• Facebook
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• TikTok

One of the work-from-home perks we’ve enjoyed the last few months is wearing soft, comfy stretch pants all day. Ah! Nothing feels better on the belly. That is, until you try to zip up your regular pants and realize maybe you’ve gotten just a little too comfortable. Well, take heart. By incorporating a few healthy eating habits, you’ll be back in those office pants sooner than you think.  Try intermittent fasting and these top 10 weight loss tips.

In This Healthy Insight:

1. What Happens When We Eat?
2. Intermittent Fasting How Does it Work?
3. What are the Benefits of Intermittent Fasting?
4. Top 10 Eating Habits to Lose Weight

What Happens When We Eat?

When we eat, our body breaks down food and utilizes the glucose for immediate energy needs. However, the amount of glucose we get from one meal is much more than we need. So, where does the excess go? There are two storage units:

1. We break down food into special glucose molecules (glycogen) that’s stored in the liver and muscles. But these areas have limited storage space.  
2. Next, your body turns excess glucose into fat which is mainly transported to bigger, less accessible, fat storage areas (think belly, hips, thighs).

Intermittent Fasting How Does it Work?

We have two states – “fed” and “fasted.” The fed state – eating, digesting & absorbing – lasts up to 5 hours after you eat, while insulin levels remain high. In the fasted state, or lipolysis, insulin levels decrease, signaling your body to pull insulin from somewhere else – typically your inaccessible fat storage. As you can imagine, this is good news for weight loss.

What are the Benefits of Intermittent Fasting?

• Lowers insulin & blood sugar levels – After the sugar from your most recent meal is depleted, insulin levels naturally start to drop.
• Weight & body fat loss – The decrease in insulin levels helps facilitate fat burning because it forces the body to use fat reserves.
• Increases insulin sensitivity – When you go without a sugar source for so long, you are more sensitive to smaller amounts, which benefits overall health.  
• Stimulates HGH secretion to maintain muscle, lean tissue & bone mass – We secrete less HGH as we age, which means more body fat, less lean body mass and less bone mass. IF stimulates HGH secretion to help us continuously burn fat while maintaining muscle, tissue and bone mass.
• Implements beneficial hormonal, genetic & cellular changes/processes – IF helps turn on genes and raise hormones that facilitate fat burning. For example, adiponectin – the hormone that tells our body to burn fat – is drastically increased. Pairing IF with proper nutrient intake can help decrease cortisol and increase melatonin. This eating pattern also triggers a detox phase called autophagy where cells begin to remove waste and unnecessary debris.
• Increases the protein BDNF – This important protein plays a major role in neuroplasticity – producing new brain cells and connections thus, boosting memory, improving mood and facilitating learning.
• Fosters healthy blood pressure, cholesterol & blood triglycerides – We pull from our reserves and utilize what we can – including cholesterol and triglycerides which, are commonly found in our blood. Reducing this amount helps balance blood pressure.
• Inflammation – Since our cells are starting to detox in efforts to utilize waste, any inflammation decreases and our resistance to oxidative stress (free radical damage) increases.  One of our most abundant ketones blocks the part of our immune system that regulates inflammation – reassigning this to our brain fuel helps regulate inflammation.
• Additional Benefits – Don’t have time to cook healthy or cook at all? Have a strict schedule? Diet restrictions? IF covers all of this – convenient, cheaper, flexible, simple and anyone (within reason) can do it regardless if you are vegan, vegetarian, allergies, are traveling or simply don’t have time.

Talk to your healthcare provider to see if intermittent fasting is right for you. If you are looking for some extra help to curb appetite, boost metabolism, burn fat or add to your overall regime, check out some of our best weight loss supporters!

If you are looking for an extra boost, check out some of our customer favorites!

10 Eating Habits to Help You Lose Weight

1. Eat slowly and mindfully – It takes 20 minutes for your brain to receive signals that you’re full, so give it time to register.
2. Add protein to each meal – Protein takes longer to digest, making you less likely to snack. Breakfast protein is especially important as it sets the metabolic pace for the day.
3. During the meal, drink water between bites.
4. Eat a piece of fruit before dinner – An apple provides 5 grams of fiber and helps curb your appetite and enhance digestion.
5. Use a smaller salad plate for dinner – It changes your portion size and still gives you the perception your plate is full.
6. If you eat bread, choose whole grain bread with at least 2 grams of fiber per slice.
7. Cut the soda – By eliminating soda (both diet and regular), you can lose 10 pounds in a year.
8. Eat your sandwich with just one slice of bread – Better yet, wrap your sandwich in lettuce.
9. Avoid processed and white foods – which are high in calories, sodium and preservatives.
10. Brush your teeth – You’ll be inclined to keep your mouth clean.