What Is 16/8 Intermittent Fasting
The practice of 16/8 intermittent fasting involves limiting your intake of foods and calorie-containing beverages to a set window of 8 hours per day. You abstain from food for the remaining 16 hours, though youre still allowed to drink water and other no-calorie beverages, like plain coffee or tea.
You can repeat this cycle as frequently as youd like from just once or twice per week to every day, depending on your preference.
The popularity of this fasting method has grown widely among those looking to lose weight and burn fat. 16/8 intermittent fasting is also believed to improve blood sugar control and enhance longevity.
While other diets often set strict rules, 16/8 intermittent fasting is easy to follow and may provide measurable results with minimal disruption to your diet. Its generally considered less restrictive and more flexible than many other diets and works with most lifestyles.
Summary
With 16/8 intermittent fasting, you restrict your food intake to an 8-hour window and fast for the remaining 16 hours. This practice may support weight loss, improve blood sugar, and increase longevity.
It is simple, safe, and sustainable to do 16/8 intermittent fasting.
Counting Calories For Your Fast
How many calories break a fast? In technical terms, even a single calorie can break your fast. But realistically speaking, you can drink unsweetened fluids that have 10 calories or less and still keep your body in its fasting state. The key thing is to avoid triggering insulin release, and anything that tastes sweet with or without sugar will wake those digestive hormones.
What Exactly Is 16/8 Intermittent Fasting
16/8 intermittent fasting is one of several types of time-constrained fasting. With this type of fast, you will consume food within an 8-hour timeframe, followed by 16 hours of fasting in a day.
You may wonder how anyone could fast for 16 hours a day. Most experts believe that 16/8 fast supports the average persons natural circadian rhythm or internal clock. Most individuals naturally do not eat in the late hours of the night and the early hours of the morning.
Typically, the average person sleeps 8 to 10 hours daily, so you already have between 8 to 10 hours of fasting just from sleeping through the night. You can then make up the remaining 6 to 8 hours during the day, which can be a few hours in the morning and, if you like, in the evening, depending on your preference.
In either case, you will spend your mid-day consuming the required calories to help you sail through the day, staying active. Your 16/8 intermittent fasting meal plan can be as flexible as you want, as there are no limits to the quantity or the type of food you can consume within the 8 hours eating window.
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/8 Intermittent Fasting Guide: All You Need To Know
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What is 16/8 Intermittent Fasting | 16/8 Intermittent Fasting Schedule | Foods during fasting | Benefits | Side Effects
What is 16/8 intermittent fasting? If you know even a little about intermittent fasting, you know that 16/8 is your best bet. The beauty of this fasting regime is its benefits and the fact that it seamlessly gels with your routine. Whether you are a working professional or a homemaker, 16/8 fasting is simple to adapt and follow and is the primary reason behind its astounding popularity.
A quick note, 16/8 fasting is also known as: 16/8 intermittent fasting, 16 8 fasting, 16:8 fasting.
Many celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Elon Musk, and Hugh Jackman practiced 16/8 fasting and hugely boasted of the incredible benefits they obtained.
Here we explain precisely what 16/8 fasting is and reveal how to execute it correctly. We will recommend the best foods to consume during this fasting plan and round up this post by highlighting the possible health risks involved in a 16/8 fast. We will give you all the information to help you decide if this type of intermittent fasting is right for you.
Safety And Side Effects
Hunger is the main side effect of intermittent fasting.
You may also feel weak and your brain may not perform as well as youre used to.
This may only be temporary, as it can take some time for your body to adapt to the new meal schedule.
If you have a medical condition, you should consult with your doctor before trying intermittent fasting.
This is particularly important if you:
- Have a history of eating disorders.
- Are a woman who is trying to conceive.
- Are a woman with a history of amenorrhea.
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding.
All that being said, intermittent fasting has an outstanding safety profile. There is nothing dangerous about not eating for a while if youre healthy and well-nourished overall.
SUMMARY
The most common side effect of intermittent fasting is hunger. People with certain medical conditions should not fast without consulting with a doctor first.
Here are answers to the most common questions about intermittent fasting.
