Foods List And Meal Plan
To maximize the potential health benefits of your diet, its important to stick to nutritious whole foods and beverages during your eating periods.
Filling up on nutrient-rich foods helps round out your diet and supports a healthy weight. Try balancing each meal with a wide variety of whole foods, such as:
- Fruits: apples, bananas, berries, oranges, peaches, pears, tomatoes, etc.
- Veggies: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cucumbers, leafy greens, etc.
- Whole grains: barley, buckwheat, quinoa, rice, oats, etc.
- Healthy fats: olive oil and avocados
- Protein sources: eggs, fish, legumes, meat, poultry, nuts, seeds, etc.
Drinking calorie-free beverages like water and unsweetened tea and coffee, even while fasting, also helps control your appetite while keeping you hydrated.
Its best to avoid ultra-processed foods like packaged snacks, deep-fried items, sugary drinks, and most frozen meals. These negate the positive effects of 16/8 intermittent fasting and may harm your health.
Summary
To begin 16/8 intermittent fasting, choose an 8-hour window and limit your food intake to that time span. Be sure to follow a balanced diet based in whole foods.
Summary
Animal and human studies suggest that intermittent fasting may increase weight loss, improve blood sugar levels, and extend longevity.
How Often Should You Do 1: 8 Intermittent Fasting
Unlike other intermittent fasting diets, each day of the 16:8 works independently to the other days. This means that technically you can do anywhere from one day of intermittent 16:8 fasting to seven days a week. It all depends on your goals and the advice from your GP.
Evidence differs, however, on whether it’s healthy to do intermittent fasting all the time. While research from Queen’s Medical Centre has proven that short-term fasting boosts the metabolism, longer fasts of around three or more days can actually suppress it and slow it right down. Plus, going without food for a long period of time can lead to an increased level of cholesterol, feeling sick in the morning , dehydration and spells of low blood sugar.
Dinner: Salmon & Veggies At : 30 Pm
Salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 healthy fats, and dark green veggies like kale and broccoli are high in antioxidants.
Salmon is one of my personal favorites for its taste and nutrient density, and you can select any wild-caught seafood of your choice.
Serve alongside some of your favorite vegetables roasted in coconut oil, and you have a quick and easy superfood meal.
Ingredients:
- 4 cloves garlic, finely diced
Method:
Don’t Miss: What Is The Meaning Of Fasting
Seven Ways To Do Intermittent Fasting
There are many different ways of intermittent fasting. The methods vary in the number of fast days and the calorie allowances.
Intermittent fasting involves entirely or partially abstaining from eating for a set amount of time, before eating regularly again.
Some studies suggest that this way of eating may offer benefits such as fat loss, better health, and increased longevity. Proponents claim that an intermittent fasting program is easier to maintain than traditional, calorie-controlled diets.
Each persons experience of intermittent fasting is individual, and different styles will suit different people.
In this article, we discuss the research behind the most popular types of intermittent fasting and provide tips on how to maintain this type of diet.
There are various methods of intermittent fasting, and people will prefer different styles. Read on to find out about seven different ways to do intermittent fasting.
Choosing A Time Window
To get started, begin by picking an 8-hour window and limiting your food intake to that time span.
Popular 16/8 time windows include:
- 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Many people prefer to eat between noon and 8 p.m., since you need to fast only overnight and skip breakfast but can still eat a balanced lunch and dinner, along with a few snacks throughout the day.
Others opt to eat between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., which allows plenty of time for a healthy breakfast around 9 a.m., a standard lunch around noon, and a light, early dinner or large snack around 4:30 p.m. before starting your fast.
However, you can experiment and pick the time frame that best fits your schedule.
It may help to set timers at both the beginning and the end of your eating window to remind you when to start and stop eating.
You May Like: Is Intermittent Fasting Or Keto Better
What Foods To Include In 1: 8 Intermittent Fasting
A balanced diet should focus on including foods that provide maximum nutrients because you will be fasting for another 16 hours.
Choose to include whole grains, meats, fruits, vegetables, eggs, dairy, and food loaded with a healthy fat. It is suggested not to eat unhealthy food for 8 hours. And most importantly, drink water throughout the day.
