One Surprising Side Effect of Intermittent Fasting, New Study Says - msnNOW

Intermittent fasting has recently become the talk of the weight loss world, gaining countless devotees and being heralded as a simple weight loss plan that can help even those who've struggled to shed weight in the past.

To reach their conclusion, researchers from the University of Bath's Centre for Nutrition, Exercise & Metabolism had study participants break into three groups: group one fasted on alternate days and ate 50% more than usual on the day after a fast, group two reduced the number of total calories they consumed by 25% across meals with no fasting, and group three fasted every other day, but ate 100% more than usual on the day following their fast day.

Group one, which consumed the same number of calories as group two, but incorporated fasting, lost slightly less weight—3.5 pounds on average—but the pounds lost were approximately half fat, half muscle mass.

So, while sticking to an intermittent fasting plan may help you shed a few pounds, that weight loss may come at a cost to your other health and fitness goals!