A recent study revealed habits that can be more effective in getting rid of belly fat and losing weight, the best of which remains intermittent fasting.
The study was conducted by researchers from China, and was published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine on October 22.
The study included participants who were given 3 options in the diet, as follows:
44 of the participants chose to eat time-restricted food, ie intermittent fasting.
47 participants followed a low-carb diet
44 participants followed a regimen that combined intermittent fasting with reduced carbs.
Those who followed intermittent fasting were asked to eat every 8 hours, and it lasted either from 8 am to 4 pm, or from 12 pm to 8 pm.
After a 3-month period, the results showed that the three eating habits could lead to weight loss.
However, eating only time-restricted food, intermittent fasting, specifically led to participants losing visceral fat in the abdomen, the rumen.
intermittent fasting
"I think this is good news for people with obesity or metabolic syndrome," dietitian Laurie Walker told Eat This Not That. "Both a low-carb diet and a time-restricted eating schedule seem to be effective treatments." for weight loss, so it's worth trying both to see which works best for you."
On why time-restricted eating is so effective in losing weight without counting calories, Walker explains that time-restricted eating "helps control the amount of food you eat."
"By only allowing yourself to eat, over a certain period of time, you are less likely to overeat," Walker adds.
"The study found, a time-restricted diet can also help reduce visceral fat. And why is it more effective than a low-carb diet? I think the reason for this is that a low-carb diet can be difficult to stick to in the long-term. It is restrictive and can be difficult to maintain, while a time-restricted diet is more flexible and easier to follow.”