We Finally Have Long-Term Data on Intermittent Diet
If you are intrigued by the 5: 2 diet or other forms of intermittent fasting , you probably want to know if these diets work in the long run. Until recently, we had little data. Now we have something: fasting every other day gives the same results as a regular diet.
The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine , followed people over six months of trying to lose weight and six months of a maintenance diet. During the first six months, one third of 100 subjects could eat whatever they wanted; one third were on three meals a day, which was 75 percent of their calorie needs (for example, 1,500 calories a day if they normally eat 2,000); and the fasting group alternated 25 percent (500 calories) day and 125 percent (2500 calories) day.
In the end, both groups retained the same amount of weight (only 5-6 percent, which is 10-12 pounds for a 200-pound person) and had the same blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol, insulin resistance, fasting scores. glucose and more.
What is the biggest difference between the groups? Dropout rate. The fasting group lost 13 out of 34 (38 percent), with five of them saying they quit smoking because they hated the diet. Only 29 percent of the participants dropped out of the sustainable diet group, and none cited diet as a reason. The control group lost 26 percent of its people. Remember, all of these people had to keep in touch with researchers for a year, and the dropouts include people who just couldn’t stand it. The averages above, such as a loss of 10-12 pounds, include people who dropped out. This means that weight loss may have worked a little better for those who stuck with it.
In the end, the diets turned out to be more similar than expected. Ultimately, people ate more than what was given to them, and ate too much on fasting days and too little on holidays. This is another reason people found it difficult to stick to this diet.
So does this study prove there is nothing special about intermittent fasting? Yes and no. The subjects were “metabolically healthy” obese women, while IF proponents often say that its value lies in correcting metabolic disorders. And the food they ate was pretty standard, high in carbs: 55 percent carbs, 30 percent fat, 15 percent protein. Many intermittent fasts combine a regimen with a low-carb diet, relying on protein, fat, and fiber to provide most of their calories.
Finally, this is just one type of fasting. The 5: 2 diet gives you a little more time between fasts. Another common fasting method is not to eat 18 hours a day: basically, skip breakfast and eat nothing between yesterday’s dinner and today’s lunch. We don’t know if these other formats will be better or worse than fasting every other day, but you can always try them and see.
As a result, intermittent fasting is not enough to supplant the traditional diet. But it’s worth a try if you think it might work for you.