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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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Calorie Restriction Vs Intermittent Fasting
Calorie restriction is when you reduce the amount of food and drink you consume within a day below your bodys baseline needs . Intermittent fasting refers to the restriction of when you can consume your daily calories by creating an eating window.
While intermittent fasting does not require you to reduce the number of calories you eat and drink in a day, many people who follow a fasting schedule with small eating windows are unable to eat enough calories in such a short window and, therefore, end up not eating enough.
Other types of fasting, such as mimic fasting, restrict the number of calories you can consume in a day, in addition to the fasting period.
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Choose The Best Type Of If For You
For instance, if you often socialize late at night, 5:2 likely will be a better fit than 16:8. If you decide to try 16:8, Gottfried says to ease into it. I recommend starting slowly at first and ramping up, with a 12-hour fast and a 12-hour eating window, then move to a 14-hour fast with a 10-hour eating window, and from there to 16:8, she says. She says to keep in mind that people have different fasting windows. Some like to eat at 10 a.m. and stop at 6 p.m. others prefer to wait until 12 p.m. and stop eating at 8 p.m., she says. Find what works for you.
What Is 20/4 Intermittent Fasting
Successful weight management is based on counting calories. If your goal is to slim down, you need to reduce your caloric intake and create a caloric deficit if you want to bulk up, you need to make sure that you eat a calorie surplus and if you simply want to maintain your current weight, you continue following your regular diet. But what if you dont like counting calories? Is there a diet that can help you reach your weight goals without having to track the energy contents of your every meal? Luckily, there is! The so-called diet in question is known as intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that has been widely accepted by many people trying to lose weight. Of all the different methods to do it, intermittent fasting 20/4 is one of the stricter versions. What are some intermittent fasting 20/4 benefits? Is intermittent fasting 20/4 everyday healthy and sustainable long-term? Read on to find out this and more.
The intermittent fasting 20/4 method is also known as The Warrior Diet. This diet was created in 2001 by Ori Hofmekler, an Israeli Special Forces member turned health and fitness author. It is important to note that the warrior diet is not based on science but rather a deduction of Oris experiences while he worked in the military .
Also, some supporters of this eating pattern claim that humans are natural nocturnal eaters and that eating at night allows the body to gain nutrients in line with its circadian rhythms .
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How Can Intermittent Fasting Help With Weight Loss
Intermittent fasting can be effective in reducing body weight in people of every size, according to a report in Nutrition Reviews . Most studies focused on alternate day fasting or whole-day fasting trials, but there is also evidence to support the success of time-restricted eating. As well as weight loss, intermittent fasting can have cardiometabolic benefits for those with obesity, as found in another review in the 2021 Annual Review of Nutrition .
Similar to the way the keto diet helps with weight loss, intermittent fasting can put you into a state called ketosis where you are using ketones as fuel. A study in the journal of Cell Metabolism indicates that in the state of ketosis, the body metabolizes fat and produces ketones, which the body can use as an alternative energy source.
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After a meal, you pass through four different metabolic states as your body digests the food, explains Dr Deborah Lee, MD, from Dr Fox Online Pharmacy . These are: the fed state, the post-absorptive state/early fasting state, the late fasting state, and starvation.
Having worked for many years in the U.K’s National Health Service, initially as a GP, and then as Lead Clinician for an integrated Community Sexual Health Service, Dr Deborah Lee now works as a health and medical writer, with an emphasis on womens health. She is a menopause specialist.
Is 16/8 Intermittent Fasting Right For You
Its true that 16/8 intermittent fasting can be a sustainable, safe, and easy way to improve your health when paired with a nutritious diet and healthy lifestyle.
However, it shouldnt be viewed as a substitute for a balanced diet rich in whole foods. Plus, you can still be perfectly healthy if you dont follow intermittent fasting.
Though 16/8 intermittent fasting is generally considered safe for healthy adults, you should talk with your doctor if you have any underlying health conditions. This is key if youre taking any medications or have diabetes, low blood pressure, or a history of disordered eating.
Intermittent fasting is likewise discouraged if youre trying to conceive, pregnant, or nursing.
