Intermittent Fasting; Is It A Sustainable Diet Plan?

Intermittent fasting is quickly becoming the new craze diet, we try to find out if it is a sustainable and healthy diet plan option. The discussions around intermittent fasting are certainly controversial, and conventional philosophy’s regarding eating habits and patterns.

The topic of intermittent fasting is provoking a heated debate in the health and fitness communities, and with good reason. Rubbishing many of the lines that have been set out for a balanced and healthy lifestyle the intermittent fasting diet plan is rubbing people up the wrong way. This isn't the issue, we want to ascertain if it works and is it safe?

Intermittent Fasting Diet

The intermittent fasting diet plan is method of dieting that involves skipping meals, sometimes for a whole day depending on the exact intermittent fasting diet you choose. Here is where the controversy lies. Weight loss and dieting methods as instructed by health professionals and medical practitioners clearly state that balance and moderation are the keys to achieving a health balanced lifestyle. This is true and makes perfect sense.

For those who have difficulty controlling the quantities and regularities of their meals, sometimes a more extreme method can induce a knee jerk reaction to kick start the weight loss process.

The 5:2 Intermittent Fasting Regime.

The 5:2 intermittent fasting diet involves participators to skip meals, even the majority of meals in some cases. The 5:2 regime is by far and away the most documented and widely publicised version of the intermittent fasting diet. Developed and pioneered by Michael Mosley.

The 5:2 diet involves eating normally for 5 days per week, on 2 days of the week say Tuesday and Friday only eat on quarter of your normal calorie intake. For a man this would be about 600 calories and for a woman in the region of 500 calories. That's it in essence.

The average weight loss for someone who strictly adheres to the calorie intake plan should be in the region of 0.5 kg (1lb) per week. Women can see greater weight loss than men on this plan.

Key to the diets success is obviously not gorging or over eating on the 5 days that a normal diet is permitted. With any diet it still takes considerable self control to adhere to. Most people fall down on this plan by over compensating on the normal calorie intake days.

Chia Seeds & 5:2 Weight Loss Plan

The 5:2 diet fundamentally involves eating a normal balanced diet for 5 days a week, and eating a reduced calorie diet on the other 2 days of the week. The 2 reduced calorie days shouldn't be concurrent, and spread evenly throughout the week.

During the 2 diet days super foods such as chia seeds, goji berries & acai berries can be used to maintain a balanced nutritional intake, while lowering the amount of calories you eat.

Foods like chia seeds and acai berries have natural satiety effects, which give you a sensation of being full and satisfied, this sensation staves off hunger cravings and makes the program easier to adhere to. Goji berries provide a massive nutrition boost with a greatly reduced amount of energy.

Dr Michael Mosley

Dr Michael Mosley has pioneered the development of this diet and invested considerable resources into marketing it. Michael Mosley is a medical professional and broadcaster. He has spent much of his career with the BBC. He first launched the 5:2 diet on a BBC Horizon documentary called Eat Fast & Live Longer.

Is The Diet Safe & Does It Work?

The diet is bound to work, yes. Metaphysics is an immensely complex subject, but the bottom line of dieting is if we burn more calories than we consume, we will lose weight. Drastically reducing the amount of calories we ingest for 2 days of the week will result in weight loss, we don't doubt this.

More to the point is; is the diet sustainable? Is the diet healthy? If the diet is sustainable or not will be down to the individual who embarks on it. As mentioned above chia seeds, goji berries and acai berries would help to stave off hunger and also ensure your body received adequate nutrition.

Live A Healthy Balanced Lifestyle

Dieting works best as part of an overall balanced lifestyle, we continually state this as it is a fact, and the most sustainable way to remain healthy. If you have the will power virtually not to eat for two days per week, then it is safe to say you have the will power to maintain a healthy balanced diet always.

With careful planning and knowledge of what you eat, combined with super foods and healthy fresh nutritious leafy green vegetables.

To answer the questions we have been asked. Is the intermittent fasting diet safe? It probably is, on the surface it doesn't seem as extreme as the Atkins or the south beach diet. But ask yourself this.

If I am going to muster the willpower to begin and stick to this diet, why don't I put the same energy into adjusting my lifestyle permanently?

We have to say for the record we are not medical professionals and you should see your doctor or health care provider before starting this or any other diet regime.