Lets suppose you choose to go for noon to 8 pm fasting time frame. You start your day with a meal, it could be oats, brown rice, or any whole grain. You can also include eggs. And every two hours or so, you can snack fruits, vegetable salads, or any dairy products. Also, the 16:8 diet permits you to drink unsweetened tea and coffee. Then you eat your last meal, i.e., dinner at 8 pm. After that, you eat nothing till next noon.
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 diabetes.
- 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.
You May Like: How To Calculate Intermittent Fasting
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.
Industrial Vegetable Oil And Trans Fats
When processing vegetable oils, the fragile omega-6 fatty acids oxidize through heat, light, air, and pressure.
As a result, these processes change fats that serve as building blocks for your body chemically. Therefore, they promote inflammation, cardiovascular disease, mortality, and weight gain .
Besides the following oils, it is essential to avoid fried dishes and hydrogenated trans fats :
- Safflower oil
- Preservatives and other chemical additives
Another reason why I advise against any kind of sweeteners during intermittent fasting is the craving.
When sweet taste stimulates the brains reward center, but glucose does not arrive due to calorie-free sweeteners, cravings increase .
As with sweeteners, plant-based does not always mean healthy, as we will learn in the next section.
You May Like: What’s Better Keto Or Intermittent Fasting
How Can I Fast If I Work The Night Shift
We recommend fasting through your shift and having your meals at home. Eat at home before you go to your night shift. While you work, use bone broth or coffee while you adjust. When you get off in the morning, have your breakfast at home and go to sleep. This way you get in 12 hours of fasting and avoid eating during the night when digestion is slowest. Another alternative is going to sleep immediately after you get home. When you wake up, have your first meal and eat again before your night shift.
When Should I Exercise
When Varady and her colleagues conducted a study that combined alternate day fasting and exercise, they allowed the participants to pick whether they wanted to exercise on a feasting or fasting day, and found there was no strong preference one way or the other. But the researchers were surprised the dieters actually reported feeling more energetic on fasting days.
That being said, exercise before you eat because people get hungry about half an hour after they finish working out and may find it too hard to stick to their plan if they cant eat anything at all afterwards, Varady noted.
If youre on the 16:8 plan, exercise before or during your eating window. If youre doing alternate day fasting and are exercising on your 500-calorie day, save food for after your exercise session.
Don’t Miss: Is Fasting Good For Weight Loss
Mistake #: Youre Eating Too Many Calories
“Does anyone else eat like crazy right when the fast is over and is it normal to have a huge appetite during the feeding period? It is hard for me to get full after a 20 hour fast and I just eat the whole 4 hours. LOL.”
Id venture to guess that this person is eating more calories than whats needed in that 4-hour window. So instead of laughing your way through a marathon all-you-can-eat session, plan for how youll break your fast. Stock up on high-protein foods and/or high-fiber foods . Theyll not only fill you up, but will keep you feeling full.
“If I do a 20:4 fast then I should consume 1500-2000 calories within four hours? Am I understanding this correctly?”
Technically, yes. But depending on a persons body size, eating 2,000 calories in a 4-hour window might not yield any weight loss. I dont know this persons size, though. Now, most people lose weight on 1,500 calories, but one of the pros of IF is that its hard to eat a ton of calories in a short window of time. For some, following IF is an easier way to cut calories and lose weight than simply following a traditional calorie-restricted diet. So if you cant hit the 1,500- or 2,000-calorie mark in 4 hours every day, its OK. If falling below 1,200 calories a day becomes a regular habit, though, reconsider your diet plan. If youre not sure how many calories youre consuming, track them in a free app like MyFitnessPal.
Diet Plan: What Can You Eat And What Are The Benefits
You may have heard wonders about the 5:2 diet, but have you heard of the 16:8 yet?
Sign up to the GoodTo Newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information about how to do this, and how we hold your data, please see our privacy policy
Thank you for signing up to GoodTo. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
The 16:8 diet plan is one of the most popular ways to get into intermittent fasting, with big names like Jennifer Aniston and Hugh Jackman swearing by their successes.
