Using intermittent fasting for weight loss is a powerful and effective strategy. In this article, you will learn how it works and why it’s so effective.
Here is what will be covered:
- What is it?
- Why people are confused by it
- 5 Reasons to use intermittent fasting for weight loss
- Things to watch out for
- A simple protocol you can implement
Let’s get started…
What is Intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting is simply scheduled periods of time without eating.
There are two main variations of the diet popularized by different people:
16/8 Method – Leangains Protocol by Martin Berkhan
This is the most popular fasting method.
This is where you fast for 16 hours of the day and only eat during the other 8 hours.
What most people do (including founders of Avocadu, myself and certified personal trainer and nutritionist boyfriend, Alex) is eat almost nothing in the morning except for black coffee and water. The first meal of the day happens around noon, and the last meal is at 8 pm.
24 Hour Method – Eat Stop Eat Protocol by Brad Pilon
This is the second most popular method.
In this method, you do one or two 24-hour fasts during your week.
This usually happens from 5 pm in the evening to 5 pm the next day and is followed up with a big, healthy meal.
It should also be stated that this is the form of fasting with the largest body of research behind it.
Those are the two main variations of intermittent fasting, which brings us to the next point…
Why people are confused by intermittent fasting…
Let’s get the elephant out of the room.
Most people will immediately think:
“Wait, don’t I need to eat 6 meals per day to boost my metabolism? Won’t this hurt my metabolism???”
No.
No.
A million times NO.
There is not a single shred of evidence behind eating 6 meals per day to boost the metabolism.
It was a myth that was perpetuated by poorly correlated studies conducted a LONG time ago.
Here’s some basic proof, because I know some of you may struggle to believe this:
- Examine.com debunks the myth of 6 meals per day for your metabolism with 36 different studies (source).
- One of the largest meta-analyses performed on eating frequency found that there is NO difference in energy expenditure between nibbling and gorging (study).
- As long as calories remained the same when two groups in these two separate studies ate different meal frequencies, there was no change in calories burned (study, study)
There is irony in the 6 meals a day myth as well. Plenty of studies have shown that intermittent fasting and not eating 6 meals a day boosts fat burning.
So don’t be scared to try intermittent fasting for weight loss, because you will NOT hurt your metabolism.
5 Reasons to Use Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss
Improved Fat Burning and Metabolism
Intermittent fasting has been shown to boost the natural metabolism by 4-13% during a fast (study, study).
This is great. On top of that, people have also been shown to lose a significant amount of weight around the waist, getting rid of dangerous belly fat (study).
This is another good sign! I have talked about this in my previous article on the dangers of belly fat and how to best get rid of it.
Naturally Eat Fewer Calories
When people eat fewer meals during the week, they naturally eat fewer calories.
Plain and simple. People who do intermittent fasting have been shown to lose 3-8% more fat than those on standard calorie restriction diets (study).
They have also been shown to have an easier time sticking to their diets.
Positively Effects Key Weight Loss Hormones
Intermittent fasting for weight loss is quite effective at optimizing hormonal responses.
- Improves insulin sensitivity – Insulin is the primary hormone secreted when people eat. By improving insulin sensitivity with fasting, you will naturally lower resting insulin levels. These lower levels of insulin facilitate fat burning (study).
- Boosts human growth hormone (HGH) – Fasting has been shown to raise HGH by 2000%, which aids in fat burning as well as muscle tissue growth (study, study, study).
- Normalizing leptin – Leptin is the primary weight loss hormone responsible for telling you to stop eating and to go exercise. While most people have chronically low leptin levels, leptin becomes normalized during a fast (study).
- Helps with cellular discharge – Intermittent fasting also helps the body remove waste material from the cells by improving autophagy (study).
These positive changes in the body’s hormonal environment improve weight loss speed and results.
Helps You Hold onto Lean Muscle
If interested in weight loss, lean muscle tissue should be important to you. This is because the more lean muscle tissue that’s on the body, the more calories the body burns at rest.
Lean muscle is a good thing.
When compared to a standard calorie restriction diet, intermittent fasting has been proven to be much more effective at helping the body preserve lean muscle tissue(study).
Makes Life Simpler
Health and simplicity are two peas in a pod. Brothers if you will.
The healthiest foods are often the simplest, like a banana or a piece of lean chicken breast.
