Calories Burned Are About the Same But Fasting Has Other Benefits

Fasting should be the icing on the cake of an overall healthy lifestyle, which requires applying certain disciplines during the feasting window. Simply eat nutritious whole foods, get a good night's sleep, drink plenty of water and manage food intake intelligently. Alternate-day and whole-day fasts have been shown to reduce body fat in overweight people as well as lower total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The biggest drawbacks are lower energy levels and increased irritability when getting started. It is important to listen to your body anytime you are fasting.

• Prolonged Fasting - Extended fasts involve prolonged fasting for entire days at a time. For example, if you eat a dinner meal on Day 1, you would fast all of Day 2 and not eat again until the breakfast meal on Day 3.
• Spontaneous Meal Skipping - When you decide to say no to a meal, You shouldn’t drink anything with high caloric values such as juices or sodas. Instead, you should only be drinking low calorie options such as coffee, tea, and water while fasting.
• Fast-Mimicking Diets - Scientifically developed and clinically tested at the University of Southern California, the Fast Mimicking Diet requires you to eat healthy natural ingredients for five days in a way that your body does not recognize that you are eating.
• Full Day Fasts - Periodic full day fasts can be used intermittently for several weeks. Dietary intake is limited calorie-free or low-calorie fluids to force the body into full fasting mode instead of alternating between fasting and feeding.

Intermittent fasting offers clear benefits for making people healthier. For some people, fasting is a simple approach that can be combined with healthy eating for more permanent weight loss. With a traditional diet, you are following a healthy eating pattern but consuming fewer calories at each meal. With intermittent fasting, you are roughly consuming the same number of calories but during scheduled feeding windows. You can help suppress hunger during intermittent fasting by eating high-fiber foods, such as nuts, beans, fruits and vegetables, as well as high protein foods.

*NOTE: Due to a difference in hormonal makeup, women have special considerations when fasting. Intermittent fasting is not a good idea for women under 18 years of age, those with a lean body profile, or those with medical conditions, such as hypothyroidism or a history of eating disorders. Ask your physician about an appropriate fasting protocol for you.