The corona pandemic was a wake-up call for everyone across the world to start focusing on their health. While there has been massive awareness about health and fitness among today’s population since the start of this millennium, the shift got momentum more after COVID-19 hit the global population badly.
From the Keto diet, and intermittent fasting to calorie restrictions, all sorts of diets are currently trending on the web which confuses a layman who wants simply the best for him and his family.
Contrarily, not all types of diets or exercise regimes are suitable for everyone. Even then calorie restriction and intermittent fasting are two types of diet that are widely popular and also are known to deliver visible results. So, which one is better and why?
Incidentally, experts have supported both of these types of diets. Why? Here is a Comparison:
Intermittent Fasting
It includes fasting for the most part of the day with a window of a few hours for eating. The period of fasting varies from person to person and is usually customized based on the age and health condition of a person. For example, in most cases, the period of fasting can range between 16 to 20 hours which leaves only 4 to 8 hours of the window for the consumption of food.
During this period, the person can eat two meals and a few snacks. Based on the type of fasting you choose it can be time-restricted feeding, periodic fasting, alternate-day fasting, a 5:2 eating pattern, or eat-stop-eat fasting.
Intermittent fasting can lead to effective weight loss but again the benefits vary from one person to another.
Also Read | Eating Right & Smart to avoid Sugar Spike: Here are some Important Tips!
Calorie Restriction
Just as the name suggests herein you do not have to fast but restrict the intake of calories all through the day. If a person consumes 2500 calories a day, cutting down 500 calories automatically leads to weight loss.
But this also means you have to give up on your favourite food items like sweets, beverages, and fried foods.
Apart from weight loss, one of the most important benefits of a calorie-restricted diet is an increase in life expectancy as people who follow this diet are more inclined towards avoiding junk food and eating clean.
Intermittent Fasting or Calorie Restriction: Which is Effective in Weight Loss?
A study conducted by the University of Illinois has shown that since intermittent fasting is a bit difficult to follow more people tend to drop it after some time whereas more people are likely to continue with calorie restriction over a period as they get accustomed to it.
However, this study conducted for 12 months on 100 participants eventually concluded that both types of dieting lead to an almost similar amount of weight loss and the result varies from person to person.