How to Lose Body Fat Effectively with Intermittent Fasting

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There are hundreds if not thousands of different methods and diets to lose body fat in a short period. Many people swear that particular diets are working effectively, but when others try it, they don’t see the wanted results. What’s the reason for that? You know that we’re all different and one thing may work well for me, but won’t work for you at all. The thing with diets and losing body fat is experimenting. You must try different things to see what’s working and what isn’t working for you.

breakfast on the go
Eggs for breakfast, who’s up for that?

In this article, I will talk about a fascinating way of building muscles while losing body fat at the same time. It’s not a diet rather the schedule of eating. I bet you heard of it already, but it’s called intermittent fasting.

What is Intermittent Fasting and Why It Is Perfect for Busy People?

Like I already mentioned, intermittent fasting isn’t a diet. It’s a strict schedule of eating one should follow to make it effective. Many diets that aim to lose body fat reduce the number of calories the person intake during the day. Also, some diets are so extreme that people are starving themselves to lose body fat. Starving isn’t good as you will lose the weight, but also the muscles. There are many different opinions on intermittent fasting, but I will explain it from an objective standpoint.

salmon salad
Consume the same amount of calories, but lose body fat at the same time.

Intermittent fasting consists of two main periods; feeding and fasting window. Feeding window is the period during the day when you’re intaking the calories from the whole food. It’s adjustable so that you can set the length of feeding period by yourself. The most common period is 8 hours long. If you consume 3,500 calories per day and eat certain things to get to that calorie amount, you don’t need to cut it; you just need to consume that amount during the feeding window. The rest of your time should be reserved for fasting, the period when you’re not consuming the calories. In the fasting period, the only things you should consume are liquids without calories.

When you look at the intermittent fasting from an objective perspective, you will notice it’s not just another starving diet. It’s not a diet at all as you’re not limiting yourself to certain food and amount of it. No, you’re just scheduling when you are and when you are not eating. It’s perfect for busy people as sometimes people spend so much time on eating and preparing the meals. When you follow the intermittent fasting, you consume all the calorie intake during the feeding window which is usually 8 hours long. You can eat one or five meals to reach that calorie number in feeding window which depends on your schedule. If you’re busy on some days, you can start with eating and fasting earlier. It’s very versatile way of eating which is ideal for busy people.

How Intermittent Fasting Works?

Intermittent fasting is a very effective diet for losing the body fat and the reason for that is regulation of insulin. Insulin is the hormone that is triggered every time the food is consumed. When the food is consumed, the macronutrients are broken down in the essential nutrients. That’s the job of insulin. When you eat, the insulin levels are high, but when you fast, the levels are deficient, depending on your baseline level.

losing weight
Lose body fat fast.

The most effective time and way to burn body fat is while the insulin levels are low. That’s the reason why the intermittent fasting is so effective in burning body fat. When you follow the regular diet and eat many times per day, it is difficult for your body to lower the insulin levels which leads to harder body fat loss.

If you start your feeding window at 12 pm and fasting starts at 8 pm, I advise you to try to perform HIIT training before your first meal. Start the first training with 50% of intensity with a gradual increase. That way you will train, which is a way to lose body fat, at the time when your insulin levels are at the lowest point.

Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

There are many advantages for following this eating schedule, but the most crucial thing is to try it for yourself to see if this works for you.

Perfect for Busy People

It’s a perfect way of eating for people with busy schedules that are filled with deadlines. You have a feeding window which means you start eating at the particular time. You don’t need to plan the meals first thing when you wake up. You can have a productive morning without eating or preparing and invest that time in the work. It’s simpler to maintain this eating routine as you’re eating only at a certain period.

busy at work
The perfect way of eating for busy people.

It means you spend a smaller amount of daily time on meal planning and preparation. Next, you will probably reduce the number of meals and eat two to three meals per day.

Easy Applicable

Intermittent fasting is not an actual diet but rather an eating schedule. Diet is when you limit yourself to certain food and lower calories if the goal is to lose the body fat. It sounds perfect and you need some discipline to stick to it for some time.

taking notes
It’s easier to stick to eating schedule than diet.

