Time to Fast with Timed Fasts!
No, we aren’t challenging you to a tongue twister contest. At Advanced Surgical we believe in promoting overall health. As we have mentioned previously, the keys to good health are diet, exercise, and sleep. Today we want to take a look at an aspect of our diet. In fact, it’s THE aspect of our diet…eating!
We have all heard the statistics about how America is such an obese country. We supersize everything and have access to food twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Even in comparison to other “first world” countries, Americans seem to be the champions of overeating. That is not a contest we want to win, at least not if we want to live a long, healthy life.
The word “fasting” may send some of you running, not in the form of exercise, but away from reading this blog! But, please stick around to see exactly what it is we are discussing. It is not fasting in the traditional form of going days or weeks on only liquids or a very limited diet. Many such fasts are in the form of religious observances which some people participate in. Today we are talking about timed fasts for good health and weight loss.
A timed fast is when you eat during a specific number of hours per day followed by a period of non-eating for a specific number of hours. A typical timed fast is referred to as a 12:12 fast. This is twelve hours when you eat (not the entire time, of course!), and twelve hours of non-eating. This is much easier than you might think. You are probably not hungry the very second you roll out of bed in the morning. You might grab a cup of coffee or hop in the shower first. So, if you get up at 6:30 am, let’s say that you eat breakfast at 7:00 am. That begins your twelve-hour cycle of eating. You then eat your food throughout the day from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm that night. At 7:00 pm, you stop eating for the day until 7:00 am the following morning.
When you think about it, you are asleep for the majority of your twelve non-eating hours! That makes it a lot easier! The hardest part is usually those few hours before bed when you feel the need to snack while watching television, reading, or playing on your phone. But, eating within two hours of going to bed isn’t good for you anyways. It’s not good for digestion, those with acid reflux, or for fat-burning. We tend to naturally eat less if we eat only within that twelve hour period of time which will help with weight loss.
Our body needs “down time” from eating. During this time insulin levels drop making stored body fat available for use (so it doesn’t stick around!), human growth hormone goes up which helps burn fat and build muscle, and damaged cell material is shed faster. This break from eating lets your body focus on other necessary “projects.”
We know that weight loss is not the same for everyone. We know that it can be an uphill battle. If you are interested in a weight loss program, then you need to give us a call. If you are tired of struggling for months on end only to lose a couple of pounds and are looking for a more rapid weight loss, then you need to give us a call. At Advanced Surgical, we offer the most up to date weight loss surgeries along with guidance and support on your weight loss journey. You may just need a weight loss program that works for you or you may want to consult us about the gastric balloon or lap band surgeries, for example. If you live in the Melbourne or Merritt Island areas, call today to set up your first appointment. We look forward to seeing you soon!