Feasting and Fasting Follow a Time Schedule

Intermittent fasting is simply a period of eating followed by a period of not eating. Where most weight-loss techniques focus on what you should or should not be eating, fasting identifies when you should eat. The main reason that restricted eating and intermittent fasting works so well for weight loss is the reduction of calories. Unless you overeat during feasting periods, your overall consumption of calories will be less. For shorter fasting periods, you can break a fast by consuming a regular-sized meal, so avoid overeating and select healthy foods. You may want to ease back into eating with a broth soup after longer fasting periods.

• 16:8 Fasting Protocol - The 16:8 diet requires men to fast for 16 hours each day and women fast for 14 hours. People usually finish an evening meal by 8 pm and then skip breakfast the next morning.
• Eat-Stop-Eat Fasting - This method of fasting involves complete food restriction for 24 hours either once or twice a week. For example, you can eat dinner on Monday and refrain from eating until you eat dinner on Tuesday.
• 2 Days a Week Fast - It is recommended that women consume 500 calories and men have a dietary intake of 600 calories on two days of every week. Then, you simply eat healthy meals the remaining five days.
• Eliminating Meals - With spontaneous meal skipping, you do not need to follow a structured schedule to reap the benefits. Simply skip meals from time to time, especially when you don't feel hungry or are too busy to stop and eat.

One of the controversial issues involving fasting is that prolonged periods of food deprivation places one at risk for overeating during feasting periods and may lead to unhealthy behaviors, such as a fixation on food or other types of eating disorders. Ten recent trials that investigated changes in appetite failed to show an increase in appetite with intermittent fasting despite the fact that the group showed significant weight loss and a decrease in production of leptin hormone, which suppresses hunger. According to research published in the journal Obesity Reviews, intermittent fasting is less likely to cause muscle loss than a diet based on continuous calorie restriction.

*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.