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This popular approach to eating has a wealth of evidence-based benefits for weight loss and building muscle.
Intermittent fasting (IF) is one of the most popular health and fitness trends.
But if you’ve never tried it, you might be wondering if it lives up to the hype.
Not only have devotes of IF touted its many benefits, but many health and medical experts alike have shared the benefits of this popular approach to diet.
Evidence shows that IF has a host of benefits that can help improve your health and longevity. And whether you’re looking to build muscle or lose fat, this approach to eating can be your secret weapon in achieving your goals.
To learn more about IF and its many benefits, continue reading and consider this your crash course on this popular trend.
IF is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and calorie consumption.
Unlike other diets or programs, IF doesn’t focus on what you can eat. Rather, an IF program dictates when you can eat based on set windows of time.
Common IF programs include fasting for 16 hours and eating for 8 or fasting for 24 hours up to 2 days per week.
For people skeptical of this approach, it’s important to remember that fasting for long periods is something that human biology is conditioned for. It’s a common practice our ancestors used, and it’s more natural than eating more meals per day.
IF works by restricting calories. And there are a few popular programs that help you achieve this if you’re looking to try IF.
The 16:8 method requires you to fast for 16 hours of your day and then consume all of your day’s calories within an 8-hour window. In the 24 hour approach, you would eat normally throughout your day and then stop eating for a full 24 hours. In the 5:2 method, you would eat normally for five days but limit your calorie intake during two non-consecutive days.
Because you’re typically eating fewer calories, you should see weight loss results with any of these programs.
If you’re looking to drop weight, IF can be a sensible way to help you reach your goals. You can still eat some of the foods you enjoy within reason, but simply restrict their consumption to your specified eating window.
When it comes to weight loss, IF has been shown to increase Human Growth Hormones up to 5 times the average amount in our bodies. These skyrocketing HGH levels are essential in facilitating fat burn and weight loss.
In addition to increased HGH, IF promotes other beneficial hormonal changes within your body. These hormone changes due to short-term fasting can ramp up your metabolic rate by up to 14%, which serves as a powerful ally in helping to shed unwanted pounds.
Additionally, IF lowers insulin levels. Lower insulin levels mean that your body has to turn to its fat stores for fuel, which can help you drop unhealthy or unwanted weight.
Simply put, IF is a powerful ally in your fat-busting arsenal. And when adding IF into your health and wellness plan, supplementation is still a wise option to help you maximize your results. We recommend adding SKALD Oxydynamic Fat Scorcher to help suppress your appetite and ramp up your fat-burning capabilities for maximum fat burn and to kickstart your results. We also recommend that you utilize our Goal Weight Calculator to determine how many calories your body needs each day to achieve your goals.
IF is not only great for losing weight. The right IF plan can help you get the muscular physique you’re working hard for, too.
IF maximizes muscle protein synthesis while reducing muscle protein breakdown, but timing your meals right to get the most significant spike is critical. Some experts suggest that eating all of your calories within a 12-hour window and every 3-4 hours is the best approach if you’re looking to maximize muscle gains.
As noted earlier, IF plays a role in increasing Human Growth Hormone (HGH) levels in the body. These hormones play a role in both weight loss and muscle growth so that you can reap the benefits of both through an IF plan.
One other thing you’re likely concerned with is muscle loss through caloric restriction. Some evidence suggests that IF versus employing continuous caloric restriction can better protect muscle mass so you can keep more of the hard-earned gains you’ve worked for.
To maximize your muscle-building capabilities while using an IF structure, we recommend adding in a high-quality supplement. GUSST Pre-Workout Amplifier not only prepares your body to maximize your workouts but also improves your workout focus and intensity. When paired with IF, you’ll see results faster and enjoy new muscle gains. However, please keep in mind that using GUSST and SKALD together is not recommended.
Considering the many known benefits of IF, which extend far beyond weight loss and muscle gains, IF is a sensible choice to add to your current lifestyle if you’re looking to lead a healthier and longer life.
