Intermittent fasting is one of those popular diets that comes and goes in waves. Many people tout the benefits of fasting and how it’s improved their overall wellbeing (not to mention their health). People who have tried dieting in the past may wonder whether or not intermittent fasting is going to help them. Is it just a starvation diet? What’s the science behind intermittent fasting that makes it so effective for so many people? We’re here to talk about it so you can determine if intermittent fasting is a good option for you. Read on to learn more. What Is Intermittent Fasting? Intermittent fasting is a diet that doesn’t limit the foods you eat but does limit when you can eat them. There are several styles of intermittent fasting that determine when your “eating window” will be. Some people choose to do the OMAD (one meal a day) intermittent fasting diet. This means that they fast all day aside from a single meal (often dinner). That meal can be as large as you want it to be. Other people choose windows of time when they’re “allowed” to eat. The popular 16/8 method will have you fasting for 16 hours per day and eating during the extra eight hours. This is a convenient schedule for most people because you could, in theory, eat regular meals during this period. Some people try the 5:2 diet, though there’s less information about the effectiveness of this type of intermittent fasting. You’ll eat normally for five days and then reduce your calorie intake below your basal metabolic rate for the extra two. There are also more intense fasting diets that will have you eating your normal diet every other day and fasting completely on the remaining days. This is only a small selection. You need to find the right intermittent fasting schedule that you’re able to maintain. How Does Intermittent Fasting Work? So why is intermittent fasting so effective? By default, intermittent fasting will (usually) mean that you’re eating fewer calories every day. If you’re doing it on and off, you’ll eat fewer calories every week. Cutting 500 calories per day can cause you to lose up to 1 lb per week. You don’t need to reduce your calories this much for steady weight loss, especially if you’re also living an active lifestyle, but you must cut calories somewhat to lose weight. Most people live sedentary lifestyles. It’s common to stay up late and wake up early. That gives you plenty of time to mindlessly snack. Our bodies weren’t meant to eat all day. When you fast, your body burns through its sugar and carbohydrate stores and begins to burn fat instead. The longer you go without eating, the more fat your body will burn. What Are the Benefits of Intermittent Fasting? The most obvious benefit of intermittent fasting is weight loss. Again, when you eat fewer calories, you will lose weight. With this in mind, research suggests that there are other benefits of intermittent fasting as well. People report that intermittent fasting has helped with their cognitive abilities and reduced brain fog. It can help boost your working memory. You’ll lower your chance of diabetes and heart disease. You may have a lower resting heart rate and lower blood pressure. What Foods Can You Eat While Intermittent Fasting? With most diets, you’re limited in what you can eat. You may have to reduce your carbs, your sugar, and most of the other things that you enjoy. While this works for some people, it’s not sustainable for everyone. One of the benefits of intermittent fasting is that you’re able to eat anything you want (within reason) as long as you don’t eat outside of the fasting period. Most people are unable to eat “too many” calories during their non-fasting period. This means that you can enjoy all of your favorite foods in moderation and you should feel full before you go overboard. That said, it’s always best to eat nutrient-dense foods instead of your favorite junk foods for the majority of your diet. You’ll get more out of intermittent fasting if you eat healthily. During your fast, you can’t eat anything. You can drink water and black coffee. Is Intermittent Fasting Appropriate for Everyone? Intermittent fasting is a good option for most people, but it’s not right for everyone. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, intermittent fasting may not be right for you. Always consult with a doctor before starting any new diet while you’re pregnant. People with a history of restrictive or binge eating disorders should avoid intermittent fasting. Fasting may trigger those disorders. If you already have diabetes, you should not try intermittent fasting unless you’ve been given explicit permission from your doctor. How Can You Make Intermittent Fasting More Effective? While intermittent fasting is effective on its own, you’ll get more out of it if you also incorporate other elements of a healthy lifestyle. Intermittent fasting has shown great results for people who do strength training. People lose fat without losing too much muscle mass, which allows them to “tone up.” If you eat a balanced diet full of protein and healthy fats, you’ll be able to reach your body composition goals faster. It’s helpful to work with a nutritionist and follow a weight loss program, like ChiroThin. ChiroThin can work on its own or you can combine it with other types of diets, like intermittent fasting. You’ll see a doctor every week to make sure that you’re making progress and that everything is safe. Intermittent Fasting Is One of the Most Popular Diets If you’ve tried other popular diets without success, it might be time to try intermittent fasting. You can still eat all of the foods that you love (in moderation), just in a limited timeframe. Are you ready to get started on the path to a healthier you? Contact Dr. Sarah Stiff at Spine Quest to schedule a free ChiroThin consultation.

