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What I Ate to Lose 165 Pounds (with Alternate Day Fasting) Nutrition Journal volume 12 Alternate-day fasting guidelines, Article number: Altefnate-day this article. Metrics Carcinogenic prevention methods. Whether these effects occur in normal weight and overweight individuals remains unknown. This study examined the effect of ADF on body weight and coronary heart disease risk in non-obese subjects. Thirty-two subjects BMI 20—Alternate-day fasting guidelines -
The alternate-day fasting protocol has gained popularity largely due to the research of Krista Varady, Ph. In her book The Every Other Day Diet , Varady describes how you can lose weight by eating what you want—half of the time.
The idea behind alternate-day fasting is that instead of having to limit your calories every day, as many diet regimens require, you only have to restrict your calorie intake on alternate days. When you fast , your body starts to burn stored fat for energy, a process known as lipolysis 1.
Over time, it goes into a metabolic state known as ketosis 2 , where it uses fat as its main source of energy, instead of sugar.
When done correctly, ADF can also give you the benefits of fasting beyond weight loss. Emerging research shows that alternate-day fasting can be a useful tool for improving metabolic markers, boosting heart health, lowering chronic inflammation, and promoting cell repair, says Madiha Saeed, M.
However, most people will find fasting every alternate day challenging. Furthermore, this diet may not be safe for everyone and should only be undertaken under medical supervision, says Bindiya Gandhi, M.
People who follow strict alternate-day fasting 3 routines don't eat anything at all on their fasting days, leading to an approximately hour period without any calorie intake. On fasting days, someone who is following a strict fast would limit themselves to calorie-free beverages such as water, green tea, or black coffee.
On the other hand, someone who is practicing a modified version of the alternate-day fast can opt for nutritious but low-calorie meals or snacks during fasting days, such as:.
If you decide to practice alternate-day fasting, Gandhi also recommends taking a multivitamin and mineral supplement every day, even on fasting days, to help meet your nutritional needs. While the research on alternate-day fasting is still preliminary, emerging results show that it may be able to improve cardiometabolic health, encourage cell repair, reduce inflammation, and improve longevity.
Here's a look at the science behind each of these benefits:. Research shows that most forms of intermittent fasting, including alternate-day fasting, fasting , and time-restricted eating can help improve cardiometabolic health 5.
In fact, a review that analyzed seven randomized controlled trials of alternate-day fasting with a total of participants concluded that it can benefit cardiometabolic health 6 by reducing participants' weight, body mass index BMI , cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, and blood pressure.
Improved cardiometabolic health can help reduce the risk of developing heart disease, heart attack, and stroke 7. A review published in Nutrients notes that alternate-day fasting enables autophagy 8 , which is an internal housekeeping process that your body uses to repair or dispose of damaged cells and molecules.
For instance, the body might patch up or recycle damaged or miscopied proteins or DNA molecules, Steve Hendricks , a health journalist, previously told mindbodygreen. By increasing autophagy 9 , fasting essentially helps clean and reboot your cells, Chris Palmer, M.
Your body's ability to repair itself declines with age 10 , but by promoting autophagy, alternate-day fasting may help prevent age-related health conditions. Inflammation is your body's natural defense against injury or illness. However, inflammation can be harmful if it persists for too long.
Chronic inflammation has the opposite effect on your system, and it increases your risk of developing chronic diseases. Inflammation can be measured by checking your levels of C-reactive protein CRP , via a hs-CRP blood test.
A randomized control trial with 80 participants found that alternate-day fasting helped reduce hs-CRP levels 11 in patients with metabolic syndrome. A review notes that the various types of intermittent fasting may be able to prevent or improve inflammatory and autoimmune conditions 12 such as diabetes, arthritis, psoriasis, spondylitis, multiple sclerosis, and asthma.
Alternate-day fasting can help improve molecular and physiological markers of aging, according to Saeed. For instance, a randomized controlled trial with healthy adult participants found that within four weeks of practicing alternate-day fasting, participants had higher levels of beta-hydroxybutyrate 13 in their blood.
This compound delays aging and promotes longevity, Saeed explains. The study also found that alternate-day fasting helped reduce methionine, an amino acid associated with aging 14 , and sICAM-1, an age-associated inflammatory marker.
It's worth noting that improved cardiometabolic markers, increased autophagy, and reduced inflammation also contribute to improved longevity. Alternate-day fasting can be an effective way to achieve weight loss , says Saeed.
A review notes that in addition to reducing body weight, it can also be an effective way to reduce 11 body mass index BMI , fat mass, waist circumference WC , and waist-hip ratio WHR. However, Saeed explains that weight loss depends on various factors.
For instance, she says making sure you exercise while you're following this fasting regimen can help you preserve muscle mass while losing fat. On the other hand, she cautions that eating excess calories on feeding days will derail weight loss goals Therefore, it's important to eat a balanced and nutritious diet on feeding days and maintain an active lifestyle while you follow this fasting regimen.