It’s not only celebrity endorsement that has got this eating regime its reputation though. While not as restrictive as the 5:2 diet plan, clinical nutritionist Suzie Sawyer says, the 16:8 still prolongs “the period when your body has burned through calories consumed during your last meal and begins burning fat.” In other words, it helps participants lose weight by reducing the amount of time they have available to eat – and so putting them into an energy deficit, which in turn helps them to lose weight.
All of this without the need to count calories or spend hours on a treadmill. But is the plan all it’s really cracked up to be?
You May Like: Which Is Better Keto Or Intermittent Fasting
How Does The 1: 8 Diet Work
The 16:8 diet works on an hourly basis, so each day you eat within an 8-hour time frame and then fast for the remaining 16 hours. This works for weight loss as it “helps you eat fewer calories while boosting metabolism slightly,” clinical nutritionist at Alive! Suzie Sawyer says. “It’s a very effective tool to lose weight and visceral fat. After hours without food, the body exhausts its sugar stores and starts burning fat, sometimes referred to as ‘metabolic switching’.”
This switch is a natural process that happens when the body runs out of energy from food, research published in Nature explains. The body changes its energy source from glucose that’s stored in the liver to ketones, which are stored in fat cells. While the body is getting its energy from glucose, it’s maintaining or gaining weight and when the switch happens, it beings to lose weight.
However, calorie-restricted diets like Fast 800 work in a similar way. They push the body into a calorie deficit, forcing it to take its energy stores from fat cells rather than glucose. Research from the University of Illinois also suggests that when it comes to losing fat, the two are equally as effective as each other. So what’s special about the 16:8 diet?
Youll Likely Feel Hungry
Even an 8- or 12-hour fast might feel like a long time when youre not used to fasting.
You may go to bed hungry several times per week. That may naturally feel unpleasant and unsustainable in the long term .
Plus, at times, it might be necessary to override your natural hunger and fullness cues in order to not break your fast earlier than planned.
This doesnt mean that fasting isnt a schedule you can get used to. Once youve adjusted to intermittent fasting, you might even find it makes you feel less hungry (
You May Like: Can I Eat Whatever I Want During Intermittent Fasting
Skipping Breakfast Does Not Cause Weight Gain
As mentioned above, people who skip breakfast tend to weigh more than people who eat breakfast.
This may seem paradoxical, because how can not eating make you gain more weight? Well, some claim that skipping breakfast causes you to become very hungry so that you overeat later in the day.
This seems to make sense, but isnt supported by the evidence.
It is true that skipping breakfast causes people to be more hungry and eat more at lunch, but this is not enough to overcompensate for the breakfast that was skipped.
In fact, some studies have even shown that skipping breakfast may reduce overall calorie intake by up to 400 calories per day (
Bottom Line:
Higher-quality studies show that it makes no difference whether people eat or skip breakfast. Skipping breakfast makes you eat more at lunch, but not enough to compensate for the breakfast you skipped.
How To Succeed With Intermittent Fasting
Since it saves time and money, many have no problem starting IF. Others, however, may find it challenging to start especially when they are used to eating three meals and snacks every day. Here are some tips for success:
You can also learn more about the potential side effects of intermittent fasting in our evidence-based guide.
Don’t Miss: Why Should I Do Intermittent Fasting
What Exactly Is Fasting
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, to fast can mean one of two things:
As you can understand, since fasting can, technically, mean both completely abstaining from food AND eating a little/not eating some foods, were in a bit of a pickle.
Remember when, at the start of this article, we said that things are not as straightforward as you may think? Well, this is partly why.
Hold your horses, though, because this is going to get a little more complicated.
Whens The Best Time To Exercise On If
Honestly, the best workout is one that gets done. Work out when it works best for you and youll still reap the benefits.
However, there are two other schools of thought on working out while fasting.
The first is that working out while fasted helps you to burn more of your stored body fat. Some small studies support this theory, while others have found that fasting doesnt make a difference in fat burning.
If weight loss is your goal, this may be an approach you want to try out.
Alternatively, trying to work out on a totally empty stomach may leave you feeling yucky.
Working out during your eating window may provide more energy to help you power through your workout. If youre doing endurance exercise, its probably better to go with this approach and have a balanced meal before you get after it.
You May Like: How Fast Does Fasting Lose Weight
