Eating less to lose more: it's a simple concept and a newly released study shows intermittent, alternate-day fasting can lead to weight loss results on par with stringent calorie counting -- but you may want to steer clear.
"I wouldn't recommend it with my clients," Maya Nahra, a dietitian with Healthy Habit Solutions, tells ABC15. "If you've been in the dieting world and you really do want to lose weight, we have to look at that as a long-term approach."
Nahra says long-term fasting of any kind isn't healthy and fasting incorrectly can be potentially dangerous. She calls it a "helpful tool" that helps reset insulin and glucose levels, "but the problem is here in America we like to take things to the absolute extreme."
Her recommendation instead? Stick to calorie counting, only eat when you're hungry, space out meals at least four hours apart and increase the amount of water you drink.
"Starting to think outside of the short-term, magic pill syndrome that so many of us have," she said, and instead, "what are the steps that I can take now that I can take for the rest of my life?"
