Last updated on July 12nd, 2022 at 08:48 am
The absolute advantage of taking the keto diet with intermittent fasting
Losing weight can be incredibly challenging and people will often try several diets before landing on one that helps them drop pounds in a consistent and sustainable manner.
New research from the University of Illinois in Chicago suggests that intermittent fasting (IF) could promote significant weight loss and even improve metabolic health in those who have obesity.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting takes many forms. It can be alternate day fasting (typically a feast day alternated with a fast day of 500 calories eaten at one meal), the so-called 5:2 plan (5 days of unrestricted eating, 2 days of calorie restriction), time-restricted eating (eating within a certain time frame, perhaps 10 hours, and fasting outside that window), or 24-hour fasts, also known as the one meal a day (OMAD) diet.Facts on Fasting
In recent years, researchers have taken a closer look at the approach. University of Chicago researchers reviewed more than 25 research studies and summarized the effects of the various forms, concluding that the approach is generally safe and can have good effects on blood pressure, cholesterol, and insulin resistance (good to lower diabetes risk). They found that this approach can help you reduce calories by 10 to 30% and produce mild to moderate weight loss, up to 8% of your starting weight.How Intermittent Fasting Can Affect Your Well-being
Megan Bruneau, a New York-based registered clinical counselor who specializes in mental health and eating disorders, echoes Kallen’s stance. She says that when we severely restrict our food intake or don’t eat even when we’re hungry, our body believes food is scarce. When this happens, not only does our metabolism slow, but our hormones can get out of whack, too.
Of the studies examined, many showed that time-restricted eating allowed participants with obesity to lose an average of 3% of their body weight—no matter the length of their eating window. On the other hand, those who participated in alternate-day fasting dropped 3%-8% of their body weight over a three to eight-week period.
The Keto diet
The ketogenic (keto) diet is a high-fat, very low-carb way of eating.Carbs are typically reduced to 20 to 50 grams per day, which forces your body to rely on fats instead of glucose as its main energy source.
In the metabolic process known as ketosis, your body breaks down fats to form substances called ketones that serve as an alternate fuel source.
This diet is an effective way to shed pounds, but it has several other benefits as well.
Intermittent fasting and Keto
If you’d like to try IF, while living low carb, we suggest starting with a 14:10 or 16:8 approach. Try making your calorie cutoff around 6-7 p.m., and resume eating around 10-11 a.m. Not only will most of your fasting hours be while you sleep, but this window may also help curb late-night snacking on hidden carbs.You may also find IF helpful when you know you have excess blood sugar and insulin to clear out. This could be post-holidays, or after a week or two when you know that you haven’t been eating low-carb. If you do choose to try IF, be sure to pay attention to how you feel and personalize it to suit your needs.
Potential benefits of practicing both
If you commit to the ketogenic diet while doing intermittent fasting as well, it could offer the following benefits. May smooth your path to ketosis
Intermittent fasting may help your body reach ketosis quicker than the keto diet alone.
That’s because your body, when fasting, maintains its energy balance by shifting its fuel source from carbs to fats — the exact premise of the keto diet.
During fasting, insulin levels and glycogen stores decrease, leading your body to naturally start burning fat for fuel.
For anyone who struggles to reach ketosis while on a keto diet, adding intermittent fasting may effectively jumpstart your process. This may lead to more fat loss
Combining the diet and the fast may help you burn more fat than the diet alone.
Intermittent fasting may preserve muscle mass during weight loss and improve energy levels, which may be helpful for keto dieters looking to improve athletic performance and drop body fat.
Additionally, studies underscore that intermittent fasting can reduce hunger and promote feelings of fullness, which may aid in weight loss
