What Is Intermittent Fasting 16/8
The 16:8 fasting method means you fast for 16 hours and then have your meals during the 8-hour window.This plan is relatively effortless to follow. If you tend to eat a late breakfast and an early dinner the 16/8 method will be easy for you!You can have your first meal at noon and your last meal at 8 p.m. If youre a fan of breakfast, have it at 8 a.m. and then stop eating after 6 p.m.
Its not an easy task for late snack lovers, but it sure brings results.
How Soon Will I See Results From Intermittent Fasting
The same is with intermittent fasting . Experts suggest that a person needs to follow the basic rules for at least 10 weeks to witness some positive results . Following the diet properly for this period of time will help you shed 3 to 5 kilos of weight .
Carbs On 16/8 Intermittent Fasting
Carbs are the major source of energy for your body. There are three different types of carbohydrates: starches, fiber, and sugars.
For instance, fiber is a carbohydrate that aids in digestion, helps you feel full, and keeps blood cholesterol levels in check.
Carbs often get a bad reputation for causing weight gain. Not all carbs are created equal and they are not inherently fattening. You should choose foods that are high in fiber and starch but low in sugars.
Healthy carbohydrate-rich foods include:
- Herbal tea
Recommended Reading: Should I Do Keto And Intermittent Fasting
Foods To Avoid During The Intermittent Fasting
You need to avoid some foods during intermittent fasting to maintain a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Processed foods such as burgers, fries, and nuggets are high in calories, and they can increase your food cravings. These foods contain fat, added sugar, and empty calories.
Here is the list of foods you need to avoid during your intermittent fasting
- Snacks such as fried chips
- Sugary drinks like carbonated drinks, coffee, cold coffee
- Processed, packed juices
- Processed foods such as cheese, meat, etc
- Popcorn
- Candies
Many studies suggest that processed foods and carbonated drinks lead to weight gain. You can replace carbonated drinks with fresh juices and fried foods with healthy salads. Be more mindful while choosing your food to make your intermittent fasting more powerful.
Fasting May Improve Brain Health
The Warrior Diet is promoted as a way to improve brain health.
There may be some truth to that based on scientific studies on intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting has been found to benefit the regulation of inflammatory pathways that affect your brain function.
For example, animal studies have shown that intermittent fasting reduced inflammatory markers like interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha , which may negatively impact memory and learning (
5 ).
However, research in this area is ongoing and more human studies are needed to determine the benefits of intermittent fasting on brain health.
Also Check: What Can I Drink While Fasting
What Can You Eat On The 1: 8 Diet
This diet isnt suggesting you cram all the food you can into 8 hours. You need to make sure youre eating a balance of fat busting and health boosting foods. Experts have suggest making sure you get a balance of lean meat, eggs, dairy, vegetables, nuts and beans each day.
Make sure to eat a balanced diet.
Tom said, Many people fail the 16:8 diet by packing in too many calories into the 8 hour period, often trying to get some in before the 8 hours ends. You should still be following a strict diet with a complete nutritional breakdown, to ensure you are consuming a targeted number of calories, not to mention macro nutrients and ensuring youre not consuming too much sugar.
Why Intermittent Fasting Is Bad
Non- fasting days are not days when you can splurge on whatever you want as this can lead to weight gain. Fasting may also lead to an increase in the stress hormone, cortisol, which may lead to even more food cravings. Keep in mind that overeating and binge eating are two common side effects of intermittent fasting .
Read Also: Can Fasting Help Me Lose Weight
What Should I Eat On A Fast Day
How can you make the most of your calorie allowance on a fast day?
1) Choose higher protein meals, which help you to feel full for longer. As protein is fairly high in calories you cannot have a huge amount for your 500 calories but make protein your main source of calories.
2) Fill up your plate with low calorie vegetables: they fill your stomach, taste good and do you good. Steam them, oven-roast with a teaspoon of oil, or stir-fry and add some spices or flavourings to make a really delicious filling meal. Or have them raw in a big salad.
3) Keep carbohydrates to a minimum: they are high in calories and make you feel hungry again quickly. Examples of carbohydrate-containing foods to avoid are: potatoes, sweet potato, pasrsnips, rice, pasta, bread, some fruits , breakfast cereals, fruit juice, corn-on-the-cob/sweetcorn and anything containing sugar, honey or other syrups.
4) Dont be afraid of fat: although fat is high in calories, it helps you to feel full. Include small amounts of fat in your fast day food.
Although the recommended calorie allowance of 500 calories for women 600 calories for men is not so strict that it really matters if you go over or under the allowance by a little, you will need to weigh or measure at least the high-calorie ingredients in your recipes and work out the calorie content.
