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Over the years, research on incredible promising intermittent fasting has been done on fat rats, they lose weight, their blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugars improved, but they are rats. Studies in humans have shown that intermittent fasting is safe and extremely effective, but many individual find it challenging to fast.  But a growing body of research suggests that the timing of the fast is key, and can make intermittent fasting a more realistic, sustainable, and effective approach for weight loss, as well as for the prevention of diabetes.

What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting is an umbrella term that is used for various meal timing schedules that cycles between intended or voluntary fasting and non-fasting done over a given period. Lately, intermittent fasting has become a health trend. There is the claim that it can cause weight loss, improve metabolic health, and perhaps even extend lifespan. However, several methods of this eating pattern exist. Every method can be effective, but it is important to figure out which one works best depends on the individual.

Here are six popular ways intermittent fasting can be done. 

The 16/8 method

This method involves fasting every day for 14–16 hours and restricting your daily eating window to 8–10 hours. Within the eating window, three, or more meals can fit in two.

This method is also called the Lean gains protocol and was popularized by fitness expert Martin Berkhan. This method of fasting can be simple as not having anything to eat after dinner and also skipping breakfast.

For example, if you have your meal at 8 p.m. and do not eat until noon the next day, you are technically fasting for 16 hours. Nonetheless, it is recommended generally that women only fast 14 –15 hours because they seem to do better with slightly shorter fasts. For individuals who get hungry in the morning and like to eat breakfast, this method may be difficult to get used to at first. Many breakfast-skippers instinctively eat this way. It is advisable to drink water, Ohram slim diet coffee and Ohram protein shake during the fast, this will help to reduce hunger feelings. It is very important to eat healthy foods during your eating window, as the method won't work if you eat lots of junk food or an excessive number of calories.

The 5:2 diet

The 5:2 diet involves eating normally 5 days of the week while restricting your calorie intake to 500 – 600 for 2 days of the week. This method of fasting is also called the Fast Diet, it was popularized by British journalist Michael Mosley.

On the fasting days, it is recommended that women eat 500 calories while men eat 600. For example, you may eat every day of the week normally except for Mondays and Thursdays. For those two days, you eat 2 small meals of 250 calories each for women and 300 calories each for men.

As critics correctly point out, no studies are testing the 5:2 diet itself, but there are plenty of studies on the benefits of intermittent fasting.

EAT STOP EAT

This method involves a 24-hour fast once or twice weekly. This intermittent fasting method was popularized by Brad Pilon a fitness expert and has been quite popular for a few years. It is done by fasting from dinner one day to dinner the next day, this amounts to a full 24-hour fast. For instance, if you finish eating your dinner at 7 p.m. Monday and do not eat until dinner at 7 p.m. the following day, you have completed a full 24-hour fast. With this method, you can also fast from breakfast to breakfast or lunch to lunch and the result will be the same.

However, water, coffee or a zero-calorie beverage are allowed during the fast, but you are not allowed to eat any solid food.

If your goal is to lose weight, you must eat normally during the eating periods. In other words, you should eat the same amount of food as if you had not been fasting at all. The possible downside of this method is that a full 24-hour fast may be fairly difficult for many people. However, you do not need to go all-in right away. It's fine to start with 14–16 hours, then move upward from there as you continue daily with your fast.

ALTERNATE-DAY FASTING

In this method, you fast every other day. However, there are several different versions of this method, some of them allow about 500 calories during the fasting days. Many studies that show the health benefits of intermittent fasting used some version of this method. Fasting the whole day every other day can seem rather extreme, so it is not recommended for beginners to use this method. With this method of fasting, you may go to bed very hungry several times per week, which is not very pleasant and probably unsustainable in the long term.

THE WARRIOR DIET

The Warrior Diet was popularized by Ori Hofmekler fitness expert. It involves a way of eating that cycles extended eating small amounts of raw fruits and vegetables or little food intake during the day and eating one huge meal at night. You fast all day and feast at night within a four-hour eating window. The warrior diet has been promoted as an effective method to aid in weight loss as well as improve energy levels and mental clarity. This diet's food choices are quite similar to that of the paleo diet mostly whole, unprocessed foods.

SPONTANEOUS MEAL SKIPPING

You do not need to follow a structured intermittent fasting plan to reap some of its benefits in this method. Another option is to simply skip meals from time to time, such as when you don't feel hungry or are too busy to cook and eat.

It is a myth that people need to eat every few hours lest they hit starvation mode or lose muscle. Your body is well equipped to handle long periods of famine, let alone missing one or two meals from time to time.

Thus, if you are not hungry one day, skip breakfast and just eat a healthy lunch and dinner. Or, if you're travelling somewhere and can't find anything you want to eat, do a short fast. Skipping one or two meals when you feel inclined to do so it is a spontaneous intermittent fast. Just make sure to eat healthy foods during the other meals.

Intermittent fasting is a good weight loss tool that works for any individual. It is recommended for people that have or are prone to eating disorders. If you choose to try intermittent fasting, it is important to keep in mind that diet quality is essential. It is not possible to binge on junk foods or eat so many calories and large portions of food during the eating periods and expect to lose weight and boost your health.