What Are The Possible Side Effects
There can be a number of possible side effects of intermittent fasting.40 Heres what to do if you encounter them:
- Hunger is the most common side effect of intermittent fasting. This may be less of an issue if youre already on a keto or low-carb, higher-fat diet.41Learn more
- Constipation is common. Less going in means less going out. However, keep in mind this is a normal response to eating less. It is not a concern and shouldnt require treatment unless you experience significant bloating or abdominal discomfort. Standard laxatives or magnesium supplements can be used, if needed.
- Headaches are common and tend to disappear after the first few times on fasts.42 Taking some extra salt often helps mitigate such headaches.43
- Mineral water may help if your stomach tends to gurgle.
- Other possible side effects include dizziness, heartburn and muscle cramps. Learn more
A more serious side effect is the refeeding syndrome. Fortunately, this is rare and generally only happens with extended fasts when one is undernourished.44
Since most of these side effects are manageable, they do not mean you have to stop your fast. However, if you truly feel unwell, are excessively dizzy, profoundly weak or have other severe symptoms, then you should break your fast.
Just remember to go slowly when you break it and prioritize fluids and salt . And of course, if the symptoms persist, see your doctor immediately.
Are There Any Side Effects Of Intermittent Fasting 20/4
Yes, there are. Some downsides of participating in a fasting eating plan include:
- May lead to a binge-eating disorder This is a serious eating disorder in which you frequently consume unusually large amounts of food and feel unable to stop eating. Fasting has been linked to the increase in the onset of binge-eating .
- May lead to nutrient deficiencies Since you are eating during a very small window, you are unlikely to consume the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Nutrient deficiencies that can lead to anemia, fatigue, weakness, poor eye health and immunity, short term memory loss, diarrhea, dementia, and skin disorders, muscle loss, osteoporosis, and depression .
- It has no basis in science As we mentioned above, this diet was developed by an ex-military guy who based all his findings from his experience during active duty. He is neither a scientist, nutritionist, nor a dietitian. On the other hand, most of the benefits mentioned have been linked to fasting in general or other forms of intermittent fasting and not the 20/4 method.
What Can I Eat On The 16 Hour Diet
- Between the 8 hour diet plan and the 16 hour fast, you are free to consume any food of your choice, with zero restriction on calories. You dont have to divide your meals into breakfast, lunch or dinner either. The general rule is to eat when you are hungry and eat till you satiated.
- During the 16 hours of fasting, you MAY consume black tea or coffee , zero-calorie drinks or sugar-free chewing gums.
- To make the most of the 16/8 fasting weight loss benefits, avoid combining the diet with poor eating choices. Eat healthy, whole foods as much as possible.
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Intermittent Fasting Can Be Hard But Maybe It Doesnt Have To Be
Initial human studies that compared fasting every other day to eating less every day showed that both worked about equally for weight loss, though people struggled with the fasting days. So, its very reasonable to choose a reduced calorie plant-based, Mediterranean-style diet. But research suggests that not all IF approaches are the same, and some IF diets are indeed effective and sustainable, especially when combined with a nutritious plant-based diet.
We have evolved to be in sync with the day/night cycle, i.e., a circadian rhythm. Our metabolism has adapted to daytime food, nighttime sleep. Nighttime eating is well associated with a higher risk of obesity, as well as diabetes.
Based on this, researchers from the University of Alabama conducted a study with a small group of obese men with prediabetes. They compared a form of intermittent fasting called “early time-restricted feeding,” where all meals were fit into an early eight-hour period of the day , or spread out over 12 hours . Both groups maintained their weight but after five weeks, the eight-hours group had dramatically lower insulin levels and significantly improved insulin sensitivity, as well as significantly lower blood pressure. The best part? The eight-hours group also had significantly decreased appetite. They werent starving.
Just changing the timing of meals, by eating earlier in the day and extending the overnight fast, significantly benefited metabolism even in people who didnt lose a single pound.
Intermittent Fasting Before And After
Before
For four years, I slept only 6-hours a night. My typical day was waking up at 5 AM for a workout, eat my first meal at 6 AM, and my last meal at 11 PM before bed, consuming a total of three meals and two snacks during 18 waking hours.
