New study investigates: does intermittent fasting really help if you want to lose weight?
When it comes to losing weight, intermittent fasting is one of the most popular ways to shed a few pounds. It’s not about what you eat, but when you eat. Yet a new study shows that intermittent fasting is less effective for weight loss than previously thought.
Intermittent fasting is a form of alternate-day fasting. Well-known forms of intermittent fasting include fasting every other day (meaning you eat very little one day—less than 25% of your energy needs—alternating with a day when you can eat whatever you want) and periodic fasting. With periodic fasting, you fast 1 to 2 days per week and don’t fast for 5 to 6 days per week. Ramadan is also an example of intermittent fasting.
Small versus large portions
For the study, scientists monitored the eating habits and weight gain and loss of around 550 people. And the results of the study are quite surprising. It turns out that the weight of people who ate less frequently but did eat large to medium-sized portions actually increased. More eating occasions per day with smaller portions, on the other hand, made the pounds disappear.
Calories versus timing
Dr. Anekwe, an obesity physician at Massachusetts General Hospital in the United States and a lecturer in medicine at Harvard University, says that the findings of the new study confirm that the number of calories you eat plays a major role in weight loss. A bigger role than the timing of when you start breakfast, lunch and dinner. The time between different meals is therefore not related to changes in weight. Still, intermittent fasting does have some benefits. It helps keep your blood sugar levels under better control and may also extend a person’s lifespan, according to Anekwe.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre has also written about the positive effects of intermittent fasting on certain blood markers. According to many studies, the triglyceride concentration (fats in the blood) decreases, which in turn is linked to the amount of weight loss.
All-or-nothing
Nutritionist Julia Zumpano adds that the disappointing weight-loss results can be explained by the fact that people who practice intermittent fasting often have an ‘all-or-nothing’ mentality. In other words, people often haven’t eaten for a long time and therefore tend to eat a lot all at once, along with whatever they feel like eating. That means Nutella suddenly gets spread on the cracker instead of Slankie spreadable cheese.
The conclusion? If you want to lose weight, it’s wiser to pay attention to the number of calories you consume and how healthy your food is. For example, have a handful of almonds, but above all, don’t start one of those pointless juice cleanses. And: move veeeery often!
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