Intermittent fasting is a popular eating pattern among dieters, even though its long-term benefits remain unknown.

It is a method of calorie restriction based on timing. But unlike other eating patterns, this method is based on when you eat, not what you eat.

This eating pattern has become more mainstream as many celebrities and influencers swear by it. According to the internet, it can solve everything.

The research currently available on intermittent fasting is mixed. One study showed that time-restricted eating could help people with obesity lose weight, while another study found that intermittent fasting had no significant impact on weight loss. Other existing studies that support this eating pattern were conducted on animals, while the few studies involving humans have been short and often include a small sample size.

Popular fasting schedules

Despite the findings around intermittent fasting, some people still follow the following popular schedules to reach their weight loss goals.

1. Time-restricted Fasting: This is fasting for a set number of hours, from eight to 12 hours a day. Many people try to include sleep time in their fast to make this more manageable.
2. Alternate-day Fasting: You rotate between days of eating and days of fasting with this method. On fasting days, you abstain from consuming calories aside from water, black coffee, or tea. While on non-fasting days, you can eat anything you want.
3. Modified Fasting: This has different approaches, such as fasting two days a week and eating normally for the other five days, restricting calories to a certain percentage of your regular intake on fasting days, or restricting calories to a certain number on fasting days.

Is intermittent fasting safe for weight loss?

For most healthy adults, time-restricted eating is safe. This method of fasting can help people become more conscious of a healthy eating pattern. But they have to be cautious about how they practice it. Because although this fasting doesn’t restrict food choices, it’s still important to consider your general diet quality. If you don’t change your food choices, it’s not going to make any difference.

People with certain conditions, such as diabetes, should consider talking to a trusted healthcare provider before trying out intermittent fasting. For people who use insulin, fasting might lead to hypoglycemia.

Intermittent Fasting is also not recommended for children or people who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Some experts are also cautious about alternate-day and modified fasting schedules because these plans could lead to decreased concentration, low energy levels, or hunger pains.

Lastly, if you have a history of an eating disorder, this fasting may not be the right for you. Speak with a healthcare provider to evaluate your health history before getting on an IF schedule.