Intermittent fasting, which involves abstaining from food for a relatively short period of time, has become a popular diet method for anyone looking to lose weight. However, a new study brings some bad news for dieters who hope to lose belly fat, noting that fasting can put stomach fat in “preservation mode”, making it more difficult to lose.
The new study comes from the University of Sydney, where researchers used advanced instruments to study how fat responds to intermittent fasting. The researchers analyzed fat deposits located in different parts of the body during fasting on alternate days, which involves eating only on alternate days.
Two different varieties of fat have been studied: visceral fat, the type found in the middle section around the organs, and subcutaneous fat, which is the soft fat that resides under the skin. In comparison to subcutaneous fat, the study found that visceral fat resisted the release of energy during fasting.
In addition, the researchers note that both types of fat appear to increase their ability to store excess calories in the form of fat when subjected to intermittent fasting, probably due to the body’s effort to store more energy before the next fasting period.
Visceral fat in particular has been found to go into a type of preservation mode after several sessions of fasting, a type of adaptation that can make it more resilient when someone is trying to lose weight. It is important to note that the study involved fasting on alternate days and the results may not apply to other fasting protocols or simple calorie restriction.