Some people count calories to lose weight, but it turns out that there are a number of more effective (and healthier) ways to lose weight. What has replaced calorie counting?
The latest study confirmed that it is counting calories not the best way to lose weight. All you need to be careful is to avoid food intake during a certain part of the day. Counting calories requires a lot of effort and discipline. Meanwhile, it turns out that intermittent fasting may have even greater benefits for weight loss.
With a study conducted by experts University of Chicago, wanted to find out if it could be periodic fasting is more effective for weight loss than a carefully planned diet and calorie counting.
The study looked at data from 75 participants aged 18 to 80. All subjects had type 2 diabetes and were overweight. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three categories. As part of these, they followed one of three specific eating plans for six months.
The first group followed intermittent fasting and ate between 12:00 and 20:00. The second group reduced their calorie intake by 25%, while the third group maintained their current diet.
Is this really the end of calorie counting?
Fasting between 12:00 PM and 8:00 PM was found to contribute to the greatest weight loss, with some participants in this group losing up to 6 % of their body weight.
Meanwhile, those who simply cut calories were able to lose less than 2 % of weight on average. Also interesting is the fact that those who fasted reduced their calorie intake by an average of about 300 calories per day, which means they reduced their calorie intake by 100 calories more than those who tried to cut calories. The study's authors state that this finding is consistent with previous research that has shown that when people fast intermittently, they cut their daily calorie intake by 200 to 500 without consciously counting them.
Another interesting point is that the fasting group only had a timed eating pattern six days a week on average, according to the data, which may suggest there is some room for "cheating."
The head of the study, Dr. Krista Varady of the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition at the University of Illinois Chicago told Reader's Digest, "Our study shows that time-restricted eating can be an effective alternative to traditional dieting for people who cannot stick to it."
