Intermittent Fasting and Fat Loss
Intermittent Fasting and Fat Loss
Intermittent fasting can be a quick and safe way to lose weight if done correctly. It is said to be beneficial for thinking and memory, heart health, physical performance, diabetes and obesity, and tissue health. But of course, if you aren’t sure if this would be beneficial to your particular body, check in with your doctor before starting your fast.
Given all of these health benefits, you may be wondering, can intermittent fasting alone help with visceral fat loss?
Unfortunately, no. Though intermittent fasting may improve weight loss, it is often due to the loss of subcutaneous fat and not visceral fat loss. Visceral fat lies in the spaces between the abdominal organs and in an apron of tissue called the omentum. Subcutaneous fat is located between the skin and the outer abdominal wall. Researchers say that visceral fat is more dangerous than subcutaneous fat and is usually the easier type of fat to lose. However, recent research states that visceral fat often becomes resistant to fat breakdown during intermittent fasting. In fact, in many cases of long-term intermittent fasting, your body retrains itself to rapidly rebuild visceral fat stores before the next fasting period. Thus, since it doesn’t so much help with the loss of visceral fat, intermittent fasting, if not done properly or combined with other fat loss methods, can be ineffective.
As a result, exercising along with fasting is advised to help you burn fat. Some research shows that exercising while fasting affects muscle biochemistry and metabolism that’s linked to insulin sensitivity and the steady management of blood sugar levels. In pursuing both intermittent fasting and exercise at the same time, make sure that you choose the right workout based on your macros and be on an appropriate diet after your workout to build or maintain muscle.
If you want more recommendations on what to incorporate into your exercise routine or simply want to keep track of your exercise, try using the bello app!
