Intermittent fasting: example of an on-off diet to lose weight quickly
Intermittent fasting is a diet based on the alternation of regular meals and moments of real fasting. This type of on-off diet allows you to decide, according to different schemes, how to set up the aforementioned alternation of normal meals and periods of pause from food. , a practice, the latter, which would guarantee a positive influence on the caloric balance and hormonal metabolism, promoting fast weight loss and improving cardiovascular health and the immune system in general. There are five main examples of intermittent fasting diet to choose from, in which, in essence, the time windows between fasting and normal meals vary.
In general, in the examples of intermittent fasting diets, a division of the day into two moments is foreseen: a fasting phase - called fast - lasting several hours (from 12 to 19-20 hours) in which no food will be introduced except of water, bitter coffee, tea and sugar-free drinks, and another part - called fed - where you can eat regularly.
Intermittent fasting: the 5 examples of fasting based diets
There are 5 main examples of diets based on intermittent fasting. Here they are below:
- Intermittent fasting or intermittent fasting leangains: conceived by the athletic trainer Martin Berkhan, this method is based on the 16/8 scheme, that is, it provides for the division of the day into two parts, 8 hours in which two or three meals can be consumed, and 16 hours of complete fasting
- Eat Stop Eat: the method devised by the American nutritionist Brad Pilon, consists of fasting for 24 hours for one or two days a week. In reality, however, on the off days, one or two depending on the needs, a normocaloric diet is allowed.
- The Warrior Diet: this method, conceived by Ori Hofmekler, involves a 4-hour fed phase - distributed between a dinner, in which you can eat everything, without any restriction of calories or macronutrient intake, and vegetable-based snacks rich in fiber and dried fruit.
- The Fast diet or fasting every other day: it is based on the 5: 2 scheme, that is, it provides the possibility to eat regularly for 5 days a week and to carry out a strong calorie restriction on the other two days. In fact, on off days, there is no real fasting but a maximum of 500 calories is allowed for women, 600 for men. The typical two-day calorie-restricted menu should focus on a hearty breakfast - such as scrambled eggs, ham and black tea - and a light dinner of grilled fish or chicken and vegetables. Lunch would thus be skipped, while water and herbal teas are allowed throughout the day.
- Whole day fasting: it is an Eat Stop Eat with one or two days of complete fasting, unlike the diet conceived by Pilon, which on off days included a normocaloric one. The good news is that in the other 5/6 days you can eat ad libitum.
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The benefits of intermittent fasting
As we said, the benefits of this diet of intermittent fasting do not concern only the acceleration of the metabolism and the consequent weight loss, but also a greater resistance to diseases. In fact, intermittent fasting means that the body does not use sugars as before. source of energy, but fats, favoring a significant lowering of insulin, responsible for diseases, cardiovascular diseases and cancer in the first place.
In addition, intermittent fasting promotes the production of growth hormone, thus slowing down the aging process, regulates the intestine, promotes the lowering of the triglyceride level and facilitates weight loss without the yo-yo effect.
Unfortunately, there are also possible side effects, especially in the initial phase, such as sleep disturbances, anxiety and irritability, dehydration and daytime sleepiness.
Intermittent fasting: what to eat?
But what to eat in the fed phases of the various diets of intermittent fasting?
Let's consider as a first example the most frequent type of intermittent fasting - leangains - which concentrates the fed phase in 8 hours, followed by a 16-hour fast. Here is a recommended type menu:
Breakfast
green tea, bitter coffee or sugar-free herbal tea, water at will. (This phase is still fasting, considering that these drinks can be safely consumed even during fasting hours)
Lunch (from 12 onwards)
pasta with pesto, mixed vegetables with a tablespoon of oil, a fruit. (From here begins the fed phase, in which you can eat meals for the next 8 hours)
Snack (from 4 pm)
dried fruit 15 g, one fruit, 50 g of rice or corn cakes
Dinner (7 pm)
baked cod, rye bread, mixed vegetables seasoned with a tablespoon of oil, a glass (125 ml) of wine. (Remember to stop the fed phase, after 8 hours from the beginning of your first meal, breakfast excluded).
This type of menu can also be followed for the 4-hour fed of the Warrior Diet, to which is added the possibility of snacks based on vegetables rich in fiber and dried fruit, and for the two low-calorie days of the Eat Stop diet. Eat, but trying to limit the doses as these are days of reduction and semi-fasting, followed by 5-6 days in which you can eat freely.
For the Whole day fasting diet, there is no need for any indication, because unlike the previous ones, where fasting is partial or relegated to certain moments of the day, there are two days of absolute fasting per week, in which drinking is allowed. only water, tea and unsweetened drinks, but for the other 5 days there is no restriction.
Fast diet: what to eat in the 5: 2 scheme diet
As for the Fast diet, or alternate day diet, based on the 5: 2 scheme - ie 5 days at full capacity and 2 days with calorie restriction - the typical menu for the two days off, provides for a balance divided between an abundant " breakfast and a light dinner that favors protein foods.
Breakfast
Scrambled eggs, a thin slice of ham and black tea
Dinner
Fish, chicken and vegetables, all preferably grilled
Unsweetened water, herbal teas or green or black tea at will
Intermittent fasting: when to avoid it?
While not such a drastic diet, intermittent fasting is not suitable for everyone. It is in fact not recommended for people suffering from diabetes, hypoglycemia and cortisol imbalance. It is also best avoided if you are prone to chronic fatigue or are pregnant or breastfeeding.
For more useful information on intermittent fasting, you can visit the Science Translational Medicine website.
