Intermittent Fasting with a High Quality Eating Pattern

Although the most desired strategy for weight reduction and weight management is a mix of food, exercise, and lifestyle adjustment, this approach typically fails to accomplish long-term weight loss. But other diet options, being explored, are adding to our understanding of potentially successful weight loss procedures. Intermittent fasting is one of those strategies. Intermittent fasting (IF) is a cyclical eating pattern characterized by alternating periods of eating and fasting. However, in most IF diets, the food's quality is not addressed.

So, one study compared the weight lost achieved using a one-day fasting protocol with the weight loss achieved using a two-day fasting protocol, where all participants followed a high-quality, nutrient-dense eating pattern. It was found that while two days of fasting achieved better results than one day of fasting, both the two-day method and the one-day method achieved respectable results.

The randomized, controlled study contrasted a one-day fasting regimen, consisting of 10 individuals, with a two-day fasting regimen, also consisting of 10 individuals. The researchers examined the effect of the two diet regimens on weight reduction, body composition, cardiovascular markers such as blood pressure, and cholesterol. The researchers also looked at body composition.

The researchers examined "hormone and hunger responses" in the "20 overweight men and women" over a four-week period. A licensed dietician provided weekly dietary advice and compliance monitoring to the participants. All outcome indicators were evaluated during the week before the study started and during the week after the five-week study ended.

The participants in the one-day IF protocol followed a high-quality nutrient-dense meal pattern consisting of 400 calories on the fasting day and a high-quality diet on the non-fasting days. The participants in the two-day IF protocol followed the same high-quality nutrient-dense meal pattern as the participants in the one-day protocol. However, the participants in the two-day protocol consumed an additional 100 calories on the fasting days.

Both protocols resulted in good results: The researchers concluded that each IF protocol optimized weight loss and improved body composition, cardiometabolic health, and hunger management. However, the two-day protocol provided “enhanced benefits in overweight women and men.”

As in most cases, more research is needed. However, consuming high-quality food while on an IF diet appears to be beneficial.

 

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