How Effective Is Intermittent Fasting 14/10 And What Are Its Benefits
Although most studies on this matter were conducted using 5:2 or 16:8 types of fasting, some provide reputable evidence in favor of intermittent fasting 14/10s effectiveness at improving cardiometabolic health . In general, intermittent fasting has been shown to not only help you reduce your calorie intake, but also improve metabolic markers such as insulin sensitivity . As mentioned previously, when your body enters the state of ketosis, it begins to burn fat, preserving your lean muscle tissues. It is recommended that you workout during your eating window, as vigorous physical activity may cause hunger.
Studies also show that such an eating pattern may improve cardiovascular health , lower blood pressure, and decrease the risk of serious health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and obesity .
This type of intermittent fasting can be a great variant for those who find it difficult to follow the 16:8 fasting. If you sleep 8 hours a day, which is recommended for any adult, you have only 6 hours of fasting left. Besides, a 10-hour eating window is long enough to avoid hunger pangs and still is effective. It may also help you shed pounds.
Also Check: What Can You Drink With Intermittent Fasting
Your Intermittent Fasting Feeding Window
You have multiple options when it comes to your feeding window.
First, you have to figure out your schedule and what you do throughout the day.
You want to set up your feeding window in a way that:
- Allows for time and energy for your workout
- Gives you enough time to cook and weigh out foods
- Sets you up for success based on your schedule
Ive found that these eating window and fasting period options work best for most people:
- 8/16 method or Leangains method = 8 hours of eating / 16 hours of fasting
- 6/18 method = 6 hours of eating / 18 hours of fasting
- This method is more aggressive but still popular
Intermittent Fasting Create A Natural Feeling Of Hunger
Intermittent fasting helps our body to regain its natural sense of hunger. And learns precisely what it needs, not too much, and not too little.
Unlike drastic and crash diets that plummet the metabolism and change the hormonal balance, IF makes us more aware of the valuable and less valuable foods.
So make sure that you eat enough during your eating phases without indulging in excess, of course.
Recommended Reading: How Much Can I Lose Intermittent Fasting
The If Diet I Followed
I chose to go with the 8:16 diet, because there was no way I wanted to go two whole days without eating. Smith agreed, noting that for most people the 12-14 hour overnight fast is feasible. When I asked her advice, Smith recommended that I actually work my way up to the 8:16 method: start by doing 12 hours on, 12 hours off until I could work my way up to 8 on, 16 off. Every day ended up looking different for me, but on an average day my schedule looked like this:
7:30 a.m. Wake up8:30 a.m. Walk 30 minutes to work, Grab a coffee10:30 a.m. Snack 12 p.m. Snack 2 p.m. Lunch6:30 p.m. 1 Hour of Exercise7:45 p.m. Dinner11 p.m. Sleep
This routine is fairly welcoming to the IF diet, but my weeks contain a lot of random things from babysitting to dinner with friends, so I was worried that my slightly chaotic lifestyle would inhibit my success. All that said, I still thought it was worth a try.
Can We Eat Rice During Intermittent Fasting
Yes, of course.
Remember, for weight loss, its not about giving up carbs or fats to lose weight, but rather, ensuring youre in a calorie deficit based on your body and energy requirements.
No need to give up rice, bread, pasta, pizza, or ice cream.
So long as you track your macros and calories, you can make it fit.
Read Also: What Can You Consume While Intermittent Fasting
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.
What Is Intermittent Fasting
Many diets focus on what to eat, but intermittent fasting is all about when you eat.
With intermittent fasting, you only eat during a specific time. Fasting for a certain number of hours each day or eating just one meal a couple days a week, can help your body burn fat. And scientific evidence points to some health benefits, as well.
Johns Hopkins neuroscientist , has studied intermittent fasting for 25 years. He says that our bodies have evolved to be able to go without food for many hours, or even several days or longer. In prehistoric times, before humans learned to farm, they were hunters and gatherers who evolved to survive and thrive for long periods without eating. They had to: It took a lot of time and energy to hunt game and gather nuts and berries.
Even 50 years ago, it was easier to maintain a healthy weight. Johns Hopkins dietitian Christie Williams, M.S., R.D.N., explains: There were no computers, and TV shows turned off at 11 p.m. people stopped eating because they went to bed. Portions were much smaller. More people worked and played outside and, in general, got more exercise.
Nowadays, TV, the internet and other entertainment are available 24/7. We stay awake for longer hours to catch our favorite shows, play games and chat online. Were sitting and snacking all day and most of the night.
