We all fast once in a while, but have you ever heard about intermittent fasting? It is a form of restricted eating that not only helps you lose weight healthily but has several health benefits too. This is the reason why intermittent fasting for weight loss has been gaining popularity among health enthusiasts.

Read on to know more about the benefits and side effects of intermittent fasting for weight loss!

What is Intermittent Fasting?

The pattern between eating and fasting forms a cycle, which is also known as Intermittent fasting. Unlike many other dietary habits available, this practice gives you a specific time to eat rather than specifying the foods.

16 to 24 hours, twice per week is the standard intermittent fasting method you can follow. There are occasions in all the religious practices where you will be able to fast.

Fasting has been a part of human lives since evolution, making it easier for many of us to follow intermittent fasting with modifications along the way. It is always healthy to fast rather than eating three to four meals per day.

Is Intermittent Fasting Effective in Weight Loss?

Several mechanisms play a vital role in boosting weight loss when you are intermittent fasting. This method’s appeal is that it helps retain more muscle mass than restricting calorie intake (1).

By restricting your meals and snacks in the said time window, you will be able to limit the calorie intake resulting in weight loss naturally.

Intermittent fasting increases the calorie burn in your body by boosting your metabolism with the hormone norepinephrine’s increased levels (2).

The eating pattern in intermittent fasting may help manage your body’s blood sugar by decreasing insulin levels. This process may burn excess fat, promoting weight loss (3).

The driving point of intermittent fasting is it helps you consume fewer calories overall when you are fasting. You may not lose weight if you eat massive portions of food during your eating periods.