These basic foods are some of the healthiest you can eat, and being healthy should be simple. 2-3 large healthy meals per day are much easier to manage than 6 normal-sized meals and snacks.
Intermittent fasting eliminates more than half of the healthy decisions you must make in the day.
Those are the 5 reasons to try intermittent fasting for weight loss. Here are some important points to pay attention to…
Things to watch out for:
Snacking is 99% from boredom and not hunger.
This is not a negative thing, but I felt is was important to tell you. During a fast, you will probably notice yourself getting up from work (or the couch) and heading for the fridge without even thinking about it.
This is common.
Most snacking comes from boredom and our subconscious prompting us to “do something” (like eat). You will notice when fasting that you are much more productive because you have eliminated the option of eating for a few hours.
Don’t just gorge and use intermittent fasting as an excuse.
Calories still matter.
You can break your fast however you please, but make sure you’re not using fasting as an excuse to binge. Eat a big meal after fasting, but don’t ignore calories.
It takes time for the body to adapt.
Ghrelin is the hormone that signals to you that you are hungry. If the normal MO is eating 6 meals a day with a big breakfast, it may take a week to get used to intermittent fasting.
Don’t worry. Ghrelin will adapt to the new eating style, and hunger will eventually dissipate.
A simple protocol for implementation:
Go ahead and try to do the 24-hour fast from 5 pm to 5 pm for your first fasting experience.
During the fast, you can drink apple cider vinegar, water, matcha green tea or regular green tea, and black coffee with no cream or sugar.
That’s it. No calories for 24 hours.
It’s less difficult than you think after you get over the initial cravings and boredom. Follow it up with a big healthy meal of lean proteins and vegetable.
You will likely feel incredible!
This is for a few reasons:
- You’re giving your body and hormones a well-deserved break.
- Your body will have a great absorption rate of the nutrients you eat at the end of the fast. If you consume a bunch of low carb vegetables, you’ll feel pretty darn good.
This will also be an eye-opening experience for any participant on how the body works.
That we do not need a constant, never-ending supply of food to feel good and healthy.
It’s pretty freeing actually.
Intermittent fasting is explained in more detail in our fast weight loss program, the 21-Day Fat Loss Challenge. It’s optional of course, but it’s a great way to try it out and see if it’s right for you.
People lose an average of 10-21 pounds in 21 days and absolutely love it! But even better than the weight loss is the feedback we get from people about how the program has taught them how to change their eating habits and find a diet that truly works for them in the long-term.
We have over 1,000 people in our private support group going through the Challenge together, and every day they are sharing experiences, results, motivation, and lots of recipes!
If you are ready to make some changes in your life, this is the ONLY place you should start. We will teach you exactly how to make the necessary changes in your diet and your lifestyle and how to keep them “beyond the diet.”
Sources
Sources
It is important to know that you can lose weight naturally with this short-term, but potent diet. You only need to follow this one-week diet menu that will encourage the burning of fat.
Diet Rules
You should never skip breakfast
Avoid soft drinks, too much caffeine, and processed foods because they are abundant in sugar.
Stop eating after 8 pm
Before you start the diet make sure you weigh yourself so that you can make a comparison with your weight after the 7-day diet.
The Benefits of the Diet
This diet allows you to lose weight in a healthy way.
It abundant in fruits, veggies, and water.
This diet improve your bowel movements.
It abundant in fruits, veggies, and water.
This diet improve your bowel movements.
The One-Week Diet
Day 1- Fruit day
Throughout the whole day you should only eat fruits, that is, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; except bananas. You can eat papayas, apples, pineapples, etc.
Day 2 – Veggie day
You should eat veggies for breakfast, dinner, and lunch during this day. Start the day with cooked potatoes so that the carbs can breakdown during the day. Include vegetables that abound in fiber such as broccoli and beans. Add them in salads, soups, or steamed.
Day 3 – Fruit and veggie day
You should make a combination of the foods from day 1 and day 2 at the third day of the diet. Avoid bananas and potatoes.
Day 4- Milk and banana day
You should eat milk and bananas only. You can consume 10 bananas as well 3 glasses of milk.
Day 5 – Feast day
On this day you should eat lean meat. For instance , lean chicken or fish fillets as well as up to 8 tomatoes. Consume more water, that is, from 12 to 15 glasses, in order to encourage the removal of uric acid produced by the body due to the intake of meat.