If you have any concerns or experience any side effects while fasting, be sure to consult your doctor.
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What Can You Drink While Fasting
While eating is definitely off the table while in your fasting window, many people find success with a variety of beverages that can help preserve the benefits of fasting while simultaneously curbing hunger pangs. Heres a rundown of a few of the most common:
- Water. Staying hydrated is the most important component to a successful fast. Choose still or sparkling, but be sure to check the label on flavored water, which may have hidden carbs.
- Coffee and tea. If you cant imagine your mornings without a cup of coffee or tea, dont fret! Black coffee and tea contain so few calories that you may find they dont impact your fast at all. Or, you may find that the benefits outweigh the negligible calories. Just be careful to reach for low carb and calorie creamers and sweeteners, if at all.
- Broth. While broth will technically break your fast, it contains high levels of necessary sodium and other minerals, which helps your body replenish electrolytes and stay hydrated while also fighting off hunger pangs. Most broths also contain very few calories
How Many Calories For Breakfast
Its important to eat at least 200 calories for breakfast and max out at around 400 calories. As the saying goes, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It can help you be in a better mood on a full stomach, and it gives you the energy to tackle your day head-on.
You may have also heard about the importance of eating a balanced breakfast. All the popular cereals, oatmeals, yogurts, and other products love to advertise their products in this way.
Oatmeal and eggs are my go-to for a balanced breakfast but you can eat whatever nutritious meal you like.
Check out some of our favorite recipes in this article on how to make healthy meals for your family.
Be cautious of sugary cereals even though you may get the calories you need, youll consume much of your daily intake of sugar.
Breakfast is one of the easiest meals to skip. In fact, most of my friends skip breakfast. If you get up too late before school or work, its easy to go through your morning routine without even thinking about eating. But you need some calories to keep your energy up throughout the day!
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Limiting Calories If You Want To Lose Weight
If your plan is to lose weight while you are intermittent fasting, then you should consider limiting your calories. On the most basic level, to lose weight you need to eat less calories than you burn. This is essential the calories in, calories out model.
When the number of calories you take in from food and drinks are equal to the number of calories you burn to sustain your body, you are breaking even, which means that your weight will remain the same and stable.
Therefore, you will need a calorie deficit to lose weight. Once the calories your body needs a day is met, the extra calories you eat are stored for future use, most of it would be stored as fat. However, you also need to consider that not all calories are made equal.
You should always pay attention of the quality of the calories you eat. Different foods go through different pathways in your body. For example, different types of calorie sources can have effects on your hormones, energy expenditure, hunger and even how you control food intake.
Tracking Your Calories When Intermittent Fasting
If you follow my advice on intermittent fasting for metabolic flexibility, you will most likely be fasting longer hours less frequently. It follows that you are likely to consume fewer calories on your fasting days. Consequently, we will focus on your weekly calorie intake rather than daily. To lose about one pound a week, you need a weekly deficit of 3,500-7,000 calories. I dont know if you realize how much that is! Thats why I have written so much content about realistic weight loss expectations! For example, read You Cant Seem to Lose Weight: Is Your Metabolism Broken?.
I typically recommend women aim to lose around 2 lbs a month . It will make weight loss more manageable and less stressful on your body and more sustainable long-term. You simply learn to gradually shift your eating habits. Consequently, you can aim for a calorie deficit in the 1,700-3,500 calories range.
Another common recommendation is to create a calorie deficit of 10 percent of the number of calories you need to maintain your weight. For many women, this will mean a deficit of about 1,400-1,700 calories a week.
Would you like additional help and/or accountability on your weight loss journey? I offer a digital program as well as one-on-one coaching.
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With An : 6 Intermittent Fasting Diet How Many Calories Can You Eat To Lose Weight
Any weight loss is a result of a calorie deficit, so if you want to slim down, you need to burn more calories than you consume . Since 1 pound of fat equals 3500 calories, all you need to do to safely lose weight is to reduce your daily energy intake by 500-1000 calories . The number of calories each person should consume depends on various factors, including age, sex, weight, body composition, and others. You can calculate how many calories you personally require daily using this calories burned calculator.
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