Trying to lose weight can be a challenging journey, especially when you factor in the countless diet plans available. But there is good news on the way! Recent research has found that intermittent dieting, specifically following a strict diet plan for just two days a week while eating normally for the remaining five days, may actually help with weight loss and even cut your risk of cancer.
Intermittent dieting – a winning formula?
An ever-growing body of research is indicating that intermittent dieting can have significant benefits for weight loss and overall health. According to these studies, you don’t have to diet every single day of your life to lose inches around your middle and maintain your weight – just two days a week will do the trick. The resulting weight loss from intermittent dieting has been found to lower insulin levels, which is a hormone known to promote cancer.
In a recent study by scientists at the Genesis Prevention Center at University Hospital in South Manchester, England, it was found that women who followed a restricted, low-carb diet for just two days a week lost more weight over a period of four months than those who restricted calories seven days a week. Shockingly, their blood tests also showed they had less insulin resistance, indicating that their bodies were handling blood sugar better. Increased insulin resistance has been linked to both breast cancer and diabetes.
The two-day diet plan: what to eat on your ‘diet’ days
In this particular study, 115 women were assigned one of three diets:
- For only two days a week, they restricted their calories and ate a low-carb diet. The rest of the week, they ate what they wanted.
- For two days a week, they ate a low-carb diet without restricting calories. The rest of the week, they ate what they wanted.
- Every single day of the week, they restricted calories and ate a Mediterranean-style diet.
The women following the first two diet plans (the two-days-a-week diets) lost more weight than those who dieted every day. They also had improved insulin resistance.
This weight loss strategy focuses on consuming lean, healthy proteins and healthy fats during the two ‘diet’ days of the week. These include fish (broiled and baked, not fried), lean meats, olive oil, nuts, and seeds.
A typical diet plan on the two ‘diet’ days of the week included the following meals:
- Breakfast: A banana with fruit tea or mug of coffee with milk.
- Mid-morning: A plum with a cup of tea.
- Lunch: Carrot and coriander soup and half-pint of milk, or salad, glass of diluted fruit juice and half-pint of milk.
- Mid-afternoon: Glass of diluted fruit juice, or glass of sparkling water and a tangerine.
- Dinner: Soy sauce and ginger stir-fry with two vegetables and glass of water, or vegetable curry with two vegetables, half-pint of milk, and a cup of tea.
- Supper: Pint of milk, or hot milk with cinnamon and sweeteners.
The health benefits of intermittent dieting
Women in this study who consumed this 650 calories-per-day diet for two days a week lost an average of about 13 pounds in six months. On average, their insulin levels dropped by 25 percent, and blood levels of protein that signal inflammation dropped by around 15 percent.
Gillian Haddock, a research professor who took part in the study, followed the 650-calorie diet on Monday and Tuesday. For her, the two-day plan was a success because she knew that by Wednesday, she would be eating normally. Haddock stuck to the plan by mainly having milky drinks at work so she didn’t have to worry about lunch breaks or preparing a packed lunch. Haddock is now trying to convince her friends to try this intermittent diet.
For those who have been trying to find a diet plan they can live with, this kind of approach to weight loss may work where other plans have typically failed. Not only is it manageable and efficient, but it also comes with numerous health benefits such as reduced insulin resistance and inflammation. Consider giving this two-day diet plan a shot – it might just be the solution you’ve been looking for.