Day 6 – Red meat and veggies
You can eat cooked red meat of your choosing and as much as veggies as you want for lunch.
Day 7 – Rice and veggies
Consume cooked brown rice for lunch mixed with steamed veggies of your choosing. You can eat one potato only on this day and consume fresh fruit or veggie juices.
Sources
Sources
See Your Doctor
Running (and exercise in general) is a fantastic way of losing weight, increasing strength, boosting stamina, and improving overall health and well-being levels.
But if you haven’t done much exercise in the last few years, you need to start with a visit to your doctor. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. The last thing you want when starting an exercise plan is to hurt yourself.
During your visit, expect to go through an extensive physical assessment.
Some of the issues most likely to be addressed include any history of a heart condition, your kidney health, any respiratory diseases you may have (including asthma or lung diseases), joint issues (such as arthritis), medications you’re currently taking, and any other pertinent issues in your medical history.
Be honest with your physician and tell them the reasons you want to start running, as well as your training and weight loss goals. Their feedback will likely be of tremendous help.
Get Walking
Got the green light from your physician?
Great! It’s time to get started!
In order to run, you first need to be able to walk. Though it might seem like too small a step in your weight loss journey, walking is the perfect stepping stone to the world of running.
Walking is a low-impact exercise that can be done without making a huge commitment. It helps you build the endurance and strength needed for intense exercise.
It’s also perfect for revealing any underlying issues. For instance, if you experience knee pain while walking, take it up with your doctor, or at least be aware that something might be amiss.
Action Ste
Start out by walking three to four times the first week and work your way up. By four weeks in, you should be able to walk five to six times a week, with each session lasting 50 to 60 minutes.
Here’s the ideal walking session.
- Begin your session with a 5-minute slow walk as a warm-up.
- Increase your intensity to a brisk walk pace and stick with it for at least 20 to 30 minutes.
- When you’re near the end of your walking workout, slow down and walk slowly for 5 minutes to bring your heart rate down.
Important Note: Stay at this stage for as long as you have to. There’s no need to do too much too soon. Progress at your own pace. Remember, you’re not competing with anybody other than yourself.
Start Run/Walking
The run-walk method is the brainchild of Jeff Galloway, a legendary running coach. It entails alternating between LOW-INTENSITY running intervals and walking recovery breaks.
Action Step:
Start your session with a 10-minute brisk walk to get your heart rate up and blood flowing to the working muscles.
Next, using for a slow and controlled pace, jog for 20 to 30 seconds, then walk for 30 seconds to one full minute.
Repeat the cycle for 15 to 20 minutes, then wrap it up with a 5-minute walk as a cool down.
The Exact Progression you Need
Here’s an easy pattern to follow:
Once you’re comfortable jogging for one minute, increase your jogging time to 90 seconds. Once 90-seconds feels like a breeze, increase your time to two minutes. Continue adding on in this manner.
Not good with numbers? You’re not alone. Been there. Done that.
Here’s how to handle it. Jog slowly for half a block, then build up to a whole block, then two blocks, and so on.
Whatever you end up doing, be sure to gradually increase the time you spend running while taking less and less time for recovery. Your goal is to be jogging for at least 20 minutes without too much huffing and puffing.
How Long Does It Take to Become a Runner?
There are no conclusive answers to this question. The exact time frame depends on several factors, including your fitness level, your current weight, age, gender, training experience, and exercise consistency.
It’s really up to you, but if I were to guess, I’d expect you to need to invest at least, three to six months of consistent training. That’s an estimate on the low end, provided that you don’t have a serious health issue.
Buy the Right Gear
As an overweight runner, you need to look for technical gear (clothing specifically designed for runners) that’s comfortable, fits well and is within your budget.
I highly recommend compression gear for overweight exercisers. These are typically made of lightweight fabric that pulls moisture away from your skin while providing extra support.
What’s more?
Compression gear can prevent swelling in your legs and arms, and may reduce muscle soreness afterward.
A pair of tight spandex pants and a compression shirt are must-have items. The pants will keep your thighs from rubbing together, whereas the shirt is especially important for those who feel self-conscious about their stomach and chest bouncing while running.
