Introduction
Fasting has become the most popular methods used during weight loss, but it has never been a one-size-fits-all strategy. Many forms of fasting will result in immediate improvements in metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and significant weight loss. However, it is important to also know the dark side of fasting, including the hunger, mental willpower, and social impact. Three of the most popular fasting methods include intermittent fasting, One-Meal-A-Day (OMAD) method, and water fasting. We describe these fasting strategies below and discuss the pros and cons of each.
Intermittent Fasting
Description of Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting involves creating one eating window and one window during which zero calories are consumed. An example of intermittent fasting is the 16-8 cycle. In this strategy, there is an 8 hour window during which you are allowed to eat and a 16 hour window during which you fast. This is one of the most common ways that many start out in the world of fasting. The two windows can be scheduled any time throughout the day, such as eating between 9 to 5 PM or Noon to 8 PM, and fasting for the remainder of the day. This method allows you to curate a schedule around your workday, whilst leaving your body to metabolize and burn calories for the remaining 16 hours.
Pros of Intermittent Fasting
On top of the weight loss and blood sugar regulation, perhaps the most popular feature of this method is its flexibility. Suppose you start work at 9 AM. You could choose to skip breakfast, eat lunch at Noon, and enjoy dinner at 7 PM. Have class at 10 AM and believe breakfast is the most important meal of the day? Then have an energizing breakfast before school at 9 AM and enjoy dinner at 4 PM. The 16 hour interval goes as follows: 8 hours of food and liquid absorption, and the remaining 8 hours allow the body to enter into a fasting state, where the body begins attacking fat. It is perhaps the easiest and least extreme method of fasting for beginners.
Cons of Intermittent Fasting
With all these benefits come things that may deter you from taking on this challenge, most notably the hunger and stress associated with any fasting method. It’s important to note that not all fasting methods are easy to adopt, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Another notable downside to the intermittent fasting is the way it restricts you socially. If you decide to eat breakfast, it may limit you from going out with friends to enjoy dinner. If you do decide to go out with friends for an evening, that may require you to skip breakfast, potentially hurting your work efficiency. Ultimately, it is up to you to determine how you want to implement it. But be aware that there are sacrifices you need to make in order to see the results you desire.
One-Meal-A-Day or OMAD
Description of OMAD
OMAD is self explanatory, and is by far one of the most challenging methods on the list. This method requires skipping breakfast and lunch, leaving you with a large dinner where you eat all of your daily desired number of calories. The idea being that while you eat your meal for 1 hour, the remaining 23 hours will be for fasting. As mentioned before, it takes approximately 8 hours for blood sugar regulation and absorption of food and water. This leaves the remaining 15 hours to be dedicated to ketosis and breaking down fat.
Pros of OMAD
With 23 hours of straight fasting, it’s logical to think that OMAD will result in weight loss. Many have written that fasting for longer periods of time may cause the body to hold onto fat and pause weight loss. However, other reputable studies have shown that 23 hours of fasting each day strikes a balance between activating ketosis and maintaining your health. So long as you are hitting your daily calorie goal, you will be supporting your health and weight loss journey.
Another defining feature is the simplicity that comes with planning your daily meal. One meal a day means opening up your calorie tracking apps only once a day, and meal planning becomes less of a chore. People shy away from tracking their snacking throughout the day in poorly designed apps because it can be time consuming. Now that it’s eliminated, they are more motivated to hold onto their diet and fasting periods.
Cons of OMAD
One major criticism of having one meal a day is the sheer amount of brain power and energy that you have to exert to see results. This method is not typical for someone entering the fasting sphere to adopt first. Throwing yourself straight into OMAD will do more damage to your mental and physical well being more often than not. This method has also led to cases of overeating.
