Several new studies suggest that Intermittent Fasting (IF) and calorie counting may have the same results in most people. While both weight loss diets include different strategies and meal plans, restricting your diet to time or calories can be a great way to lose weight fast.
There are studies that also say that while IF helps with successful weight loss, daily calorie counting can be simply more effective. However, when it comes to actually comparing the two, intermittent fasting might be a better pick.
Intermittent Fasting vs Calorie Counting
According to the nutritionist and founder of Artah, intermittent fasting is simply better for healthy and prolonged weight loss.
Intermittent fasting is a fasting diet where you divide the day into two different windows: eating time and fasting time. IF’s 16:8 method is one of the most famous IF strategies, where one can take meals or eat anytime between the 8 hours. The rest 16 hours is supposed to be a fasting period.
While this might sound like a tough task, people have seen some spectacular results with intermittent fasting.
A low-calorie diet or counting calories is where you limit your daily calorie consumption to trigger weight loss. There’s science behind this one. If someone’s daily maintenance calories are 2000, they will only consume about 1200-1500 calories, depending on the intensity of their diet and the weight loss required.
Calorie counting can be hard too, however, with low-calorie snacks or food, you can limit your calorie consumption successfully.
Calorie Counting: The Reality
While calorie-counting diets can seem a little less intense than fasting diets like IF, here’s a fact. The secret to maintaining a healthy weight is to consume the amount of calories we expend or burn.
Several studies suggest that high restrictions on calories can work wonders, however, prolonged calorie restriction just doesn’t work. In short, you can’t always limit your eating patterns. Plus, when we restrict our calories for a long time, hunger hormones tend to increase, leading to more cravings.
Here’s another scary truth behind it. If your maintenance calorie is 2000, and you restrict your calorie consumption to 1200, you will lose weight. However, if you want to lose more weight, you would have to further restrict your calorie consumption to less than 1200 calories, which can be very risky and hard.
Always staying on low-calorie foods can lead to an increase in stress hormones, changes in the immune system, and mood swings. Food is simply the greatest pleasure of life, and counting literally every bite is not very joyful, to be honest.
Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
This is exactly why you should be trying intermittent fasting plans. Unlike a low-calorie diet, which lacks proper studies, IF is backed by years of research showing it works. Fasting diet plans like IF can help improve overall health, besides just helping with weight loss.
You can also stick to low-calorie foods while on your eating period for better progress. However, it is important to consume healthy food and maintain your daily maintenance calories.
Besides weight loss, IF can also lead to other health benefits. It can reduce total insulin levels and help improve cognitive health. Moreover, intermittent fasting can also help with reduced inflammation, better mood, and good skin health.