The “leading” diet and exercise combo you may need in your life

We’ve known for some time that intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating (TRE) is beneficial for metabolic health and can support weight loss.

We’ve also known that High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, is also very beneficial for us. But now a groundbreaking new study was recently published in the journal cell metabolism It was found that the combination of the two provides superior results for both weight loss and glucose control in the body.

It’s one of the first published studies to specifically examine weight loss outcomes with overweight and obese women, and while the study only took a few weeks, it does indicate that strict calorie control and exercise loads are not necessarily required to achieve a positive weight. Loss results.

Read more: A nutritionist reveals the pros and cons of popular diets

What did you study?

The study included 130 overweight and obese women and lasted for seven weeks. During this time, participants were either asked to limit their calorie intake for 10 hours, minus any prescribed calorie prescription. Or add 10-20 minutes of HITT training three times each week. Or do both.

Whereas all study groups except for the control group lost weight, the group that combined TRE and HIIT training lost significantly more weight and had better glucose control in this relatively short period of time.

Why is this group likely to work?

Not only does limiting food intake to fewer hours each day leads to a decrease in overall calorie intake, but extending overnight fasting has been shown to have a number of metabolic benefits especially with those with issues with glucose regulation, insulin resistance and Family history of type 2, gestational diabetes, or some types of PCOS.

In addition, the time-efficient nature of HIIT, as well as the metabolic benefits associated with a training style that really elevates the heart rate, seem to suit individuals who can more easily incorporate this into their routine, while providing important metabolic benefits that help enhance fat loss results.

What do we still need to know?

This is a relatively short study, lasting only a few weeks, and while this resulted in weight loss, it was still in relatively small amounts. We still need to know if the weight loss will be sustained over a longer period of time.

And whether including a degree of calorie control and macronutrient balance as part of TRE will boost results or even lead to significant weight loss. We also need to know if losses are initially maintained over a period of three, six and 12 months before we can assume that this is an appropriate weight loss program for overweight women.

What can we learn from these results?

Contrary to popular belief, weight loss is not based on spending hours pounding the pavement or strict calorie control. Instead, simply lengthen the number of hours each day that we take a break from eating, ideally in line with our 24-hour circadian rhythm as we eat more calories throughout the first half of the day and fast through the night for at least 12 hours. Hence, making sure to raise our heart rate occasionally can be enough to induce weight loss in overweight individuals. Plus, these options are sustainable and easy to integrate into the busy modern life where time is of the essence and calories are plentiful.

How can you incorporate these changes and reap the benefits?

Just waiting an hour or two when you wake up, or waiting until you’re really hungry to eat breakfast and then enjoying your last meal in 10 hours, will provide a number of benefits for glucose control and even weight in the long run.

In the case of exercise, quality is just as important as quantity, and if you can only manage 10 or 20 minutes in the gym or go out for a run a few times each week, you can still do a very effective exercise that supports weight loss, especially when combined with a TRE-based workout. daily.

author Suzy Borrell He is a leading Australian Dietitian and Dietitian, and founder of formalco-hosted feeding sofa audio notation and a prominent media speaker, with regular appearances in both print and television media commenting on all areas of diet, weight loss, and nutrition.

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