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A celebrity personal trainer says intermittent fasting is bad for weight loss, and that you should eat every 2 to 3 hours instead

Camila Goodis 3
Celebrity trainer and pilates instructor Camila Goodis. Camila Goodis

  • A celebrity trainer told Insider she thinks intermittent fasting is a bad strategy for weight loss because it's not sustainable.
  • Camila Goodis, who has trained Adele, Sofia Vergara, and Robbie Williams, believes you should eat at least six times a day consuming something small every two to three hours. 
  • However, some studies suggest time-restricted feeding in this way is in fact a successful way to lose weight.
  • Registered dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine told Insider that the strategy would only lead to weight loss "by helping the dieter to create an energy deficit," just like any other diet.
  • Goodis also advises those looking to lose fat to avoid eating out at all costs because she "doesn't trust restaurants."
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more. 
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Intermittent fasting has soared in popularity in recent years.

While the concept — usually practised by "fasting" for 16 hours over night and shortening your daily window of food consumption to eight hours — has been scientifically linked to numerous health benefits, the majority of people do it because they want to lose weight.

However, a celebrity personal trainer told Insider she thinks it's a bad strategy for fat loss.

Camila Goodis — known as the "Brazilian body wizard" — believes the key to sustainable weight loss is eating six times a day, so a meal or snack every two to three hours.

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"There is no human being that can be doing this [intermittent fasting] for their whole life," she told Insider. "Your body needs the normal. Eat when you're hungry, right? You don't want to starve yourself."

Goodis is a certified pilates instructor, personal trainer, and lifestyle consultant who has trained a host of celebrities including Sofia Vergara, Robbie Williams, and many others that she can't disclose due to NDAs.

Most recently she's been widely heralded as the person responsible for Adele's dramatic transformation. However, Goodis clarified to Insider that although she has trained Adele in the past, she hasn't seen the singer in seven years.

Camila Goodis 1
Goodis advocates a mix of pilates and strength-training. Goodis advocates a mix of pilates and strength-training.

For her clients, Goodis recommends eating little and often — she herself eats seven times a day sometimes.

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"You're constantly eating. But it's small quantities and whole foods," she said.

"So once you eat every two hours or every three hours, you're never hungry because you're constantly fueling. Your body is like a gasoline, like your car, right? If you don't put gas in your car, your car is not going to go. Our body works the same."

Goodis believes eating often helps those trying to lose weight stay in a calorie deficit because they know their next feed is never far away, so smaller portions are easier to enjoy.

"They eat small, but they know that in two hours they're going to eat again and be like, 'okay, that's not that bad,'" she said.

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Some studies have linked intermittent fasting to weight loss

Despite Goodis' claims, multiple scientific studies have linked intermittent fasting to weight loss, and not just because following the regimen leads to reduced calorie intake without trying.

For example, in a 2012 study conducted by the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California, mice who only ate during an eight-hour daily window were slimmer than those who ate round the clock, despite both groups consuming the same amount of calories and similar foods. 

A more recent study (2019) on humans, however, found no weight loss differences between those who followed intermittent fasting and those who simply restricted calories.

Nutrition experts are generally divided about whether this form of intermittent fasting — known as time-restricted feeding — is better for sustainable weight loss than simply reducing energy intake. 

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"Intermittent fasting is an interesting concept, however when it comes to weight loss it works by the exact same mechanism as every other diet; by helping the dieter to create an energy deficit," registered dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine told Insider.

"It should be noted however that these diets won't elicit weight loss if the dieter eats more than what their body burns off during the allocated eating window.

"The best diet for weight loss is the one that suits your lifestyle the most as this way adherence will be greater; if intermittent fasting works for you then great, but if it doesn't, then don't worry about it; just try tweaking your diet in other ways."

Ludlam-Raine added that from a dietetic point of view, she wouldn't recommend intermittent fasting for "those who have diabetes and take insulin or medication such as glimepiride which can cause hypos (low blood glucose levels) without speaking to a healthcare professional first."

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She also pointed out that it isn't suitable during pregnancy or when breastfeeding.

Avoid eating out to boost weight loss

Goodis also believes you should avoid eating out as much as possible if you're trying to lose weight — restaurant food tends to be extra calorific because there's often lots of oil and butter added which, although delicious, can ramp up the calories drastically without you realizing.

"I don't care how healthy the restaurant is, you don't know how this food is cooked," she said. "They put a lot of salt and oil in the food, so I don't trust any restaurant. If you're on a real diet, I don't trust any restaurant besides my kitchen."

Camila Goodis 2
Goodis says she doesn't trust the food in any restaurant. Camila Goodis

When it comes to losing fat, Goodis believes it's 90% down to diet and nutrition, and that you don't even have to go to the gym if you don't want to.

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"If you follow your diet, go for a little walk three times a week, you will lose weight," she said.

And on the flipside, even if you're training multiple times a week in the gym, if you're overeating — even "healthy" foods — you won't lose weight, according to Goodis.

"Everything is portion control," Goodis said, adding that she recommends people start measuring their foods if they've never done it before so they know how much they're eating.

Gaining muscle, strength, and sculpting a "toned" physique, however, is a different matter, and that definitely requires exercise — Goodis favours a mixture of strength-training and pilates.

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Read more:

Adele posted photos from her Christmas party, and fans can't get over how amazing she looks

I'm a longtime runner who recently took up weightlifting, but my body hasn't changed. What am I doing wrong?

I planked for a minute every day for a month, and was surprised when I actually noticed a flatter stomach

Read the original article on INSIDER. Copyright 2020.

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