Proper Footwear
One of the greatest appeals of running is its convenience and lack of required equipment, but you still need a pair of GOOD and PROPER running shoes. They are the most important investment you can make, regardless of your size and fitness level.
Choosing to wear a pair of shoes that are worn-out, too tight, too loose, or simply not designed for running will do nothing but make you vulnerable to Achilles Tendonitis, knee pain, shin splints and other injuries. And you want none of these, don’t you?
How to find the right sole-mate?
My best advice is that you go to the nearest specialty running store, where trained staff will examine your foot type and your running gait. This might be a bit expensive, but it’s worth the price in both the short and long term.
Do it For Yourself
You’re a big person. In fact, you might be the most overweight runner on the block.
There’s no doubt that you’ll be drawing a lot of attention, and some of it might not be positive. Not everyone is supportive, and you shouldn’t expect universal encouragement.
My advice is that you don’t mind the haters, because (in the words of Taylor Swift), “Haters gonna hate hate hate.”
Don’t let the mind games and name calling interfere with the process, and please, don’t let anyone, but you dictate how you should be living your life. You’re your own person.
All you need to do is train, and keep on training, regardless of negative feedback. Turn a deaf ear to the BS, and do what you have to do to get in shape.
Keep your focus on you and nobody else. Aim to cultivate a positive attitude no matter what happens, even if your workouts suck. (They are supposed to suck.)
Always move forward. Never look backward. If the colossal a$$holes giving you a hard time understood what it takes to become a runner while overweight, they’d think twice before mocking anyone.
Build the Habit
Once you can run for 30 minutes straight without trouble, shift your focus to making running a daily habit. That’s how you truly make it a part of your lifestyle.
Build the running habit by doing the following:
Schedule your runs the same way you schedule an important work meeting or a vital doctor’s appointment. Use a daily calendar, your smartphone’s reminder app or to block out the time you need for the run.
Stick to the “three workouts per week” rule for at least 12 weeks. If you can work up to 16 weeks, then you’re good, since most healthy lifestyle changes take that long to become ingrained into a daily routine.
Don’t run alone., Pair up with a friend or training buddy from the gym. Doing so will not only help you stay motivated but also increase accountability.
Happy running.
Haley started her weight loss journey at 278 pounds. A figure she had reached by not watching her diet and quitting the sporting activities that used to keep her weight down.
It wasn’t until photos came back from her engagement shoot that she knew she didn’t want to be that size anymore and certainly didn’t want to look that way on her wedding day.
Haley followed some simple, yet important steps to lose weight and stuck to them until she dropped over 100 pounds!
Haley hadn’t always been dealing with weight problems. When she was younger, she played sports religiously and got into incredible shape during her collage years when a lot of people can let themselves go.
“Growing up, I never really struggled with my weight because I led a very active lifestyle. I played sports throughout high school and intramurals when I first got to college. During that time I was in the best shape of my life.”
This changed however, after her sporting activities took a back seat to other priorities in her life.
“When I stopped playing sports, I began steadily gaining weight. I periodically tried to keep my weight in check by running or doing at-home workout programs. Every few months, I’d try to come up with a new workout regimen, but after a few weeks I’d fall off the wagon.”
As well as workouts, Haley also tried other quick fix diet plans during this time, but with limited success. Her high calorie diet that fuelled her sporting life, quickly became an issue when she stopped playing everyday.
“During this time, I was eating whatever I wanted, pizza, burgers, candy, fast food and I was eating nearly all day every day from the moment I woke up right up until bedtime. Like the workout routines, I periodically tried to go on different diets, such as Nutrisystem, juice cleanses, and other three-day cleanses, but nothing stuck.”
“By July of 2015, I had reached an all-time high of 278 pounds. I couldn’t believe it.”
Around this time, Haley’s boyfriend, Matt, proposed to her and after seeing the engagement photos, she knew she didn’t want to look like that on her wedding day.
“That July, I got engaged, which was really the catalyst for change. It was one of the happiest moments in my life, but once I saw our engagement photos, it became bittersweet. The pictures were devastating, I didn’t even recognize myself! I knew then that if I didn’t want to be ashamed of my wedding pictures, I had to do something.”
Haley began focusing on cleaning up her diet and getting back into working out and running. She didn’t want to burn herself out like she did before, trying quick fixes and short term solutions, she knew to make it last long term, it would take smaller, incremental decisions.