If you've tried alternate-day fasting for weight loss and found it too restrictive, it may be helpful to try other forms of fasting that are easier to sustain, such as fasting. The healthiest weight management strategy is the one you can stick with in the long term. While alternate-day fasting can be helpful to some people, it may not be safe or appropriate for everyone.
Gandhi recommends avoiding this fasting regimen if you are under 18 years old, breastfeeding, pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant , underweight, or have a history of eating disorders. If you do plan on trying alternate-day fasting, Gandhi recommends working with a health care provider such as a doctor or dietitian who can determine whether it's safe for you and tailor it to your needs.
It's important to practice fasting under medical supervision. Otherwise, you can easily become fatigued or dehydrated, or experience vitamin, mineral, and electrolyte deficiencies, says Gandhi. Other side effects of fasting 17 include fatigue, hunger, low mood, irritability, difficulty concentrating, food-related thoughts, and fear of losing control and overeating on non-fasting days.
Fasting can also lead to orthorexia 18 , an obsession with healthy eating, and contribute to the development of other eating disorders, Gandhi adds. While the ideal length of time to follow this fasting protocol varies from person to person, it's not advisable to follow such a restrictive fasting plan long term, Gandhi cautions.
Furthermore, most people will find it difficult to comply with such a challenging fasting regimen on a long-term basis.
Research studies often see a high dropout rate , putting the sustainability of the diet into question. An analysis of an alternate-day fasting study conducted over 12 months found that people had difficulty sticking to their calorie goals 19 on both fasting and feeding days; they were eating more calories than they should on fasting days and fewer calories than they should on feeding days, so by the end, their diet more closely resembled that of a traditional calorie restriction diet.
If you want to try intermittent fasting but think that alternate-day fasting may be too challenging for you, these are some less restrictive types of fasting to explore:.
Alternate-day fasting causes your body to go into a state of ketosis, where it burns stored fat as energy. In addition to helping you lose weight, this metabolic state also offers other health benefits, such as reduced inflammation and better cardiometabolic health.
Alternate-day fasting is a type of intermittent fasting. Research shows that it is more effective for weight loss than other forms of fasting such as fasting, time-restricted eating, and traditional calorie restriction diets. This is likely because it is more restrictive than these diets.
It is not advisable to do alternate-day fasting on a long-term basis. You may also have difficulty adhering to this diet in the long term.
Alternate-day fasting is a type of intermittent fasting that requires you to fast or severely restrict your calories every other day. Whether you chose to do a strict or modified version, this fasting regimen can be difficult to follow and unsafe for some people.
It's best to consult a health care provider to determine whether it's appropriate for you and how you can practice it safely. The diet may have several impressive health benefits, including weight loss, reduced insulin resistance, and decreased inflammation. It may also improve blood lipids.
If you need to lose weight, the diet can be very effective when done right. Therefore, it is very important not to compensate for the fasting days by eating much more on the non-fasting days.
Intermittent fasting does not cause more weight loss than regular calorie restriction if total calories are matched 16 , That said, fasting protocols similar to the diet have shown a lot of promise in weight loss studies:.
Intermittent fasting is even more effective when combined with exercise, such as endurance or strength training The diet should be very effective for weight loss if done correctly.
It may help reduce belly fat, as well as help maintain muscle mass during weight loss. Some people function best by beginning the day with a small breakfast, while others find it best to start eating as late as possible. Since calorie intake is limited — calories for women and calories for men — it makes sense to use your calorie budget wisely.
Try to focus on nutritious, high fiber , high protein foods that will make you feel full without consuming too many calories. Soups are a great option on fast days. Studies have shown that they may make you feel more full than the same ingredients in their original form, or foods with the same calorie content 21 , There is no specific, correct way to eat on fasting days.
You have to experiment and figure out what works best for you. There are many meal plans and recipes available on the Internet for — calorie fast days. Sticking to nutritious, high fiber and high protein foods is a good idea.
During the first few fast days, you can expect to have episodes of overwhelming hunger. It is also expected to feel a little weaker or slower than usual. If you are not used to fasting, it may be a good idea to keep a small snack handy during your first few fasts, just in case you feel faint or ill.
But if you repeatedly find yourself feeling ill or faint during fast days, have something to eat and talk with your medical professional about whether you should continue. It is natural to be hungry or feel a little weaker during the first few fasts.
If you repeatedly feel faint or ill, you should probably stop the diet. Although intermittent fasting is very safe for healthy, well-nourished people, it does not suit everyone. Furthermore, intermittent fasting may not be as beneficial for some women as it is for men Some women have reported that their menstrual period stopped while they were following this type of eating pattern.
However, their period went back to usual when they returned to a regular diet. Therefore, women should be careful when starting any form of intermittent fasting, and stop doing it immediately if any adverse effects occur. The diet is an easy, effective way to lose weight and improve metabolic health.
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
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Alternate-Day Fasting — BIA health tracking technology your Alternate-day fasting guidelines, get set, go! Alternate-day Altednate-day ADF is a Aletrnate-day Alternate-day fasting guidelines intermittent fasting. People following this food regimen eat every other day, but this varies depending on the exact regimen. Why do people look to ADF? Want more than just this little introductory nibble?
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