Intermittent fasting is a proven technique for general weight loss, as well as one of the fastest ways to lose belly fat. First studied in the 1940's, rats subjected to intermittent fasting had improvements in life expectancy. In addition to life expectancy gains, the rats also had improvements in insulin response, brain function, and cognitive function. Subsequent studies in people have shown similar benefits. So, with this in mind, can you take advantage of intermittent fasting for weight loss and improved overall health?
The idea behind intermittent fasting is to intersperse regular, short duration fasting periods into your eating schedule. 
Opinions vary as to an appropriate number of days to go between fasts, but the norm seems to be a 2-4 day schedule of regular eating, followed by a one day fasting period. In its least restrictive form, participants consume up to 20% of their regular daily calorie consumption on fasting days.
The interest in calorie restrictive diets has been going on for some time now, and research in everything from worms to humans supports the notion that restricted calorie consumption has a host of health benefits. On a more practical front though, the application of intermittent fasting principles to achieve weight loss is a sound mathematical principle. After all, you can’t lose weight without cutting calories, correct?
If you accept the idea that weight loss is all about calories, then you know that there is no magic bullet. Cutting carbs doesn’t save calories if you backfill with so much fat per day you can’t lose weight. Ditto for restricting fat and increasing your average daily sugar intake to an unhealthy level. While we could argue that the source of your calories may (and likely does) affect your body composition, the subject of weight comes down to calories. While we often get caught up in the number of calories consumed daily, the real goal is to watch our average daily calorie consumption. Follow this example from my own eating habits:
I sometimes travel for business, which sometimes includes entertaining and business luncheons, dinners and entertainment. Despite my best intentions, those days will lead to higher calorie consumptions. This is a 4-day entry from my eating log, taken down a few months ago.
Monday – Average day — 2433 calories consumed. Mid-day 3-mile runTuesday – Intermittent fasting day — 315 calories consumed. Mid-day weight training.Wednesday – Business dinner — 3705 calories consumed.Thursday – Average day — 2145 calories consumed. Mid-day 4-mile run.Average daily calorie consumption over a 4-day period — 2149 calories.By applying the principles of intermittent fasting to my weight loss goals, I was able to smooth out my average daily calorie consumption over this 4-day period, to stay within my target range of 2200-2400 calories/day. Without employing the intermittent fasting principles , my average daily calorie consumption over that same 4-day period would have risen to 2646 calories, or an additional 500 calories/day, on average.
It doesn’t take long to pile on weight with numbers like that.
Personally, I tend to believe most people pick up extra weight through calorie creep, as days like my Wednesday slip into their diets. Eventually, those become the norm, rather than the exception, and your weight starts to rise. That’s basically what happened to me.
So, you can see its possible to employ the judicious use of intermittent fasting in a variety of ways. When employed strictly, you may reap some serious health benefits. But from my vantage point, it can be used judiciously to help control average daily calorie consumption, which will ultimately help you achieve your weight loss goals.
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