Follow a specific eating plan like a reduced calorie diet, a low carb / high fat diet, or a Intermittent fasting plan may help with weight loss, but to get even more benefits, researchers suggest that you should alternate all three.
In a study published in the journal nourishment, Researchers studied 227 adults seeking medical weight loss intervention and were advised to follow one of these three approaches. After following one of the diets, 154 participants switched to another of the diet interventions and then to the third. During intermittent fasting – also called time-limited eating – they still followed a low-carb, high-fat schedule.
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About 78% of patients lost about 5% of their body weight when following a single diet, and there was no difference in the amount of weight loss achieved based on the type of diet. However, those who carried out the three plans in sequence lost almost double, suggesting that changing your weight loss strategy could help you achieve your goals more effectively.
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“Sticking to the same diet can be challenging and is often a reason people stop,” says lead author Rebecca Christensen, Ph.D. (c) of the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health . “So it’s encouraging to see that successive diets can have an effect. For many people, switching to a new nutritional intervention might be easier than sticking to a long-term plan. “
However, she emphasizes that those who have lost “only” 5% of their body weight still have great health benefits. This is because this modest amount has been linked to improvements in cardiometabolic function in previous research.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that a loss of 5 to 10% of total body weight occurred Blood pressure and blood sugar regulation and can lower cholesterol levels. That is true even if you stay in the overweight or obese category, adds the CDC, and maintaining that weight loss over time can continue to provide benefits such as better energy levels, greater physical mobility, better mood, and greater self-confidence .
“Think of this as a variety of different tools to choose from when deciding on dietary intervention,” says Christensen. “You don’t have to pick just one and stick to it. This study shows there are benefits to going back to the toolbox on the way back.”
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