Don’t Miss: How Much Weight Should I Lose With Intermittent Fasting
Find Your Preferred Intermittent Fasting Drink:
Now, during the fasting period, you are going to feel hungry.
To combat this, you want to drink something that gives you energy, reduces hunger, and that is zero calories.
You have a couple of options that do fit these requirements:
- Black Coffee
- Tea
I prefer black coffee because it tastes great, gives me my energy, and I dont feel hungry for hours.
Oh yeah, and its zero calories.
The only problem, however, is that I also take Legion Pulse, my favorite pre-workout supplement before every workout.
It contains a lot of caffeine already, so I dont want to get over-caffeinated.
I want to be able to SLEEP.
That is why DECAF coffee is an option.
If you fall in the same situation, you may want to consider it, although you do have other options as well.
All Kinds Of Vegetables
A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can help lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower the risk of eye and digestive problems, and positively affect blood sugar levels, which can help keep appetite in check .
There are starchy and non-starchy vegetables:
BetterMe is your fast-track ticket to a long-lasting weight loss! Tailor your fitness journey and maximize your results with just a couple of swipes!
Recommended Reading: What Not To Eat On Intermittent Fasting
Does Intermittent Fasting Have Different Effects On Men And Women
The quick answer is: yes, Intermittent Fasting can affect men and women differently.
Anecdotally, we have many women in our online coaching program that swear by Intermittent Fasting, while others have had adverse effects.
Lets dig into the science and studies.
A recent PubMed summary concluded thatfasting can be prescribed as a safe medical intervention as well as a lifestyle regimen which can improve womens health in many folds .
Now, in that extract, many of the studies cited are focused on specifically calorie restriction , and they also say that future studies should address this gap by designing medically supervised fasting techniques to extract better evidence.
Digging into the PubMed Archives brought me to the following conclusions :
One small study resulted in the following: Glucose response to a meal was slightly impaired in women after 3 weeks of treatment, but insulin response was unchanged. Men had no change in glucose response and a significant reduction in insulin response.
Another small study studied the effects on their menstrual cycles after a 72 hour fast which is significantly longer than any fast recommended in this article: in spite of profound metabolic changes, a 72-hour fast during the follicular phase does not affect the menstrual cycle of normal cycling women..
Precision Nutrition a great resource recommends not attempting Intermittent Fasting as a woman if:
- youre pregnant
- you dont sleep well
- youre new to diet and exercise
Is It Ok To Skip Breakfast
Yes, Varady said. The notion that omitting a morning meal is bad for your waistline likely began with studies sponsored by cereal companies, and most of that research looked at the effects of breakfast skipping on cognition in children, she noted: Im not sure how that all got translated to body weight.
Also Check: What Should You Eat On Intermittent Fasting
How Many Calories Per Day While Intermittent Fasting
If you’re gearing up to go on an intermittent fasting diet plan, the very first thing that you absolutely must get straight is how many calories you should be eating a day?
There isn’t anything especially magical about intermittent fasting that’s going to allow you to eat loads of additional calories and still lose weight – calorie control must still be there.
That said, many people do find that they can eat a few more calories than they do with most diets and still lose weight, so there does seem to be some slight advantage.
Let’s take a closer look at how many calories per day you should be eating while using an intermittent fasting approach.
Intermediate Fasting Meal Plan
With this plan you will be eating only between the hours of 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. for a full 18 hours of fasting within a 24-hour period.
I personally practice this plan during the workweek. Im not a breakfast person, so I just enjoy a few cups of herbal tea to start my day.
Even though you are skipping breakfast, its still important to stay hydrated. Make sure to still drink enough water. You can also have herbal tea, The catechins in tea have been shown to enhance the benefits of fasting by helping to further decrease the hunger hormone ghrelin, so you can make it until lunch and not feel deprived.
Since youve increased your fasting period an extra four hours, you need to make sure your first meal has enough healthy fats. The burger in the 8-to-6-window plan will work well, and you can add more fats in with your dressing or top with an avocado!
Nuts and seeds make great snacks that are high-fat and can be eaten around 2:30 p.m. Soaking these beforehand can help neutralize naturally occurring enzymes like phytates that can contribute to digestive problems. Eat dinner around 5:30 p.m., and just like in the 8-to-6-window plan, a dinner with some sort of wild-caught fish or other clean protein source with vegetables is a great option.
- First meal, 12 p.m.: Grass-fed burger with avocado
- Snack, 2:30 p.m.: Nuts and seeds
- Second meal, 5:30 p.m.: Salmon and veggies
Dont Miss: Can You Drink Alcohol While Intermittent Fasting
Also Check: What Do I Eat When Intermittent Fasting