Most people outside of the government like to keep things simple. And that includes staying healthy. It also includes losing weight. Keep it simple, and there’s a much greater chance you’ll do it. So, is there a simpler way to maintain a healthy weight than counting calories and strictly watching everything you eat?

Recently, researchers published data on what is probably the simplest dietary approach to staying healthy and losing weight that you can imagine. No counting and no watching.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago. It was recently published in Cell Metabolism. The researchers looked at two forms of intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting basically means you can eat all you want. You just have to limit when you eat.

One form consisted of restricting eating times to between the hours of 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. The other form restricted eating to between the hours of 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. During the fasting hours, the men and women were directed to drink only water or calorie-free beverages. The study went on for 10 weeks.

Besides measuring weight, the researchers also tracked insulin resistance, oxidative stress, blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and inflammatory markers. Here’s what they found.

On average, the men and women lost three pounds for every 100 pounds of weight. But that’s not all. The researchers also found that insulin resistance and oxidative stress levels were significantly reduced. There was no effect on blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, or triglycerides. And there was no difference between the two forms.

According to Krista Varady, professor of nutrition at the UIC College of Applied Health Sciences and lead author of the study, “The findings of this study are promising and reinforce what we’ve seen in other studies — fasting diets are a viable option for people who want to lose weight, especially for people who do not want to count calories, or find other diets to be fatiguing.” Here are a few take away points about the value of intermittent fasting.

1. It’s healthy. Various studies have already shown that intermittent fasting improves overall metabolism and blood sugar control, reduces inflammation, improves cognitive function, prevents neurodegenerative disorders, increases growth hormone secretion, slows down aging, increases lifespan, and prevents cancer. How’s that for something that’s free!
2. It’s easy. Nothing to count, nothing to watch. And nothing to spend money on.
3. It saves time. On the days when I do intermittent fasting, I’m amazed and pleased by how much extra time I have during the day. Between the shopping, preparation, and cleanup time, it’s remarkable how much of our day we devote to meals. Intermittent fasting can give you an extra 1-2 hours a day to pursue other activities.
4. It can work even better than this study indicates. How much better would the results have been if the participants in this study restricted what they ate to only whole, unprocessed foods? Unlike this study, other studies that have done that show a significant reduction in blood lipids and blood pressure.
5. It’s doable. The 6-hour restriction worked every bit as well as the four-hour restriction, and I imagine was much easier to adhere to.
6. It’s modifiable. Intermittent fasting does not have to be done every day to get benefits. I have great results with many of my patients by only doing it 2-3 times per week.
7. It can be improved. On the days of fasting, it goes much better if you also take 2 scoops or 10 tablets of Perfect Amino. It offers no net calories, decreases hunger, and is a perfect supplement for fasting.

Intermittent fasting is great for your overall health. Give it a try and let me know how it works for you. My patients who use it love it.