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Do Intermittent Fasting Cause Muscle Loss?

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Do Intermittent Fasting Cause Muscle Loss?

Intermittent fasting, the most Googled diet of 2019, focuses more on when people eat rather than how much they eat. One of the most popular types is the 16:8 method in which people only eat during an eight-hour window and fast the remaining 16 hours of the day. Intermittent Fasting(IF) is simply limiting yourself to eating within a specific time frame.

There are several variations of IF to choose from. Decide which type fits into your lifestyle the best and then talk about it with your doctor.

Johns Hopkins neuroscientist Mark Mattson, Ph.D., has studied intermittent fasting for 25 years. He says that our bodies have evolved to be able to go without food for many hours, or even several days.

Do Intermittent fasting cause muscle loss?

A recent study conducted by the University of California, San Francisco found that the diet can result in a significant amount of muscle loss.

Ways to do intermittent fasting.

Many intermittent fasting schedules exit. Intermittent fasting works by prolonging the period when your body has burned through the calories consumed during your last meal and begins burning fat.

Each person’s experience of intermittent fasting is individual and different styles will suit different people. Choosing regular time periods to eat and fast.

For instance, you might try eating once during an 8 hour period each day and fast the remainder or you might choose to eat one meal a day, two days a week. Several methods exist and some include ;

1. The 16/8 method: In this method, you can pick a daily approach that restricts daily eating to one 6-8 hour period a day. You may try 16/8 fasting thus eating for 8 hours and fasting for 16 by for instance skipping breakfast, eating your first meal at noon, and your last meal at 8 pm.

2. The 12-hour method: This method is suitable for beginners since the fasting window is relatively small, much of the fasting occurs during sleep and the person can consume the same number of calories each day. For example, A person could choose to fast between 7 pm and 7 am. They would need to finish their dinner before 7 pm and wait until 7 am to eat breakfast but would be asleep for much of the time in between.

3. 5: 2 method: This approach involves eating regularly 5 days a week and for the other 2 days, you limit yourself to one 500-600 calorie meal. For example, you choose to eat normally every day of the week except Tuesdays and Fridays which would be your one meal days.

Tips That Can Help You do Intermittent fasting.

Stay hydrated: – Drink lots of water and non-caloric drinks such as herbal teas throughout the day during the fast periods. *Avoid obsessing over food. Plan plenty of distractions on fasting days to avoid thinking about food such as catching up on paperwork or going to see a movie.

Resting and relaxing: Avoid strenuous activities on fasting days although light exercise like yoga can be beneficial.

Conclusion

It’s important to check with your doctor before starting intermittent fasting to get his/her go-ahead as Intermittent fasting is not for everyone.

The body takes time about 2-4 weeks to become adjusted to Intermittent fasting. You might feel hungry or cranky while getting used to the new routine. Longer periods without food, such as 12, 24,36,48 hour fasting periods are not necessarily better and can be dangerous as going too long without eating might actually encourage your body to start storing more fat in response to starvation.

Some people try Intermittent fasting for weight management and others use the method to address chronic conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, high cholesterol, or arthritis.

But intermittent fasting isn’t for everyone such as children or teens under 18, people with an eating disorder history, and pregnant or breastfeeding women.

Consistency and ensuring that it is aligning with your mind, body, and soul, you can expect a good weight loss of anywhere between 2-6 kg a month with excellent inch loss and increase in energy levels and brain function.

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