Eating 2,000 calories worth of food in one sitting can be challenging, especially on a shrinking stomach. Eating large amounts of food also introduces the possibility of developing eating disorders. This is especially the case with pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions. Generally, many who take on the one-meal-a-day plan do not do it long term. It is often coined as a “lose weight quick” strategy. As with everything, you should ease your way into a diet. Otherwise your body will find it hard to keep up with sharp changes in lifestyle.
Water Fasting
Description of Water Fasting
Water Fasting involves devoting an entire day to eating absolutely nothing and only drinking water. Typically, people may do this one day out of a week or every other week as a sort of “cleansing”. This is because fasting for longer periods of time spurs the growth of newer cells, replacing previously damaged cells. Out of the three methods, this one is the most extreme as it will require the most energy to maintain.
Pros of Water Fasting
Autophagy, the replacement of damaged cells, is the main reason why many will do a water fast. This physiological process has been shown to reduce the potential risk of cancer and heart disease. This method has also been shown to lead to lower blood pressure, the control of blood sugar, and digestive rest. Giving your gut a well deserved rest will allow your gut to digest food a lot more efficiently once you complete your water fast. It will also lead to the elimination of various bacteria that sit in your gut as they won’t have any nutrients to keep it alive. Above all, the water fast is a guaranteed way to lose weight, and more importantly fat.
In previous articles, we established that a calorie deficit of 3,500 is equal to 1 pound of weight. If your body naturally burns around 2,000 calories each day, then you might be expected to lose over half a pound. You can combine water fasting with other methods, such as intermittent fasting. Maintaining a caloric deficit of 250 calories for the next 6 days will result 1 pound of weight lost.
Cons of Water Fasting
These are very attractive reasons why someone may take on a water fast, but it can also be detrimental if the correct measures are not taken, such as not maintaining your daily nutritional requirements. Unless you are adding powdered nutrients into your water, the odds are high that you will be nutritionally deficient. One day won’t make a big difference in the grand scheme, but doing this multiple days a week will cause problems may arise.
The loss of energy is also a big factor that scares off many from doing the water fast. Many can’t even function without their morning coffee, so how will they do without anything? Of course, the electrolyte powder you can slip into your drink may help, but nothing can replace the boost you get from a warm meal. This may tie into the fact that it limits you from hitting the gym or going out with friends. With no energy, it could ironically turn you into a couch potato. This technique requires you to sacrifice an entire day’s worth of activity, fun, and freedom, but to the benefit of achieving weight loss. You will have to be the judge of whether or not that is a deal you’re willing to make.
Calories and Macronutrients
Fasting can be a very beneficial technique in the world for weight loss, but what is fasting without tracking your calories? What’s the point of having one meal a day when you scarf down 3,000 calories? The science is simple. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, then you should achieve weight loss. If you eat more calories than you burn, the opposite is true.
Macronutrients, whilst not visible on the weight scale, are just as important to your health and weight loss as is fasting. It is important to ensure you are hitting your daily protein, carbohydrate, and fat intake during your weight loss journey. Carbohydrates will help you maintain your energy, protein will help your body tissues recover, and fat will help you with the absorption of food. Other macronutrients include water, which keeps you hydrated, fiber, which helps with digestion, etc. The flexibility of your diet, however, makes it entirely up to you. We live in a world where information is easily accessible and lets you have options on how you want to lose your weight – it is far from rocket science.
Conclusion
Although fasting can be a “cheat code” in the weight loss realm, it isn’t always the foolproof plan. Many who begin fasting often feel like they need to overeat to make up for lost time, and in many cases they eat more than they would before going on a fasting track. Cases like these highlight the importance of counting calories and making sure you are hitting not only your calorie goal, but your macronutrients as well. However, the best way to set up your weight loss journey is to use the most comfortable fasting technique for you, combine it with healthy dieting techniques, and make sure you are hitting your caloric and macronutrient goals.
Lastly, don’t forget to track all your data, including all the weight your are losing during your fasts. You can do so using an effective weight management technology, such as ours, The Difference App.