Kerri Waldron“Try to focus on what you’re adding, rather than what you’re taking away,” she says. As for pudding, if weight loss is your goal, try to give it a miss even on non-fasting days. “I generally recommend olive oil as a source of energy rather than sugar,” Travers continues.
Who suits the 4:3 diet?
It works well for people with time, head space and determination, Travers says – as well as for people who aren’t particularly focused on food or don’t get hungry. “In my experience, the people who are best at fasting are those who don’t need to lose a lot of weight,” she says. “I don’t recommend that people do this diet. But if they really feel they must do it, they should eat a lot of vegetables, do it for short period of time and make sure they eat a balanced diet on their non-fasting days.”
Who should avoid it?
The 4:3 diet isn’t usually suitable for pregnant or breastfeeding women or children, Travers warns, as well as those with health conditions. You might find it tricky if you’re on your period or going through the menopause, she adds, as fluctuating hormones can deplete your energy levels and mood even further. It’s also not the right diet for those with a history of disordered eating or eating disorders. “If you have a tough relationship with food, diets like this can actually create more stress in the mind,” says Beanie Robinson, a nutritionist and founder of The Health Space. “Even the language of the 4:3 diet – ‘free eating’ and ‘fasting’ – encourages bingeing one day and a sad, restrictive approach the next, which can play havoc with female mental health and hormones. People begin to forget what ‘normal’ eating looks like.”
Is intermittent fasting more successful for weight loss than time-restricted eating?
The jury is still out on this. Time-restricted eating – where you fast for 12 to 14 hours each day – is also showing positive results in weight-loss studies. “Fasting overnight is definitely easier – you can simply push breakfast later or eat earlier in the evening to get the full 12 hours,” Dr Collins says. “Yet with 4:3, you’ll probably create more of a calorie deficit over the course of seven days.” Travers, who has also tried time-restricted eating for research purposes, says the hardest part was missing her milky morning coffee. “I had to have black coffee, and this put me in a bad mood all morning.”
What happens afterwards? Will I put the weight back on again?
If you go back to your old habits, you will gain weight again, Travers says. “People tend to think ‘thank goodness that’s over’ and start eating like before.” Eating healthily and in moderation on the non-fasting days will help instil positive habits once the diet is over, she continues.
While the 4:3 diet isn’t something you would want to continue permanently, Dr Collins can see the benefits of continuing with regular fasting – just in a less extreme way. “The metabolic effects are the interesting part,” he says. “Even in a few hours, your body has transitioned to fat burning. Dramatic results are great, but it’s also important to think of health as something you’re managing for the rest of your life.”
Both Travers and Dr Collins believe there are other ways to bring fasting into your diet. “In my experience, you can get just as good results from eating well with an overnight fast,” Travers says. The Granny Diet is Beanie Robinson’s go-to: simple, homemade breakfast, lunch and dinner with no snacks in between. “No one knows what they’re meant to be eating anymore – they’re so confused by what they’ve seen on Instagram and TikTok,” she says. “Diets like the 4:3 can be difficult for women with fluctuating hormones – our bodies love regularity. Eating three healthy meals a day with a 12-hour fast overnight is brilliantly basic, and many of my clients find themselves losing weight.”
Source: bing.com
