Day #38 - Intermittent Fasting for weight loss

A number of people I've talked to lately have been following the blog and are interested in seeing if Intermittent Fasting can help them lose weight. The answer, is yes, it can...and it might make your weight loss plan easier, but it isn't a magic bullet. If I've said this before, I've said it 1,000 times...weight loss is calories in versus calories out. Therefore, whether you eat 6 meals a day, or whether you get on an intermittent fasting schedule, you will need to create a caloric deficit to lose weight. Consume more than you expend, and you'll gain weight...fasting or not.

So how can I.F. make weight loss easier?

Well, I'm glad you asked ;) Let's say your calorie goal for the day is 1,800 calories. If you eat 6 meals throughout the day, you'll have to really watch your portions. Lets say this is how a successful day hitting your calorie goal while eating 6 meals breaks down:

6:45am Breakfast - 400 calories
10:00am Morning Snack - 150 calories
12:00pm Lunch - 400 calories
3:30pm Afternoon Snack - 150 calories
6:30pm Dinner - 600 calories
8:30pm Late Snack - 100 calories

This is 1,800 calories...and all of those meals and snacks are pretty small. Note that there is nothing wrong with this at all. If you can handle small meals and not fight the urge to indulge and grab something that will push you over your calorie goal then you win! However, if you really aren't satisfied with a 400 calorie lunch, and a 150 calorie snack...then you'll be hungry most of the day and adhering to the diet might be tough.

Now let's look at a successful I.F. day:

12:00pm Lunch - 800 calories
4:00pm Afternoon Snack - 300 calories
7:30pm Dinner -  700 calories

That is also 1,800 calories, but lunch and afternoon snack and twice as big, and dinner is slightly larger. For some people that have problems controlling portions, the I.F. plan would be much easier because you can eat larger meals that are more satisfying. You might also find that you can easily cut calories down to 1,700 or 1,500 with this plan and still feel more satisfied when you eat. This could lead to better adherence.

But what about my metabolism slowing down?
HOGWASH! Yes, I used to preach the often repeated mantra that eating small meals every few hours will increase your metabolism, and skipping breakfast will slow it down, etc. This is completely false...go ahead, try to find a scientific study that shows that your metabolism will slow down skipping breakfast or eating 3 meals a day versus 6. You won't find one. What you will find is "correlation" studies. There are studies that show that overweight people typically skip meals including breakfast, whereas thin people typically eat more smaller meals throughout the day. The problem with these studies is they don't take into account any of the really important things...such as caloric consumption and exercise. Those who are overweight probably don't exercise much, and they probably have bad eating habits (fast food, etc). Thinner people probably exercise, and probably make better food choices. If you are comfortable with 6 small meals a day...great...nothing wrong with that, in fact it might be a good habit to stay structured on your diet plan. For years that was my routine. However, the notion that it increases metabolism is just not true. In order for your metabolism to slow down to any measurable level, you would need to go 60+ hours without food. Therefore, a 16 hour fast with an 8 hour feeding window will not slow down your metabolism one bit.

Say it with me everyone..."Weight loss is calories in versus calories out"

Scripture for the day:

Ephesians 6:11-17

 ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.