Exercising alone can be hard. You have to pull yourself out of bed, put on your workout clothes, and drag yourself to the gym… But, did you know that working out with people helps you lose ten additional pounds than working alone? Having a workout buddy can help you feel motivated, set a schedule, and feel accountable for showing up every day. However, the question is, what exercise should you be doing? And, how do you know what is best for weight loss? One of the frequent debates in the fitness world is around cardio vs strength training… And, which one is better for weight loss? The good news is, both options have amazing benefits to your health and can help you lose weight. Therefore to help you decide, this article will give you the pros and cons of each exercise for weight loss so you can pick the right one for you! Cardio Vs Strength Training Benefits We have all seen the mainstream fitness programs that encourage cardio as the main method in losing weight, but recent studies show that strength training is equally beneficial when it comes to dropping a dress size. But, what is the difference between cardio and strength training? First, let’s talk about cardio… Cardio Cardio refers to cardiovascular exercise, meaning this type of exercise increases your heart rate. A few examples of cardio workouts would be running, rowing, or boxing. When it comes to strength training, cardio helps you strengthen your leg muscles and increase fitness levels so you can burn more calories. The downside of cardio is, if you do the same miles on a treadmill a week then your body will adjust. This could lead to a plateau in your weight loss journey… To stop this you need to constantly push yourself out of your comfort zone to jump-start your metabolism and improve endurance. The benefits of cardio improve your heart health, but burning calories doesn’t necessarily mean you are losing weight. You could also burn muscle which is vital to building strength in the long term. Strength Training In contrast, strength training is designed to build muscle. However, building strength is not just about lifting heavyweights in the gym… Other forms of strength training include resistance band training and yoga. Now, you might be wondering, can you really build muscle with yoga? Well, the answer is, of course! Unlike lifting weights which involves isolating muscles, yoga focuses on a whole-body approach. Instead of lifting weights, you learn to lift your body weight. Impressive, right? As well as this, yoga improves your mental health. The benefits of strength training go beyond sculpting a nice physique, it is about building a stronger mentality and gaining confidence. In addition to this, if you do an intense strength training workout then you can even raise your heart rate enough that it becomes a cardio workout as well. All this being said, who says you can’t do both? The Perfect Exercise Combo Maybe you start strength training and decide that it doesn’t suit your overall lifestyle, but you want to include some exercises as well as cardio sessions… Then, why can’t you? Studies show that combining cardio with strength training could provide the best of both worlds. By mixing both forms of exercises, you could achieve better results for your weight loss journey than only doing one. Here are a few reasons why you should include cardio as well as strength training in your fitness regime… 1) Lose Fat and Gain Muscle In order to lose weight, you need to first lose fat and then build muscle. That is why most people suggest doing short cardio before a strength training workout. A program like this allows you to get your heart rate up and have more energy for your strength exercises. 2) Better Heart Health If you are concerned about your heart health, then combining cardio with strength training is the perfect solution. Especially if you also do high-intensity strength workouts. Now that you know about both types of fitness programs that can boost your success with your weight loss journey, you need to know how much you should be doing and how frequently… Striking the Right Balance The amount of exercise you do daily/weekly will depend on your goals, commitments, and access to gym equipment or space. On average, you should do between 75-150 high-intensity cardio a week. With strength training, you should train between 2-3 times a week. This will increase your chances of losing weight. Just keep in mind, it is not just about getting the exercise right. Another important factor in losing weight is your diet. You can do the best fitness regime on earth but still snack on sugary, high carbohydrate food. Therefore, you should not only focus on the number on the scale. A great way to gauge how well you’re doing on your weight loss journey is to keep track of how well your clothes are fitting. Unlike the scale, your clothes are something you use every day and will boost your mood more than a number. Plus, our bodies fluctuate regularly so the scale isn’t always accurate. Some other fitness tips when it comes to considering cardio vs strength training is finding the right instructor or medical advice… ChiroThin is there to support anyone who is looking for expert advice and trusted solutions to weight loss. You don’t need to figure it all out on your own! Building Strength Your Way Ultimately building strength is not about picking one perfect exercise plan and seeing magical results quickly and easily. Every exercise program will be tiring and intense so the most important thing is that you enjoy it! If you don’t look forward to your workouts then you will feel less motivated to keep going. Therefore, when deciding between cardio vs strength training it is up to how you feel when doing them… Even though cardio is better for heart health, strength training builds muscle and endurance. Ideally, combining both is the best way to lose weight. Are you ready to get started on the path to a healthier you? Call today to schedule your free consultation with Dr. Sarah Stiff.