How To Do It
The easiest way to follow the 16:8 diet is to choose a 16-hour fasting window that includes the time that a person spends sleeping.
Some experts advise finishing food consumption in the early evening, as metabolism slows down after this time. However, this is not feasible for everyone.
Some people may not be able to consume their evening meal until 7 p.m. or later. Even so, it is best to avoid food for 23 hours before bed.
People may choose one of the following 8-hour eating windows:
- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- noon to 8 p.m.
Within this timeframe, people can eat their meals and snacks at convenient times. Eating regularly is important to prevent blood sugar peaks and dips and to avoid excessive hunger.
Some people may need to experiment to find the best eating window and mealtimes for their lifestyle.
Intermittent Fasting Isn’t Safe For Everyone
According to Heilbronn, intermittent fasting is not for everyone.
“People who take medication that can cause hypoglycemia shouldn’t do this diet without talking with their doctors,” she says.
You should also avoid intermittent fasting if:
- You’re pregnant or breastfeeding
- You’re not fully grown
- You have a history of eating disorders
Does Intermittent Fasting Really Work For Weight Loss
Intermittent fasting is without a doubt an effective way to lose weight. We may as well reveal that. Although, there are many results and research you may want to acknowledge before believing its all true.
Most studies conclude that intermittent fasting can offer weight loss to every participant. You may be wondering how and why it works for weight loss. Plus, you may question if and how it is better than other weight loss methods.
First, it can help you eat less calories and less food in general. Restricting how much you eat is a natural and effective way to lose weight.
According to studies, intermittent fasting may reduce body weight by up to 8%. The study also saw a decrease in body fat by up to 16% over 3 to 12 weeks.
Intermittent fasting can kick start fat burning hormones. This hormone is norepinephrine, which excels metabolic rates and increases fat burning. The hormone works by speeding up energy expenditure. The quicker release of energy allows your body to burn glucose as well as fat. When the body runs out of glucose, it turns to fat for fuel. This is known as the ketosis process, which is a key driver of weight loss in intermittent fasting.
When paired with a ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting can speed up ketosis. Which amplifies weight loss. Both diet methods promote ketosis. Thus, the two together excel weight loss further.
Many assume that exercising during fasting is not safe or effective. Lets find out more:
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Stick To The Bodys Circadian Rhythm
No matter what kind of eating pattern, you can never go wrong when it follows the bodys internal clock. This means eating during the day and resting during the night.
So, what you can do is eat during the earlier hours of the day. While a 7 am to 3 pm routine is not always practical, a 10 am to 6 pm is doable.
For that matter, even a 16/8 intermittent fasting approach can work.
How Do Intermittent Fasting Diets Work For Weight Loss
A diet that gives the best results for the least amount of effort has become the holy grail, and according to Dr Zac Turner it actually exists.
Welcome to Ask Doctor Zac, a weekly column from news.com.au.
This week Dr Zac Turner looks at whether intermittent fasting works for weight loss.
Question: Hi Dr Zac, I know Im getting old when each day there is a new thing young people do that makes me confused, and sometimes cross. One of my young co-workers has just started a fasting diet and it doesnt make any sense to me how can not eating for two days make up for normal eating the other five?
I hate to be that person but, back in my day, our diets didnt involve starving ourselves, we simply ate meals with less calories.
Is a fasting diet actually beneficial to losing weight or is it another sham in the long list of popular diets? Cheryl, Perth
Answer: Hi Cheryl, Thanks for your question. To put it simply, yes. Intermittent fasting, when done correctly, can be extremely beneficial to losing weight because it trains the body to not store fat.
The human body is a lazy machine, it is always trying its best to use the least amount of energy as possible. Intermittent fasting is all about changing our physiology from storing to utilising calories consumed, or in other words, increasing your metabolic rate.
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There are three popular methods for intermittent fasting:
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The Science Behind Intermittent Fasting
One of the major keys to understanding fasting, to understanding really any diet, is understanding the role insulin plays, Dr. Hutchins says. Insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar, is made in the pancreas and released in the bloodstream in response to eating. Once released, insulin causes the body to store energy as fat. Insulin makes fat, so the more insulin made, the more fat you store, he says.
During intermittent fasting, the periods when you are not eating give the body time to lower insulin levels, which reverses the fat-storing process. When insulin levels drop, the process goes in reverse and you lose fat.
Two other hormones, ghrelin and leptin, are also at work. Ghrelin is the hunger hormone and tells you when youre hungry. Some data suggest that intermittent fasting can decrease ghrelin, Dr. Hutchins says. Theres also some data that says theres an increase in leptin, which is the satiety hormone. Thats the one that says, Hey, Im full.
