Dietician reveals best weight loss regimen for losing weight
Which diet is best for weight loss (photo: Freepik)
Many people use the method of intermittent fasting for weight loss, limiting their eating time. Counting calories is also an effective method. But which regimen is better for those who want to lose excess weight? Dietitian Oleg Shvets gives the answer.
"What works better - time-restricted eating within an eight-hour period, also known as intermittent fasting (e.g., from 10:00 to 18:00), without daily calorie counting, has led to greater weight loss among people with type 2 diabetes and obesity compared to calorie restriction," says the dietitian.
Researchers from the University of Illinois in Chicago published the results of a six-month clinical trial involving 75 adult participants with type 2 diabetes and obesity. They were randomly divided into three groups: one adhered to an 8-hour time-restricted eating interval (from 12:00 to 20:00) without calorie counting, the second had a 25% daily calorie restriction, and the third was the control group.
The change in body weight in the 6th month in the intermittent fasting group was -3.56%, which is twice as much as in the other groups.
The average calorie deficit over 6 months was 313 kcal/day with intermittent fasting, 197 kcal/day with calorie restriction, and 16 kcal/day for the control group.
Is intermittent fasting safe for patients?
During the study, no side effects were found, and cases of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia did not differ between the groups.
"According to the researchers, these results show that intermittent fasting is safe for patients who adhere only to diet or take medications to control type 2 diabetes," says Shvets.
However, for people using sulfonylurea derivatives and/or insulin, implementing an intermittent fasting regimen will require adjusting the medication schedule and regular monitoring, especially in the initial stages of introducing such dietary changes.
The doctor also noted that this study had somewhat limited results because the trial lasted for a relatively short period.
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