INTERMITTENT FASTING (“I.F.”) IS SHORT TERM REGULAR FASTING, TYPICALLY FOR WEIGHT LOSS BUT ALSO CONTAINING OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS. THIS TYPICALLY TAKES THE FORM OF FASTING FOR A PERIOD OF TIME BETWEEN 16-48 HOURS IN REGULAR INTERVALS. NOT ONLY CAN THIS TACTIC PUT YOU IN A CALORIC DEFICIT DEPENDING ON WHICH I.F. STRATEGY YOU CHOOSE, IT’S ALSO DESIGNED TO SPEED UP YOUR METABOLISM FOR THE PERIODS OF TIME YOU DO EAT FOOD. 

VARIOUS DIFFERENT I.F. STRATEGIES THAT HAVE GAINED POPULARITY OVER THE YEARS. WHICH VERSION AN INDIVIDUAL DECIDES UPON DEPENDS ON THE PERSONS GOAL AND ALSO WHAT WORKS BEST FOR THEIR LIFE SCHEDULE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIP TO FOOD AND EATING. 

HERE IS A QUICK LIST OF THE MOST COMMON I.F. SCHEDULES:

• 16/8 – THIS IS WHEN YOU FAST FOR 16 HOURS AND THEN EAT YOUR FULL MEALS WITHIN AN 8 HOUR PERIOD. THIS IS DONE EVERYDAY.

• 22 DAY WEEKEND FASTING – THIS IS WHEN YOU EAT NORMALLY MONDAY THRU FRIDAY. ON THE WEEKEND, YOU LIMIT YOUR CALORIE INTAKE TO 400-500 CALORIES.

• 24 HOUR FASTING – THIS IS WHEN YOU SKIP A FULL 24 HOUR OF EATING, ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK.

• ALTERNATING FASTING – THIS IS WHEN YOU FAST FOR A FULL 24 HOURS, THEN EAT NORMALLY FOR A DAY, THEN FAST FOR ANOTHER 24 HOURS. THIS ALTERNATES EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK. OVERALL, I.F. IS SEEN BY THE PUBLIC AS A MORE SUCCESSFUL WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT. HOWEVER, STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT I.F. RARELY IMPROVES WEIGHT LOSS COMPARED TO “TRADITIONAL” CALORIE RESTRICTION DIETS.

Does intermittent fasting improve weight loss?

Overall, intermittent fasting is seen by the public as a much more successful way to lose weight. However, studies have shown that intermittent fasting rarely improves weight loss compared to “traditional” calorie restriction diets YET, it can be a more effective strategy psychologically.

Sticking to counting calories every day for, basically, the rest of your life is very challenging for most individuals. Depending on a person’s mindset, intermittent fasting may be an easier way to achieve the same results. Thus leading to less failure scenarios where someone relapses into old eating habits.

Does intermittent fasting lead to muscle loss?

the biggest question for bodybuilders is whether or not intermittent fasting will lead to burning muscle on top of the fat. Bodybuilders spend the entire year building massive muscle. To lose that in an attempt to cut down and get LEAN would be devastating – especially for competitive bodybuilders.

Intermittent fasting is too short to lead to serious muscle loss. A fasted period would need to last at least 48 hours in order for muscle deTERIORATION to occur. The typical intermittent fast usually ranges between 16 and 40 hours at a time, preventing this issue.

However, it should be noted that trying to build muscle while intermittent fasting would be challenging. This is common sense, as usually muscle growth needs a caloric surplus to help build and repair muscle after serious training each day. At best, intermittent fasting should be utilized by bodybuilders during contest prep.

Health benefits of intermittent fasting:

While intermittent fasting might only have the slightest advantage for losing weight, it has a more encouraging outlook in terms of improving overall health. studies have shown intermittent fasting provides about 95% of the health benefits of traditional calorie restriction. So if intermittent fasting is easier for you than traditional dieting – this might be the perfect solution to improve your overall health!