Trying out intermittent fasting
Have you got the COVID bloat? If you put on a few pounds during the pandemic (like many other people), and you’re interested in losing weight, you may be considering intermittent fasting. It’s one of the most popular diet trends, but before you give it a try, there are a few things you need to consider to see if it’s right for you.
If you have certain pre-existing medical conditions, you’ll probably need to avoid it. But for Gisela Long, it seems to do the trick.
She’s been doing intermittent fasting for two years, and started because she was struggling to achieve her health and fitness goals.
“I do the 16:8 intermittent fasting, so I start my day eating at 12 p.m., right after my workout, and then I end around eight or nine at night,” Long says. “I have lost 20 lbs during that process.”
Intermittent fasting is an eating plan that focuses more on when you eat than what you eat. Typically, people eat only during an eight-hour period or only every other day. Studies suggest that it may have some health benefits, including improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and weight.
“When done in a healthful way, intermittent fasting can help control inflammation,” says Consumer Reports’ Trisha Calvo. “(It) may even lower the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.”
But it isn’t for everyone. It can be too extreme for older adults, especially those with diabetes or who take medications at particular times of day. If you’ve recovered from an eating disorder, it can be triggering. It’s important to check with your doctor before starting any kind of health or weight loss plan to make sure it won’t cause any problems for you.
Even if you don’t follow intermittent fasting to the letter, you can incorporate some of its strategies and boost your metabolism by making a couple of changes to how you eat.
“Be sure to include foods that have plenty of fibre and protein, such as fruit, oatmeal, cottage cheese and eggs,” Calvo says. “Foods like these will help keep you satisfied until your next meal.”
If sweets and desserts are your thing, try eating them before 3 p.m. Your body is more efficient at processing carbohydrates during the morning and early afternoon. And try having an earlier dinner, sometime between six and eight.
“Late-night eating has been linked to a greater risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease,” Calvo says.
Cutting down your dinners to around 600 calories can help with overnight digestion. And make sure to include more veggies, which are lower in calories, full of nutrition, and will help you feel full for longer.
Long says intermittent fasting has made a big difference to how she feels.
“I feel like I have more energy,” she says. “I feel like I’m 25 instead of my real age.”
But remember – your body needs energy and nutrition to keep things running smoothly and to maintain your health, and you shouldn’t prioritize losing weight over healthy eating and self-care.
With files from Consumer Reports
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.