Nowadays, more health enthusiasts are striving to achieve a lean body and maintain their ideal weight. They look out for different methods which can help them in losing weight and achieve the body they’ve always wanted. That’s why the top two ways people used to lose weight faster are dieting and fasting. Both methods can help you give up bad eating habits such as binge-eating or stress-eating.
However, while both terms may sound the same and are used for the same purpose, they are actually quite different from each other.
To give you more understanding between the two and help you choose which one can fit your lifestyle, here are the five differences between dieting and fasting.
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Definition
The first thing you need to know: dieting and fasting are two different things.
- Dieting is the act of regulating one’s food intake. With your personalized diet plans, you will be capable of reducing excess fat by minimizing macronutrient intake (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats). Those macronutrients sum up most of the food portions a person eats daily. A healthy diet can protect you from malnutrition, including non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, stroke, cancer, and heart diseases.
- Fasting is the act of not eating and sharp restriction of your food intake periodically. It involves going through the discomfort of hunger. For some religions and cultures, fasting has a deeper meaning and goal. Their goal is to fast for a healthy soul and spiritual life.
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How Is It Consumed
When you’re dieting, you must include the following in your consumption:
- Fruits, nut, whole grains, unprocessed maize, millet, oats, and vegetables
- Limited intake of sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake
- Less than 30% of total energy is taken from fats.
- Unsaturated fats are preferred to saturated fats and trans-fat of all kinds, including. It is suggested that consumption of saturated fats should be reduced to less than 10% of total energy intake and trans-fats to less than 1% of total energy intake.
During fasting, you are only allowed to take water, or in more famous terms, Water fasting.
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Frequency of Intake
In dieting, you still eat three times a day. However, you must only take a limited amount of food. Plus, you have to make sure that you’ve incorporated the necessary nutrients into your diet.
During fasting, there is zero consumption of food during a certain period of time. You are not allowed to eat anything but only water.
Intermittent fasting. Healthy breakfast, diet food concept. Organic meal. Fat loss concept. Weight loss. Top view
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Types
There are plenty of weight-loss diets you can choose from. The following are the most common types of Diet:
- Vegan Diet – This is a form of vegetarian diet wherein you eliminate meat and animal products from your regular meals. Its purpose is to reduce cholesterol and saturated fat intake through careful planning and rations.
- Paleo Diet – This is a natural way of eating by abandoning all sugar intake. Processed foods and grains are also not allowed in a Paleo Diet. Only fish, fowl, vegetables, oils, nuts, eggs and meat, and sweet potatoes can be consumed in this type of diet.
- Low-carb Diet – This is a type of diet that involves limiting carb intake to 20-150 grams per day. This diet intends to force your body to use your fats as fuel instead of consuming carbs as a primary source of energy.
- Atkins Diet – It is the most well-known low-carb diet. In this type of diet, you can take as much protein and fats as you like, as long as you don’t include carbs. Its effectiveness is proven as this process reduces your appetite.
There are three main types of Fasting:
- Calorie Restriction Fasting – Like what you have commonly known about fasting, it is going with no food intake for a certain period. Fasting between 18-48 hours is considered effective as long as you consume adequate calories before you start fasting.
- Macro-nutrient Restriction Fasting – This type of fasting works best for athletes who require more protein intake. It involves restricting the consumption of protein, carbohydrates, and fats.
- Seasonal Eating – This type of fasting is directed by personalized nutrition, where you learn what works best for you on a seasonal basis.
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Purpose
Choosing between dieting and fasting, there are different factors you need to consider, but more importantly, you have to start with the reason you’re doing it in the first place.
Dieting – Undergoing a healthy diet helps in the prevention of malnutrition cases, including the range of non-communicable diseases. Following the proper diet impacts how you feel today, tomorrow, and so on in terms of taking care of your health. But of course, a well-balanced diet can go well when partnered with a healthy lifestyle and regular exercise.
Fasting – Some people fast due to their religion and culture. The purpose of fasting protects Them from gluttony and impure thoughts, words, and actions. On the other hand, they benefit from a wide array of potential health benefits such as weight loss, healthy heart and mind, improved blood sugar, and cancer prevention.
The Bottom Line
By referring to the key points above, the difference between dieting and fasting can easily be understood. The main difference between the two is that dieting is the personalized food consumption for specific health benefits. In contrast, fasting is the practice of not consuming food for a certain period. Both can be used interchangeably, but both are used for the same reasons: having a healthy life and achieving weight loss goals.