Dieting is a hard thing to do in long-term. Contrary, the fasting is just the way of eating and scheduling the meals. You consume the same amount of food but in the certain time frame. If you’re feeling well at 3,500 calories per day, don’t cut it, just start with the fasting and see your six packs soon.

Perfect for Body Fat Loss

When your insulin levels are at the lowest point, your body starts to burn the excess body fat. The insulin levels drop when you fast. Even if you continue eating the same amount of food, you will still lose the body fat during the fasting window. Sometimes, it could be strange that you consume enough food, but losing the weight. Don’t worry as you’re not losing the muscles, but fat. The best way to increase the rate of body fat loss is to train before the first meal when you still fast. Don’t start with the intensive workouts at the beginnings as your body needs to adapt to the new routine.

Scale
Weight loss is also expectable.

Have you ever tried intermittent fasting? What’s your opinion on it from a health standpoint? Do you have any advice for people who just started with intermittent fasting?

31 thoughts on “How to Lose Body Fat Effectively with Intermittent Fasting”

  1. I usually skip the dinner and have a big breakfast after workout, but I don’t cut down the calories. Not sure I will ever see my 6 packs, but I feel good and healthy.

    Reply
  2. Love this post! There is one lady at my gym that does Intermittent Fasting and I have been wanting to learn more about it! Great read! 🙂

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  3. My husband and I have been doing this intermitent fasting for over 6 months now, last meal at 6 pm and first meal at 10 am. He lost about 3 kg immediately and keeps that, but he was always very lean. I am having more difficulties with loosing something, but that has always been an issue for me. 🙂 However, since starting counting what I am eating and going for a 1 hour walk every morning before breakfast, I am finally seeing results. Yuppi!!! Plus since doing the intermitent fasting, I am noticing that I am less hungry or thinking about food generally and I definitely have more energy.

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  4. I haven’t tried intermittent fasting but I’ve heard good things about it. Thank you for such a thorough explanation of the science behind it!

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  5. i’m just not sure i could handle this–i’m a grazer and eat small bits throughout the day (and night too, now that i’m breastfeeding at all hours!). it just about kills me to fast for a blood test! good read, though–i can see how it would be effective!

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  6. i’ve been trying this out recently, and i like how unbloated i tend to feel. it’s definitely harder when there’s social, food-centric things at night, but that’s the most surefire way to get to feeling cruddy lol.

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  7. Just be sure that your blood sugar levels are staying balanced with this method. While it works wonderfully for some, it can be dangerous for others and cause wild metabolic swings. All about learning what works for your body and chemistry etc.

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  8. Great timing – I am fasting today! I do the 5:2. Some days are easier than others… looking forward to eating my breakfast tomorrow, that’s for sure!

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  9. I’m intermittent fasting now, during the week. A little different than your plan. Eating window 12-20, but every other day either no food or 1/3 my normal meal size, depending on activity.

    You might also look into something called the “fast mimicking diet”. Basically, once a month (or so) you spent 5 days eating very little – tricking your body into thinking it’s fasting. When you do this, that body will start creating stem cells (while shrinking organs and reducing white blood cells) and then when you start eating normally, you’ll get a bunch of fine, new cells. Most noticeable is a burst of new white blood cells. The researcher recommends doing this 3-4 times (every month or so) to truly improve things.

    Or, you can just not eat. I find it easier to just skip eating for 5-7 days. Lots of water, tea, coffee and very occasional 50 Calorie cup of soup. Physically it’s not so hard after the 2nd day, but psychologically that cup of soup is critical. 🙂

    As a species we spent hundreds of thousands of years evolving in a world with an unreliable food supply – and we need to mimic that for optimal health.

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  10. Great read! I wanted to do intermittent fasting for a while now. My body is quite out of shape right now. And I wanted to do a quick and easy way to lose fat.

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  11. Ive been doing intermittent fasting while doing keto diet and it works. It is very effective and you can see the results within 1 month already. Just take precaution on doing this intermittent fasting as it will have after effects on your body.

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