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 undoubtedly controversial and conventional philosophies regarding eating habits and patterns.

The topic of intermittent fasting, which puts the body in a state of ketosis, provokes a heated debate in the health and fitness communities, and with good reason. Rubbishing many of the lines set out for a balanced and healthy lifestyle, the intermittent fasting diet plan is rubbing people up the wrong way. However, this isn’t the issue. Instead, we want to ascertain if it works, if ketosis is a thing and is safe.

Intermittent Fasting Diet

The intermittent fasting diet plan is a dieting method 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 healthy 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 robust 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 participants skipping 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. It was developed and pioneered by Michael Mosley.

The 5:2 diet involves eating normally for five days per week, on two days, say Tuesday and Friday, and only eating a quarter of your regular 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 0.5 kg (1lb) per week. Again, this plan shows women more significant weight loss than men.

The key to the diet’s success is not gorging or overeating on the five days a regular diet is permitted. With any diet, it still takes considerable self-control to adhere to. Unfortunately, most people fall on this plan by overcompensating on the average calorie intake days.

Chia Seeds & 5:2 Weight Loss Plan

The 5:2 diet fundamentally involves eating a regular balanced diet five days a week and a reduced-calorie diet on the other two days. The two reduced calorie days shouldn’t be concurrent and spread evenly throughout the week.

During the two diet days, super foods such as chia seeds, goji berries & acai berries can maintain a balanced nutritional intake while lowering the number 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 significantly reduced 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 number of calories we ingest for two 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? Whether the diet is sustainable will depend on the individual who embarks on it. As mentioned above, chia seeds, goji berries and acai berries would help stave off hunger and ensure your body receives adequate nutrition.

Live A Healthy Balanced Lifestyle

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

With careful planning and knowledge of what you eat, you are 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 will muster the willpower to begin and stick to this diet, why don’t I put the same energy into adjusting my lifestyle permanently?

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.