Calorie deficit versus intermittent fasting: what better works for weight loss? – Gymbeam -Blog

Fast is a concept that we encounter on every corner. It is attributed to various health benefits, ranging from weight loss Unpleasant “Cleaning” the body. Whether it is about intermittent fasting or totally fasting, its impact on the body is not too negligible. The second common term is calorie deficiency, that Is a condition for effective weight loss. What is the difference between the two and what do they have in common? Is fasting better for weight loss? Does the body even clean during a calorie deficiency? That is what you will discover in this article.

What is fasting and why is it biologically logical?

Fasting is simply known as Fasting or intermittent fasting. It is one Targeted limitation of food intake For health, aesthetic or religious reasons. During fasting, processes are activated in the body, so that the body adapts to the reduced food intake. The very first adjustment of the body to long -term fasting is the Use of a secondary energy source – fats.

The internet is full of different ways in which someone can fast in daily life. The most common and most useful thing is to 16: 8 system, which translates into 16 hours of fasting and 8 hours of food. Regardless of the selected system, the body’s reaction is almost the same:

We are evolutionary adapted to Save excess energy In glycogen and fat shops, which we can use when needed. If we don’t use them and absorb them more and more, our stores will grow, which means we Will arrive. It follows that the hunger is of course for the human body and we have all the tools to cope with temporary limitation of food intake.

Autophagie or self -bite

Another aspect of fasting is autopagia. It is a process in which The body “eats” itself (From the Greek Autóphagos-Ziche-Eet). It is in fact a series of processes with which the body Recycles old and damaged cells And uses them to make new structures. Autophagie is almost always common. However, Limiting food intake The body forces to recycle old cells at a higher pace ^[1].

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Where does the body get its energy from during fasting?

The primary energy source in cells is glucose. However, because the body is very complex, it also uses fats that are in circulation at the same time. As long as we absorb enough food, the body has no reason to reach in glycogen or fat shops, unless we have high energy consumption, as in the case of some sports. However, when the available energy sources are gone, the body Starts to reach in stores. During intermittent fasting, which only takes a few hours, the body does not come to the point at which it used up all carbohydrates and only burns fats. So intermittent fasting does not lead to ketosis unless it is accompanied by a ketody ^[2].

Long -term fasting (3 days or more) leads to exhaustion of carbohydrate storeswho forces the body to use the second most efficient energy source – fat. Without carbohydrates, ketose is activated in the liver, where fats are converted Ketones/ketolates. These can be used immediately to create energy ^[2].

Ketosis works on the body as a stressor. It causes a stress response, but this reaction is adaptive-a moderate dose of oxidative stress will begin Antioxidant mechanisms in the Mitochondria. So ketosis has the potential to improve the body’s reaction to oxidative stress, to reduce inflammation caused by poor lifestyle choices and Improve mitochondrial health ^{[3 – 4]}.

The body can function fairly well without glucose. However, one organ is selfish and forces the liver to make specific glucose for it. That organ is it brainwhat Requires around 150 g of glucose per day. The process in which glucose is produced from available substances such as lactate, pyruvate or amino acids gluconeogenesis ^{[5 – 7]}.

Does calorie deficit have the same advantages as fasting?

What is the difference between fasting and calorie deficiency? By definition, a calorie shortage means that we will take fewer calories than we spend. It is therefore the Only effective way weight loss. With a calorie shortage we do not have to skip meals, the most important thing is not to exceed the total amount of calories. Unlike calorie deficiency, Fasting does not automatically lead to weight loss. If we absorb more total calories than our shortage when intermittent fasting, Our weight will not change. Weight loss does not depend on whether we eat every day, every other day or in timed windows. If we therefore do not stay in a calorie deficiency, we will not lose weight.

In terms of health benefits, such as autophagia, There is no noticeable difference between calorie deficiency and fasting. Autophagia, the natural process of cell recycling and renewal of the body, is activated at a higher speed when the body does not receive enough energy. The same effect as intermittent fasting has a continuous calorie deficiency ^[8].

Just like Vasten, a calorie deficiency improves metabolic health. In contrast to Vasten, however, the calorie deficiency has one big advantage – if correctly set, the has no risk of eating too much. This is what happens with fasting, when we start eating again after a fast and eat too much, so that the calorie deficiency is taken over.

From a health and practical perspective, the calorie deficiency therefore seems to be a more sustainable approach for improving health and weight loss.

Fasting and his risks

• After prolonged starvation, there is a risk of Food compensatory food. It is a mechanism that tries to keep us hungry after prolonged, so we start to eat more to supplement our stores.
• In the case of long -term fasting, when we do not consume protein, there is a risk of Loss muscle mass. This risk is minimized in the case of a calorie deficit with sufficient protein intake.
• With extreme hunger and excessive cellular stress, long -term activation of autophagia can continue to apoptosis – Cell death. Instead of efficiently recycling old and damaged cells, we also start losing healthy. But this is a pathological condition, not A normal consequence of fasting.
• Long -term hunger can lead mineral and vitamin deficiencies, as well as Hormonal imbalances.

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Conclusion

Fasting, either intermittent or in the long term, has its justification. For some people, it is a more convenient way to reduce the amount of calories they take effectively. It also finds its application in dealing with health problems That is the result of incorrect lifestyle choices and too much food. However, even during fasting, a calorie deficiency must be maintained, even during fasting.

Often praised health benefits, such as Autophagia or the antioxidant potential of ketosis, are feasible even without extreme fasting of several days. A well -adapted calorie deficit or ketody, in which we minimize the intake of carbohydrates and therefore force the body to use primary fats, can also do it. What is important is Long -term care for your body and non -extreme solutions in the short term. Feeling hungry is more natural than eating too much, but it can be done without extremes.