With more leptin and less ghrelin, people will feel fuller faster and hungry less often, which could translate to fewer calories consumed and, as a result, weight loss.
Lessons Learned From 1 Year Of Intermittent Fasting
1. The biggest barrier is your own mind.
Implementing this diet is pretty simple, you just don’t eat when you wake up. Then you eat and lunch and go about your day. At least, that’s how I do it.
But there is a mental barrier to get over. If I don’t eat will I not be able to think? Will I faint? Will I feel sick? What will it be like? These are all thoughts that went through my mind before I started.
What ended up happening? Nothing. Life went on just fine.
Thinking you need to eat every 3 hours or six meals a day or always have breakfast or whatever it is that youre convinced you have to do to survive is all mental. You believe it because you were told it, not because you actually tried it.
If there’s one thing I’ve noticed that separates successful people from unsuccessful ones in life it’s not just the ability to think differently, but the ability to act differently as well.
2. Losing weight is easy.
When you eat less frequently you tend to eat less overall. As a result, most people who try intermittent fasting end up cutting weight. You might plan big meals, but consistently eating them is difficult in practice.
Most people lose weight while intermittent fasting because when they cut out meals, they don’t make up for it with bigger meal sizes.
3. Building muscle is quite possible .
I have managed to gain weight while intermittent fasting , but only because I have focused on eating a lot during my feeding period.
5. For best results, cycle what you eat.
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How To Implement Intermittent Fasting
The fasting periods in the second study were severe participants ate all of their meals within a six hour window, finishing dinner before 3 p.m. But Stager says it doesnt have to be that dramatic. In general we know that reducing someones normal eating patterns, so if someone normally eats over a 12 hour period, reducing that to a 10-hour period is probably going to provide some benefit. I think more so than the duration of the fast is the timing of the fast, Stager says. To start, she recommends just moving dinner up a little earlier.
After a few weeks of eating like this, participants in the early time restricted feeding study lost their appetite at night, so its likely that after you get over that initial 2-4 week hump, intermittent fasting could be relatively easy to maintain. But for those struggling to go long hours without eating, exercise can help speed up the time it will take for that metabolic switch to happen. will accelerate the depletion of the liver energy stores and the switching to fat, Mattson says. While many people find it easiest to stick to a short eating window by skipping breakfast, Stager says tha waiting all day to eat and then gorging at dinner wont be as beneficial, since youll likely eat differently than you would have earlier in the day.
How To Eat On Fasting Days
There is no rule for what or when to eat on fasting days.
Some people function best by beginning the day with a small breakfast, while others find it best to start eating as late as possible.
Generally, there are two meal patterns that people follow:
Since calorie intake is limited 500 calories for women and 600 calories for men it makes sense to use your calorie budget wisely.
Try to focus on nutritious, high-fiber, high-protein foods that will make you feel full without consuming too many calories.
Soups are a great option on fast days. Studies have shown that they may make you feel more full than the same ingredients in original form, or foods with the same calorie content (
There is no specific, correct way to eat on fasting days. You have to experiment and figure out what works best for you.
Read Also: How Many Calories When Intermittent Fasting
How Much Weight Can You Lose From Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is not a quick weight loss fix. It might take your body a few weeks to start shedding the extra pounds.
Do not expect to drop up to 20 pounds within your first week of intermittent fasting.
Like many diets, you need to remain consistent and make lifestyle changes to get results.
It might take a few weeks for you to drop your first pound from intermittent fasting. However, once you start, you can expect to lose about a pound each week. Some people can lose up to 10 pounds each month.
Therefore, your body type will determine your results.
May Smooth Your Path To Ketosis
Intermittent fasting may help your body reach ketosis quicker than the keto diet alone.
Thats because your body, when fasting, maintains its energy balance by shifting its fuel source from carbs to fats the exact premise of the keto diet .
During fasting, insulin levels and glycogen stores decrease, leading your body to naturally start burning fat for fuel .
For anyone who struggles to reach ketosis while on a keto diet, adding intermittent fasting may effectively jumpstart your process.
Read Also: How To Succeed With Intermittent Fasting
/8different Approaches To Intermittent Fasting
Basically, intermittent fasting is when a person, looking to lose weight, cycles between periods of fasting and eating. It is more about the ‘when’, rather than the ‘what’ aspect of a diet. This means that intermittent fasting limits one’s food intake to a shortened time window, which aids in reducing the consumption of excess calories.
The most popular methods of intermittent fasting are:
The 16:8 method – This involves restricting your eating to an eight hours window, wherein you fast for 16 hours.
Eat-Stop-Eat – This method demands fasting for 24 hours and should be done once or twice a week.
