If You Can't Lose Weight Then Intermittent Fasting May Be the Key

If You Can't Lose Weight Then Intermittent Fasting May Be the Key

Have you reached a point where you can't lose weight? You've tried almost every diet, downloaded various weight loss apps, and know the calorie content of every food item in your fridge. You exercise and stay within your calorie budget.

But the weight doesn't come off!

You become frustrated and quit. You say "screw it, I give up!" You go on a binge until you find a new diet. "This is the one," you tell yourself.. "This time, I'm going to lose the weight." Unfortunately, you now have a few extra pounds from your last binge.

The cycle repeats. Again and again.

If this scenario sounds familiar, intermittent fasting (IF) might be the key to unlocking the door that leads to permanent weight loss.

How is that possible? There are a few reasons.

First, you will be eating less. Most people start with a 16/8 approach. Fast for 16 hours, and eat during an 8-hour time frame. Most likely, this will mean missing a meal. Unless you overcompensate during your other two meals, you will automatically be cutting calories.

But that's not the main reason IF helps with weight loss.

IF addresses insulin resistance, which plays a huge part in someone's inability to shed pounds and fat. Dr. Jason Fung discusses insulin resistance in his book, The Obesity Code. It's well worth reading up on this topic if you are struggling to lose weight.

For years dieters have heard they should eat three balanced meals and two healthy snacks a day. The concept is that eating throughout the day will help keep your metabolism going and burn more calories. Unfortunately, this method of eating never allows the body to lower its levels of insulin, thus never allowing the body to tap into fat stores for energy.

IF allows the body to go into an insulin deficiency, forcing the body to use fat for energy. Once this starts to happen, weight loss can occur. Combining IF with eliminating or limiting processed carbs will assist you even further in shedding pounds.

In addition, IF will also help to correct the other two hormones involved in eating - leptin and ghrelin.

Leptin is the hormone that tells the body you're full. When leptin is working correctly, you eat as much as your body needs. After that, you have no desire to eat any more. The problem is that many overweight people develop "leptin resistance" so they don't get the signal that they're full. Instead, leptin isn't reaching the brain so your brain thinks you are starving and drives you to eat even more.

On the other side of leptin, there is ghrelin. Ghrelin is a hormone secreted in the stomach which lets you know that it's time to eat. In normal situations, ghrelin levels are high before eating and drop down afterwards. However, in obese people, ghrelin doesn't drop after a meal so they are constantly feeling hunger, even after eating.

In a nutshell, obese people may be insulin resistant, leptin resistant, and have elevated levels of ghrelin. No amount of willpower will overcome these hormones.

So, how can anyone possibly lose weight when their body is working against their efforts? Over the years, multiple studies have shown that restricting calories does not work in the long term. Dieters are only treating symptoms rather than addressing the root cause of excess fat. Even though it will take some time, IF brings leptin and ghrelin levels back to normal.

The concept of fasting tends to cause unease in most people, which makes it difficult for them to even start. However, an internet search will give several resources to guide newcomers to the IF lifestyle. And that's what IF is - a lifestyle. It's not a diet and it's not a quick-fix solution. It's an opportunity for the body to bring itself back into balance.

So, if you are one of the millions of people who have tried everything and still can't lose weight, IF might be the solution you've been looking for.