Disclaimer:
Let me begin by saying I don't recommend Intermittent Fasting (IF) to anyone without completing an individual nutrition screen and consultation. IF is not simply a nicer word for a “skipping breakfast”-diet. IF still requires planning, knowledge, timing, discipline and motivation to follow, just like any other diet with a thought behind it. So before considering IF, consult with an expert, or at least learn enough about the methods to have a clear understanding and purpose why you want to pursue it.
What is Intermittent Fasting (IF)?
I know I already briefly touched on this quetion in a previous post but I felt it needed to be developed a little further...
Intermittent Fasting, or IF as I will be referring it to in this post, is basically a cycle of eating/fasting. Liquid intake should ideally be restricted to calorie free beverages during the fast (not like Ramadan when fast=no food nor water until after sunset).
Please note that IF is not a miracle eating method that allows you to binge in Pizza and french fries during the eating window. IF is not a fool proof diet either, if a change in body composition is desired, smart, healthy food choices is still very important. In fact, if fewer calories are consumed than before, there's less room for “empty” calories, to meet adequate daily amounts of micro- and macronutrients.
"Eat no breakfast – consume 2-4 meals per day (up to 2000 kcal/meal) and finish your day by eating your last meal before you go to bed"...At first, hearing these eating advice sounds like an epic fail. And prior to my IF research, I was convinced that such eating habits was a recipe for disaster (read: weight gain). “Eat frequent meals to keep the metabolic fire going” was a mantra, and claimed by many to be the only and best way to stay lean and healthy. This article brings up some strong arguments that challenges the frequent meal pattern (and I'm no longer opposing that either).
Below follows descriptions on some of the most popular IF methods you'll find today:
THE WARRIOR DIET
A very popular method from a book (which I'm yet to read) with the same title. The method has a daily 20/4 hrs fast/feed window (although it allows for small meals during the fast, vegetables, fruits, etc). The Warrior Diet is big on natural, unprocessed foods (read my previous blog post: BACK TO BASICS WITH THE CAVEMAN TREND).
EAT STOP EAT
An IF method with 24 hrs fasting, 1-2 times per week. That means total calorie intake for a week can potentially drop by up to 30%. The Eat Stop Eat method has many success stories and I'm curious myself to investigate it further.
Alternate Day Fasting – ADF (also known as EOD, Every Other Day fasting)
An eat-one-day/fast-the-next diet. This method is said to be appealing because it lets you focus hunger in manageable periods - “instead of being a little hungry all the time, you're very hungry a little of the time”. In order not to literally fade away and balance the calorie deficit, the method suggests you consume twice the amount of calories during the feeding period. Personally, this is not very appealing to me.
LEANGAINS
Leangains (by Martin Berkhan), is what got me ultimately into IF and therefore I'm following many of the philosophies from the Leangains protocols. This IF method is relatively strict, big on calorie timing, etc for effective muscle gains/maintenance during fat loss and/or a sustainable year-long, lean physique. As you might have read in my previous blog posts, Leangains has many success stories and Martin does a great job in backing up his method with research and impressive knowledge in nutrition.
Click here to read the Leangains guide.
Click here to read a blog post that compares the Warrior Diet and Eat Stop Eat – two different IF methods.
Finally, to wrap up the whole "what is IF"-question, IF is not one of those new diet fads that seem to pop up every now and then. In fact, IF was around way before the word “kilocalorie” was even spelled out. The first homosapiens followed IF without knowing it, and had no other choice either (although I'm sure our ancestors would indulge in sugar and simple carbs if only they were given the chance). Back in the days, Fruitful hunting was followed by feasting - then followed by famine (shortage of food) until hunger started the circle again. These random food patterns is (most likely) how the human body is still meant to eat, evolution just hasn't adapted to refrigerators, preservatives and refined carbs quite yet. This is where the recent “cavemen trend” originates from – bring it back to where it all started and how humans supposedly are meant to eat and live.
Now, if you got this far reading without skipping through the text I assure you don't want to miss the next post on studies that support IF, etc. And even if you did scroll down all the way to the bottom, check back again because IF and the supporting facts behind the method is worth a second look. Guaranteed.
Cheers, have a great weekend!
/Henrik
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