Is Intermittent Fasting Worth It?
This month we’re going to take a closer look at Intermittent Fasting. The practice of fasting has been around for ages and has taken on many different shapes and forms over the years. Some people have used fasting for political or religious reasons, and others have just accidentally fasted because they were too busy to make breakfast! The main idea of fasting is to abstain from eating for significant periods of time. While there are numerous ways to complete a fast, the three main variations of Intermittent Fasting are whole day, alternate-day and time-restricted fasting.
When you break it down, the science behind weight loss is actually quite simple. If you eat more calories than you burn off, you will gain weight. If you eat fewer calories than you burn off, then you will lose weight. And if you eat the same amount of calories that you burn off, you will maintain your current weight.
Intermittent fasting works to help you lose weight by restricting caloric intake and therefore putting your body in a calorie deficit. When your body doesn’t have its primary fuel source (carbohydrates) readily available from dietary intake, it looks to your fat stores for energy. Brief fasts of 16-24 hours force your body to access that fat for fuel and thus help you shed pounds.
Excerpted from YMCA of Middle Tennessee
