Why going hungry is good for you
Humans can store excess energy to be used in times of shortage. This was very useful in times when we didn't know where our next meal was coming from. These days this really isn't a problem. In fact we never experience a shortage, and this is why we are putting on so much weight!!!
We are constantly feeding. Meals, snacks and nutrient dense drinks. Constantly topping up. Some of us have realised this isn't good so have started to cut back on how much we eat and increase how much exercise we do. This is great!
However, the problem is a little more complex than this, which is why weight management is a constant struggle for many. But continue reading and all will be revealed.
The secret lies in hormones, specifically insulin. Most have heard of insulin with regards to diabetes. It regulates blood sugar levels, and packs excess energy into storage. When insulin is present in the system it means that we switch to storage mode. Whilst in storage mode your body uses the energy in the bloodstream and not in your fat reserves. So when insulin is present you cannot use fat as energy.
The problem we face is this;
We eat regular meals based on carbohydrates which means our insulin levels are always elevated. (Breakfast, lunch, dinner)
To stop this problem we can take this proven approach to weight loss…
The Take Home Message
Reduce regularity of food intake so that we are left empty for longer forcing us to use our reserves as energy. (A common approach is 16 hours fast 8 hours feed)
Reduce carbohydrate intake to ensure insulin levels do not go as high when we do eat ensuring they come down quickly to get back into fat burning mode. (AIM for less than 150g per day and only eat whole foods and avoid refined sugar)
You will get hungry, but there is a difference between sugar cravings and starvation.
Liam Phillips
Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1204764/