The 5:2 diet – This diet programme allows a person to eat only 500600 calories on two nonconsecutive days of the week, whereas they can eat normally on other remaining days.
While there are many Intermittent fasting methods you can resort to, there are mistakes you may commit that may hinder your weight loss process.
What Should I Eat During Intermittent Fasting To Lose Weight
What do I eat with a 20/4 intermittent fast? Complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates include foods such as whole grains, brown and wild rice, oats and quinoa. Dark green leaves. Add leafy greens to your salad to break the fast. Fruit. Lentils and legumes. Fat fish. Lean proteins. All kinds of vegetables.
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Which Fad Diet Is Best For Weight Loss
8 Diets That Really Work 1. The Atkins Diet. The Atkins diet is the world’s most popular low-carbohydrate diet for weight loss. Made by a cardiologist. 2. The South Beach Diet. As Dr. Atkins said, he was a doctor. Arthur Agatston is a cardiologist who wanted to help his patients lose weight. 3. Vegan diet.
Benefits Of 16/8 Intermittent Fasting
16/8 intermittent fasting is a popular diet because its easy to follow, flexible and sustainable in the long term.
Its also convenient, as it can cut down on the amount of time and money you need to spend on cooking and preparing food each week.
In terms of health, 16/8 intermittent fasting has been associated with a long list of benefits, including:
- Increased weight loss: Not only does restricting your intake to a few hours per day help cut calories over the course of the day, but studies also show that fasting could boost metabolism and increase weight loss (
- ).
Summary
16/8 intermittent fasting is easy to follow, flexible and convenient. Animal and human studies suggest that it may increase weight loss, improve blood sugar levels, enhance brain function and extend longevity.
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The Upshot: Is 16/8 Fasting Right For You
While far from being a required part of a healthy diet, 16/8 intermittent fasting is a safe and workable eating approach for many adults. Research on the possible health perks of time-restricted eating is still emerging, but early evidence hints at some benefit in areas such as weight loss, blood pressure, and cholesterol. If you want to give 16/8 fasting a try, experts recommend using your eating window to enjoy a wide variety of whole, nutritious foods.
Alice Oglethorpe is a freelance journalist in Chicago. Her writing has appeared in Real Simple, O The Oprah Magazine, Prevention, Mens Health, Self, Shape, Fitness, Better Homes and Gardens, and many other publications.
/8 Fasting Benefits: Fact Or Fiction
The 16/8 intermittent fasting approach shows promise for supporting some aspects of health, but any splashy claims of effortless weight loss or disease prevention are premature at best, experts tell WW. Most studies thus far have been small or conducted on animals more research is needed to figure out the full effects of intermittent fasting, as well as optimal approaches. Heres what science has to say about some hot topics so far.
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Intermittent Fasting For Women
Many female intermittent fasters find that changing the 16/8 plan to a 14/10 plan is better for their overall health.
There is some scientific research that shows intermittent fasting for women can be very different then for men.
Some women note a disruption in their monthly menstrual cycle while participating in an intermittent fast. However, the regularity returns when they go back to eating a more traditional diet.
This strongly suggests that should you be attempting to conceive fasting should be avoided for now.
Myth: Intermittent Fasting Is More Effective For Weight Loss Than Traditional Diets
Current evidence suggests that those who follow traditional calorie-restriction diets lose about the same amount of weight as those who follow intermittent fasting programs. Several studies have found that while there is a slight advantage for those doing IF, the advantage isn’t significant. Additionally, experts still don’t know if IF programs are sustainable.
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Getting Started With If
If you use the IF method, you should still pay attention to what you eat. It is still important to get vitamins, proteins, minerals, fiber and hydration. IF creates a calorie deficit because you are limiting eating opportunities. Although that allows you to eat two larger meals that may be less healthy and tastier, while keeping a calorie deficit, your body still responds to what you put into it. So cleaner, healthier food is better than junk food.
If your main goal is health benefits and not loss of body fat or weight, counting calories is probably not necessary. As you move closer to your goal, make sure you are getting your macronutrients.
Theres an adjustment period when you start using an IF method and you may become lightheaded as your body adjusts to longer periods without food. If you feel an overwhelming need for food, or become nauseous or dizzy, eat or drink something.
Exercising is perfectly fine while fasting. If your main goal is to lose body fat, try working out at the end of your fast and right before your feeding window. Youll burn calories when your body is already primed to be using fat as a main source of fuel, and you sensitize your muscles to the protein and nutrients youre about to feed it. If youre an explosive athlete, however, try working out in the middle of the feeding window so youll have available carbohydrates in your system that are vital for performance.
