Intermittent fasting is a change in eating patterns that can help you lose weight. As a functional medicine specialist and intermittent fasting advocate, Michelle McElroy, DO, knows the benefits of this popular practice, both in herself and in her patients at Aging Gracefully in Jenks, Oklahoma. To learn more about intermittent fasting, call Aging Gracefully or schedule an appointment online today.

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What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting (IF) is an eating pattern that involves abstaining from food until certain periods during the day. IF not only promotes weight loss, but it can also lower high cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and stabilize insulin production in your body.

How does intermittent fasting work?

By focusing on when you eat, rather than what, intermittent fasting allows you to choose the foods you want to eat. Having a smaller window to eat typically results in a calorie deficit for the body. It also causes your body to use its storage of sugar, eventually burning fat for energy. Over time, your body begins to adjust to these prolonged periods without food.

Are there different intermittent fasting plans?

While there are numerous intermittent fasting methods that Dr. McElroy may recommend, the most effective and popular plans include:

The 5:2 method

The 5:2 method isn’t a daily diet. Instead, you choose two nonconsecutive days each week to consume about 500-600 calories. You can continue to follow your normal eating patterns for the rest of the week.

The 16/8 method

During the 16/8 method, you only eat during an eight-hour window and abstain from eating for the remaining 16 hours.

Eat-stop-eat

Eat-stop-eat is a fasting method in which you abstain from eating for 24 hours straight at least once or twice a week.

Alternate-day fasting

Alternate-day fasting means you only fast every other day. You can follow nearly any fasting plan this way, including the 5:2, 16/8, and eat-stop-eat methods.

At your initial visit, Dr. McElroy can create an individualized intermittent fasting plan that targets your unique health concerns and goals.

What are the benefits of intermittent fasting?

In addition to promoting sustainable weight loss, intermittent fasting can help improve your overall health and wellness. The most popular benefits of intermittent fasting include:

  • Insulin reduction
  • Improved heart health
  • Enhanced brain health
  • Reduced inflammation
  • Gene expression
  • Cellular repair
  • Enhanced metabolic function

Intermittent fasting may also increase your human growth hormone (HGH) levels, which can help accelerate fat burning and improve muscle mass.

To learn more about intermittent fasting, call Aging Gracefully or schedule an appointment online today.