If you want to lose weight, eat less food. Specifically, consume fewer calories. By limiting your nutrient intake, you force your body to burn some of its stored fat. Restricting calories is the crux of modern dieting, and for most people it's much more difficult than it sounds. One possible solution is to eat only every other day, rather than consuming less each day. This "alternate day diet" may be the newest trend, and for some, it may even work. Before starting a restricted-calorie diet of any type, consult with your doctor about its possible effect on your health.
Definitions
Caloric restriction is the practice of calculating the caloric content of your food, and restricting how many calories you eat each day. A typical caloric restriction diet involves consuming 15 to 40 percent fewer calories than your body uses each day. Over time, this results in weight loss. Alternate day dieting is similar to caloric restriction in that it results in an overall reduction in caloric intake. However, alternate day dieters may eat 500 calories or less on one day, then consume as much as they like the next.
Scientific Basis
According to the National Institute on Aging, caloric restriction may have the surprising effect of lengthening your life span and promoting healthy brain aging. This was first discovered in 1934, and is still a subject of scientific inquiry. All evidence seems to demonstrate that restricting calories really does lead to a longer life; however, scientists don't yet know why or how this might be true. Restricting calories for years or decades can be difficult for most people. The alternate day diet is designed to make the experience more pleasant and attainable for people who don't enjoy standard diet regimens.
Effectiveness
A 2011 article in "Obesity Reviews" claims that caloric restriction and alternate day dieting are equally effective in decreasing body weight and fat. Over the course of three to 12 weeks, caloric restriction dieters lost as much weight, and as much body fat, as alternate day dieters. However, alternate day dieters lost less muscle and retained their lean mass. More research is needed, but it appears that alternate day dieting may be more effective for people who wish to lose weight and stay healthy. Nonetheless, much more is known about the effectiveness of calorie restriction; further research on alternate day dieting may contradict current findings.
Controversy
The major difference between the two diet plans lies in methodology. While caloric restriction dieters must limit their food intake and count calories every day, alternate day dieters only need to worry about what they eat every other day. For this reason, alternate day dieting appears to be more of a fad diet. Labeled "part-time anorexia" by "The Independent" newspaper, this diet is the subject of a best-selling book, and the center of a controversial discussion on disordered eating and health. Before starting a restricted-calorie diet of any type, consult with your doctor about its possible effect on your health.
References
- University of Illinois at Chicago: Krista Varady, PhD
- National Institute on Aging -- Spotlight on Aging Research; Scientists Weigh Mechanisms, Effects of Calorie Restriction; March 2008
- "Ageing Research Reviews"; Caloric Restriction and Intermittent Fasting; B Martin et al.; August 2006
- "Obesity Reviews"; Intermittent versus Daily Calorie Restriction -- Which Diet Regimen Is More Effective for Weight Loss?; KA Varady; March 2011
- "The Independent"; Feast & Famine -- The Alternate Day Diet; April 2008
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