if you might feel hungry, why would anyone choose to fast? Because many people and studies show the long-term benefits far outweigh the rather small short-term discomforts.
Why should I fast?
At the end of the day, to lose weight, you will need to burn more calories than you consume. This is were intermittent fasting comes in. If you cut a day or two of meals out a week, you have reduced your total caloric intake for the week and you will lose weight.
The other reason people choose to fast, is the potential health benefits being seen in early stage tests.
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- Reduction in blood sugar
- Reduction in blood pressure
- Increased HDL levels
- Weight loss
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These are fantastic early findings. But above and beyond all this, is the simple fact that being able to fast one day a week and then eat when and how you want the rest of the week and lose weight makes this a dieting program worth investigating.
Dieting is certainly a critical part of being fit. But if you want total fitness, you also need Resistance and Interval Training.
Date: May 21, 2009