Weight loss: Study done for over a year says intermittent fasting is not that beneficial; know why

Of the several ways to lose weight, the one that comes directly from celebrities is intermittent fasting. This is one of the main reasons why many people are so keen to try it.

However, weight loss plans often go out of the way due to several factors, as a result of which despite putting lots of effort people do not get the desired result.

Many times we also embark on the journey of weight loss, without even understanding its pros and cons.

Intermittent fasting is a type of fasting where an individual goes through a period of fasting before eating. There are definite windows of fasting and eating in this method.

Several research studies have given their feedback on this type of weight loss method. A recent study has shed light on why despite being a promising weight loss technique, intermittent fasting is not that beneficial and is the same as calorie restriction weight loss method.

The study published in The New England Journal of Medicine talks about several benefits and side effects of putting the body through intermittent fasting for weight loss.

This study tracked participants for over a year to study the effect of intermittent fasting. This study put a total of 139 participants to the time restricted eating pattern.

The study found that "among patients with obesity, a regimen of time-restricted eating was not more beneficial with regard to reduction in body weight, body fat, or metabolic risk factors than daily calorie restriction."

Several health experts have shared various opinions on this.

As per a report, time-restricted eating patterns reduce the amount of physical activity one does. While lower physical activity might not hamper your weight loss plan as long as you are doing it right, it might have an adverse effect on your health.

Another study has found that three weeks of alternate day fasting, a type of intermittent fasting, dropped the physical activity level and reduced the muscle mass. Muscle mass is essential for the human body as one ages. It also regulates the blood sugar level of the body.

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Depending on the type of intermittent fasting you are subjecting your body to, your weight loss plan will work out.

There are several ways to fast in this manner. You can go for alternate day fasting where you fast every alternate day; you can try the 5:2 method where you eat for 5 days and die for two weeks. One can also try the time restricted pattern, where the eating window and the fasting window in a particular day are defined and set.

In order to make sure the intermittent fasting is not hampering your overall health, you need to add a few exercises to it. Just make sure you are not dropping physical activities altogether.