CHARLOTTE, N.C. — We’re well into February, and many people have fallen off the wagon with their New Year’s resolutions while others are sticking with their goal of eating healthier in 2024. 

There are many fad diets people are trying, but do they really work and are they good for you? 

One of the most popular diet trends is known as intermittent fasting, or IF. It’s been a diet craze for years, and many people have talked about its effectiveness on social media. Intermittent fasting is when a person fasts for a certain period of time. You can do this every day or only on certain days of the week. Many people have tried it, but is intermittent fasting actually good for you and does it work? 

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Fasting continues to grow as a popular diet practice, and it’s a pretty simple concept. According to a study in the National Library, this diet involves taking periodic breaks from eating for up to 24 hours at a time.

“It’s really hard to stick to an eating plan for a long period, but research shows there are a series of health benefits.,” Supan said 

Those benefits can include: 

• Lowering blood sugar
• Decreased inflammation
• Weight loss

But with everything, there is no “magic diet” that will make you fit overnight. Supan said it’s more about what foods you eat and when you eat them, and making sure not to over-indulge.

“You still need a well-balanced diet,” Supan said. “You still need to be mindful of the foods you’re choosing, but it can be a really beneficial rule for people when considering lifestyle changes.”

Robinson said if you are going to start any diet, be sure to talk to your doctor to see if it is right for you.

“If your body is not used to restricting food intake you want to take it slow, ease into it,” Robinson said.