On weekends or while traveling, if I missed a meal in that 18-hour eating window, I was not a happy camper. My self-control over my hunger was weak.
When a hunger pang struck, it was like a switch flipped. One word: HANGER!!
I needed to eat immediately and would go for the fastest meal or snack . Although I was health-conscious, these incidents made my diet more volatile.
In addition to experiencing frequent hanger, I also suffered from extreme drowsiness, most commonly after meals.
The eating schedule I have described here is the opposite of a daily intermittent fasting plan.
After
In March 2018, I quit my job as an engineer to travel my wife, Alex, and grow this website. This decision was a timely lifestyle change since I had sleep deprived myself for over three years.
I was one of the many people who, due to sleep debt and workload, had to figure out how to recover from job burnout in my late 20s.
To say I was motivated to recover from burnout is an understatement. When I learned that at age 28 that I had the testosterone levels of a 70-year-old-man, I knew significant life changes needed to be made.
It was extremely eye-opening, and I was humbled by the importance of sleep for optimal health.
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Is Skipping Breakfast Bad For You The Surprising Truth
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This myth is pervasive in society.
Breakfast is perceived as healthy, even more important than other meals.
Even todays official nutrition guidelines recommend that we eat breakfast.
It is claimed that breakfast helps us lose weight, and that skipping it can raise our risk of obesity.
This seems like a problem, because up to 25% of Americans regularly skip breakfast .
However, new high-quality studies have started questioning the universal advice that everyone should eat breakfast.
This article takes a detailed look at breakfast, and whether skipping it is really going to harm your health and make you fat.
But Is It Really Healthy To Fast For 16 Hours
For starters, this diet might be hard to maintain. Say goodbye to dinner parties and late-night dates. And god forbid a friend is late to that 5 p.m. dinner you scheduled.
It may be sustainable if you stick to the strict regimen, Warren says. However, this is difficult to maintain in real-life scenarios like social functions.
Halle Berry uses intermittent fasting as part of her diet routine. Here’s how:
Beyond the downer of not being able to go out for a late-night fancy dinner, in rare cases the 16:8 diet could potentially lead to disordered eating, too, notes Hunnes. For example, if youre someone who doesnt do well with long periods of fasting, you might follow a 16-hour fast with a binge or even start to prolong fasting periods longer than you should. Both would be signs that the diets not working for you and that it could progress to something more serious like an eating disorder, she says.
If you eat too late, you could also potentially interfere with the quality of your sleepso its best to eat earlier in the day, suggests Hunnes.
That said, two recent studies in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolismshow obese adults can stick to the 16:8 diet without developing or exacerbating body image issues, disordered eating patterns, or sleeping problems.
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Dark Chocolate And Cocoa Powder
Dark chocolate and cocoa are delicious sources of antioxidants.
In fact, cocoa provides at least as much antioxidant activity as any other fruit, including blueberries and acai berries .
Dark chocolate contains flavanols, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering blood pressure and keeping arteries healthy (
How Much Weight Can You Lose On The 16/8 Diet
If youre fasting 16 hours a day its important to match fasting with healthy eating and exercise. If you follow this, there is a typical weight loss of around 7 to 11 pounds over a ten-week period.
According to a review published in Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, someone weighing just over 90 kg would lose 5% of their total body weight in the ten-week period.
On the other hand, some studies have demonstrated that theres no difference between people who do intermittent fasting compared to those who count calories and cut back.
16/8 intermittent fasting method can help you to lose weight, but you must know that losing weight is not something that comes by following one diet or not eating some kind of food. To lose weight you should change your lifestyle.
Changing what you eat, more exercise, less stress. It is not so simple, but yes 16/8 fasting can definitely help you with your weight loss goals.
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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, but you can select any wild-caught seafood of your choosing. 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:
Intermittent Fasting Method For Women
Hands down, the 16:8 intermittent fasting method is one of the most popular ways to practice intermittent fasting, and today I want to uncomplicate this practice for you and help you get started.
Whether youre looking to incorporate intermittent fasting into your lifestyle for health reasons, weight loss, or its benefits, having a simple schedule to follow can help .
