Jillian Michaels Says This Is Why Intermittent Fasting Isn’t Good for Weight Loss

Fitness guru and former Biggest Loser trainer Jillian Michaels is frequently vocal about her opinion on what works and what doesn’t when it comes to diet and exercise. Now that the practice of intermittent fasting – going without food or extremely restricting calories for a period of time – has become popular, Michaels shared her thoughts on this latest weight loss trend.

Celebs who swear by intermittent fasting

The diet practice has gained popularity due to many celebrities raving over the results. Top stars including Jennifer Aniston, Chris Pratt, Halle Berry, and Kate Walsh have become big believers in intermittent fasting and have made it a part of their daily routine.

“I saw results and I really felt like it was great.” Walsh told Us Weekly last year. “I was doing one day a week of fasting, from 6 p.m. to 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. to 7 p.m. “I did find that you definitely lose a lot of water weight.”

Pratt shared his success on his Instagram Story last December. “So I’m doing this intermittent fasting thing. Don’t eat ‘til noon, trying to get my cardio in in the morning — super exciting actor stuff,” Pratt said, according to Us Weekly. “Look it up, check it out, it’s actually kinda cool. It works pretty good and I’ve lost a little weight so far.”

A clarification

Michaels has an impressive social media fan base, with 1.2 million followers on Instagram. She recently posted a video on the platform to address the many questions she receives on the use of intermittent fasting. First, she wanted to clarify what fasting truly is.

“A lot of people make the mistake of thinking fasting is synonymous with not eating or dramatically reducing your calories, which it isn’t,” she in the video, according to Women’s Health. “Fasting is simply a period of time when you’re not eating. It doesn’t mean you’re eating less, which isn’t a bad thing if you’re trying to lose weight but it’s a separate issue.”

The fitness guru addresses that there are definite positives for your health in the practice, saying it “benefits your immunity and your anti-aging, helps you stay younger longer. Intermittent fasting is really good for staying your most vital self for as long as possible,” Michaels said.

Why it’s not good for losing weight

While Michaels agrees there are health benefits to intermittent fasting, she doesn’t see it as a productive weight loss tool. “It isn’t actually good for weight loss. That’s just not true,” she said. “The only thing that works for weight loss is calories in, calories out.”

The former Biggest Loser star advises that you still need be careful of your calorie count even if you’re practicing an intermittent fasting regimen. “If you eat more energy than your body needs in a day, then you’ll store that energy as fat, period,” Michaels explained. “If you want to lose weight, it doesn’t really matter when you consume your calories. It just matters how much you’re consuming and how much you’re burning.”

For those who still want to give intermittent fasting a try, she suggests her idea for the most productive schedule. “I recommend eating every three to four hours, so it automatically gives you an overnight fast period of minimum 12, maximum 16 fasting hours. That is it,” Michaels said.

Sounds like a plan!