“I began making small, gradual changes. Starting out, two of my biggest problems with food were eating late in the day and eating out all the time. So those were the first habits I focused on breaking. I decided that I would only eat out twice a week and stop eating after 8 p.m.something I still stick to today!”
Haley and her new husband began to learn to cook for themselves and enjoy eating healthier meals that they prepared at home.
“In order to achieve this, my now husband and I started cooking at home a lot more. At first, we used Blue Apron a few times a week to help teach us about new foods and how to make healthy dinner recipes. After a few weeks of that, I got to where I was actually having vegetables a few times a week, along with fruits, whole grains, healthy fats, and tons of protein.”
As well as healthier meals, she knew she had to curb her bad snacking habits between meals, as a lot of the time, this is were dieters fail in their approach.
“My snacking habits, which were also terrible, changed a lot too. I started eating mixed nuts or peanut butter and celery instead of bags of chips and candy bars.”
“I also did the 21-Day Fix about three months in. This plan focuses on creating the perfect portion sizes by using these special containers and emphasizes fresh veggies and protein over refined carbs. That helped me get a firm grasp on healthy portion sizes. If I ever feel like I need a reset, I’ll break out the containers.”
Focusing on portion control and eating a balanced diet full of protein, complex carbs and veggies was the best change that Haley could make to her diet, but she also focused on other areas like limiting eating at restaurants and not depriving herself of food she loves.
“Now, I try to stick to balancing my food groups, eating out as little as I can, and just making conscious, healthy choices about what I eat. A typical day for me starts with a protein shake for breakfast, grilled chicken with kale for lunch, and something similar for dinner, like a pork chop with broccoli.”
“I definitely still indulge my taste for snacks and dessert, I’m practically addicted to chips! But it’s all about balance and at the end of the day. I’m just trying to make good decisions that outweigh the bad ones.”
Using the same philosophy that she used with her diet, Haley started working out slowly but surely, initially jogging and building up to at home workouts, running and eventually, the gym.
This slow start helped build a love of working out and the gym and now you can find her lifting weights every morning before work.
“But before I knew it, I was in the gym at 5:30 in the morning six times a week and throwing cardio sessions in some afternoons. By summer 2016, my husband and I were regulars and began really enjoying our mornings there. To this day, I have dedicated lifting workouts by body group for each day of the week, and I try to get in some form of cardio—elliptical, running, biking, about every other day.”
Haley has an incredibly popular Instagram page with over 100,000 followers, who she motivates everyday and who inspire and support her along her journey.
“My Instagram followers have been especially motivating for me. It feels like they’re on this journey with me. I’m currently finishing up a project I call my “Year of Runs” where I ran one 5K every month. I even decided to cap it off by hosting my own virtual 5K with them!”
As well as a good support system through her friends, family and social media, it’s important to remain accountable to yourself and your goals. Using checklists and goals helped Haley stay motivated during her weight loss.
“Throughout my whole journey, I’ve been tracking my daily and monthly habits, which has also been super motivating. I love getting to check off a box for the day when I know I did something that brings me closer to my goals. Seeing the boxes I missed makes me want to do better the next day.”
“And, of course, the thought of walking down the aisle helped keep me motivated to hit the gym every morning.”
After losing almost 110 pounds, Haley’s life has changed for the better in every way. Living her life, rather than shying away from opportunities.
“My weight loss has impacted my life in pretty much every way possible. I have so much more confidence now. Now, when I go on vacations, I don’t have to sit things out because I feel too uncomfortable or literally can’t do something. I feel so much more in-control of my life, which feels amazing because a lot of that control had slipped away before my engagement. Today, I’m living a life that I actually enjoy and don’t feel the urge to hide from.”
Haley’s advice for other people who want to follow in her success is simple;
“The best advice I could give to other women is just to start small and take it slow. Hard and fast diets or workout routines are too difficult to stick to for any extended period of time. Because this is a lifestyle change rather than a quick fix, you have to be able to make those small, habit-breaking changes little by little. Take it one day at a time.”
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Nancy Rosado
Hi! My name is Nancy! Welcome to my Blog, your ultimate guide to healthy living! I want to help you find your very own happily ever after through a balanced approach to health and wellness. Together, we’ll make all your dreams come true!
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