This post will break down the 16:8 intermittent fasting method and explain:
First, you should consult a licensed medical physician before you jump into intermittent fasting. IF isnt for everyone, and therefore, its something to discuss with a licensed professional.
The purpose of this post is to give you a simplified version of the confusing rules youll find on the internet when it comes to the 16:8 intermittent fasting method it is not to provide any professional/medical advice.
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What Exactly Is The 1: 8 Diet
Its pretty simple. Basically, during your 16-hour “fasting” period, you limit yourself to black tea, coffee, or diet soda. Then, for the next eight hours, you can eat whatever you want . That’s it.
Scientifically, at least, the 16:8 diet seems to check out. In a recent study published in the journal Nutrition and Healthy Aging, 23 obese men and women followed the 16:8 diet for 12 weeks. Compared to a group that ate normally, those on the 16:8 diet took in 350 fewer calories per day, lost a modest amount of weight , and lowered their blood pressure.
But, keep in mind: This was a small study and few others have examined the 16:8 diet specifically, so its tough to draw any firm conclusions just yet. More research needs to be conducted before we can see if and how it can be implemented into an actual plan effectively, confirms Beth Warren, RDN, founder of Beth Warren Nutrition and author of Secrets of a Kosher Girl.
Still, other types of intermittent fasting show promise. The 5:2 diet, for example , resulted in more weight and fat loss compared to day-to-day calorie restriction in a 2017 study in the International Journal of Obesity.
What To Eat When Intermittent Fasting
With intermittent fasting, there is only one basic approach that works for better health and weight loss:
Do not eat during fasting periods!
Otherwise, there are situations where at least small amounts of certain foods may be acceptable.
If you are not yet used to a new, more extended fasting period and find it challenging to maintain the duration, you might benefit from fasting aids.
For example, if you are hungry and irritable after 12 hours but can last for 16 hours with a Bulletproof Coffee, this is probably acceptable.
Since the added fat limits autophagys health benefits, it hardly stimulates insulin secretion at all, and you can continue to burn fat.
After your body has gotten used to intermittent fasting, however, you should be able to go without training wheels.
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What To Eat During Intermittent Fasting
One mistake that beginners often make is eating anything and everything during their every eating window. They erroneously believe that all calories are equal and that their body will burn what they eat during the next fasting stage.
The body, of course, burns calories, and especially fat, during your fast, but for the best results, you should still mind your diet.
Knowing what to eat after your fasting window will help you reach your goals of weight-loss and living healthier.
Some foods to avoid during intermittent fasting:
- Fast Foods
- Sweetened Fruit Juice
What Can I Eat While Intermittent Fasting
During the times when youre not eating, water and zero-calorie beverages such as black coffee and tea are permitted.
And during your eating periods, eating normally does not mean going crazy. Youre not likely to lose weight or get healthier if you pack your feeding times with high-calorie junk food, super-sized fried items and treats.
But what Williams likes about intermittent fasting is that it allows for a range of different foods to be eaten and enjoyed. We want people to be mindful and take pleasure in eating good, nutritious food, she says. She adds that eating with others and sharing the mealtime experience adds satisfaction and supports good health.
Williams, like most nutrition experts, regards the Mediterranean diet as a good blueprint of what to eat, whether youre trying intermittent fasting or not. You can hardly go wrong when you pick complex, unrefined carbohydrates such as whole grains, leafy greens, healthy fats and lean protein.
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Intermittent Fasting And Sleep
by Ryan | Last updated Jul 8, 2021 | Fasting
Intermittent Fasting is a hugely popular dieting method. After polling our Instagram followers nutrition questions, 70% of them were IF related. Coincidentally, I have been an accidental intermittent faster for two years.
Intermittent fasting and sleep have the power to transform your mind and health. Given my engineering background, I am continually running experiments to optimize my sleep and intermittent fasting plan.
In this article, Ill share my intermittent fasting before and after story as well as my experience intermittent fasting while focusing on sleep quality in parallel.
Intermittent Fasting And Ketosis
One of the best things about fasting is that it can help you get into ketosis faster.
The two are related for a few reasons:
So, is intermittent fasting 16/8 guaranteed to get you into ketosis? No, but it can help get you there if you do it along with a keto diet.
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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 .
