Most commonly, a food interval diet refers to timing meals and snacks at specific intervals to optimize weight loss results or muscle glycogen stores. Another key part of an interval diet is eating specific types of nutrients in order to achieve physical changes in the body on a short-term, temporary scale.
Features
A food interval diet starts about four or five days prior to a fitness competition or other goal event. According to Dustin Maher, a personal trainer in Madison, Wisconsin, the common strategy is to eat no carbohydrates and drink plenty of water on the first day of the diet. On the second day, eat very few carbohydrates and no fruit or dairy products, but do eat mainly protein, unsaturated fats and vegetables and drink several gallons of water. Day 3 involves more carbs and smaller amounts of protein and fat, and Day 4 is similar but calls for slightly less water. On the final day, dieters eat mainly high-sugar foods.
Function
Maher states that the goal of the interval diet is to bulk up muscles and make the skin look thin. The muscles will begin by flattening out with the lack of carbohydrates coupled with intense workouts. In the subsequent days, muscles will begin to "inflate" with increased amounts of carbohydrates and high-sugar foods.
Timing
Although many people have the misconception that the times they eat will influence weight loss or physical results, that's not the case. The food interval diet manages to achieve physical change at times because it restricts eating to certain nutrients and not because it calls for eating at certain times. However, eating times can affect workouts. The Mayo Clinic states that the most important rules of thumb are to eat a healthy breakfast each day, eat large meals three to four hours prior to exercising, eat after working out and refrain from skipping meals.
Considerations
According to the National Institutes of Health, the only proven way to achieve positive physical changes, lose weight safely and keep it off is through a regular program of exercise and healthy, low-calorie eating. Before beginning any new diet or exercise plan, talk with your doctor about the details, potential risks and your own health goals.
Warning
Maher does not recommend the food interval diet for improving health or losing weight on a long-term basis. Because the diet cuts out essential nutrients at certain times, it can result in uneven metabolic activity or nutrient deficiencies if followers attempt to follow it for long periods of time. The diet may also result in digestive discomfort, fatigue, chest pains or more serious health problems.
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