TV doctor and weight loss specialist Micheal Mosely has branded the myth that people need to eat more in order to keep blood sugar up as "terrible advice". He says that it could slow weight loss and fat burning.
One tip that he does promote, however, is a later breakfast time, as he stands by tactical and safe fasts to promote fat burning. Dr Mosely is known for promoting abnormal eating times as a means to encourage weight loss.
The TV doctor has created a number of diet plans such as the Very Fast 800 diet and the new 5:2 diet, which focus on when you eat as well as what you eat. His Fast 800 Diet in particular involves fasting and eating at certain specific times.
The doctor has said that people can slim down without having to worry about low blood sugar. He went as far as to urge people to follow a fasting diet that can promote fat burning to effectively lose weight, reports the Express.
He said: "We are designed to run on two fuels, sugar and fat. Only when your sugar supply starts to go down do you switch into fat burning, and that takes about 10 hours without food. Then it exponentially takes off."
He added: "So the idea that you have to eat all the time and keep your blood sugars up is terrible, terrible advice."
Dr Mosley went on to explain that unless people are exercising "vigorously", then fat burning can take 10 hours to start, which is why he recommends eating breakfast as late as possible to lengthen the time without food. Exercising more or harder than usual can lower blood sugar quicker, according to Healthline.
"You run on this fast accessible fuel, which is the sugar in your blood," he said. "It's also stored as a thing called glycogen. It's really only when that goes down that you go into the major fat burning."
For those partaking in particularly strenuous workouts, people should take steps to ensure that their blood sugar levels don't drop too low. While low blood sugar can aid weight loss if monitored correctly to switch to fat burning mode, there is a chance that people can also gain weight because of the cravings it produces.
Dr Elizabeth Halprin said: "This means patients are eating more calories than they would normally."
Instead, she noted that actively avoiding low blood sugar and the subsequent food cravings it causes, helps prevent unintended weight gain. Harvard Medical School recommended the best way to lose weight is to maintain healthy blood sugar levels and follow a nutritious, balanced diet.
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