
There are so many articles on Intermittent Fasting benefits, different types of Fasting and tips on how to practice this lifestyle.
Yet, what about the actual Intermittent Fasting results?
How much weight can you lose with Intermittent Fasting and how long does it take to see results from Intermittent Fasting? What other benefits can you expect when embarking on your new fasting journey?
To answer these questions and get a real-life perspective, we reached out to our Intermittent Fasting community on Facebook, as well as Intermittent Fasters on Instagram and Reddit. With over 800 people who successfully completed our 21-Day Intermittent Fasting Challenge, we got some great examples to share!
We interviewed over 30 people (men and women) to understand what Intermittent Fasting results they experienced and summarized the findings below in this blog post.
Spoiler Alert: the Intermittent Fasting results are so inspiring you’ll want to start straight away!
Intermittent fasting results and weight loss
Undeniably, the most common and also the most desired intermittent fasting result is weight loss.
Many diets promise rapid results but often lead to yo-yo effect, when after a tough period, dieters end up back where they started or heavier than before. Intermittent fasting is a great way to reach a sustainable weight loss – not only lose but also maintain the desired weight, as confirmed by most Intermittent Fasters that have done our Intermittent Fasting Challenge.
So how come Intermittent Fasting is more sustainable than other diets?
The key to sustainable weight loss is being consistent and making your ‘new diet’ a lifestyle rather than doing it temporarily. For many people, Intermittent Fasting allows this given they can still enjoy their favorite meals time from time, as long they adjust the eating schedule.
For our 21-day Intermittent Fasting Challenge, we suggest starting with a 12/12 fasting schedule, gradually increasing it to 16/8 fasting: a 16-hour fasting and an 8-hour eating window. Taking small steps allows your body (and mind) to adapt to the new eating pattern slowly. It has proven to be the most effective if your goal is to make intermittent fasting a long term habit.
How much weight can you lose doing intermittent fasting?
Are you ready for some numbers?
First, let’s look at what the research says about intermittent fasting weight loss results.
In a 2015 review pooling 40 different studies, participants who did intermittent fasting shed on average 10 pounds in a 10-week period. Another study found that obese adults following an “alternate day” intermittent fasting schedule (eating 25 percent of their daily calories on one day, and eating normally the following day) lost up to 13 pounds (6 kg) over 8 weeks.
Intermittent fasting also succeeds where many weight-loss regimes fail: by targeting and reducing visceral fat. Visceral fat is the stubborn, internal fat packed deep around your abdominal organs. During a period of six months, people on an intermittent fasting diet were able to shed 4-7% of their visceral fat.
Sounds great, doesn’t it? But what about the real-life experiences?