When Is The Best Time To Eat When Intermittent Fasting

How Fast Can You Lose Weight On Intermittent Fasting : 6

A persons weight loss pace depends on lots of factors and varies individually. Technically, the more calories you reduce, the faster you shed pounds. However, that is not always the case. Drastic calorie restriction may cause your body to enter the surviving mode, where you may stop burning fat and start burning muscles instead while packing on energy in the form of fat. Experts recommend losing 1-2 pounds a week . Such a weight loss pace is the safest and the most sustainable.

Intermittent Fasting And Why When You Eat Makes A Difference

The world is getting fatter. More than 40 percent of U.S. adults are obese almost three times more than in 1980.

One reason for this weight gain is Americans are consuming more: National figures suggest an increase of about 200 daily calories between the early 1970s and 2010. Another is more snacking. In 2010, U.S. adults ate about 20 percent more of their daily calories as snacks than they did 50 years ago.

But there is more to rising obesity rates than endless grazing. What also matters is timing, some experts believe. We eat when we shouldnt, and dont give our bodies a long enough break in between.

We didnt evolve to eat day and night, says neuroscientist Dominic DAgostino of the University of South Florida. Until the dawn of agriculture about 12,000 years ago, we subsisted on hunting and gathering and often had to perform those activities with empty bellies. We are hard-wired, DAgostino says, to undergo periodic intermittent fasting.

Whats more, people are now eating at times of the day when historically they would have been asleep, says Satchin Panda, a circadian biologist at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif., who co-wrote an overview on the timing of eating in the 2019 Annual Review of Nutrition. For thousands of years, he says, our nightly fast probably started much earlier than in these times of late-night television.

When Is The Best Time To Eat Protein

When you decide to consume your protein will vary depending on the intermittent fasting protocol you choose. For instance, if you choose a 16:8 protocol, during which you fast for 16 hours throughout the night and into the morning, youll likely prefer to eat your protein later in the evening before your fast begins. Ideally, you should eat some protein before starting a fast to feel full longer. However, you can choose to start your day with more protein as well.

If you increase your protein intake with breakfast or the first meal you have when you break your fast researchers believe youll have greater appetite control during the day, lower your insulin levels, and eat less at lunchtime. On the other hand, experts found that eating protein with dinner will also increase satiety and make it less likely you indulge in unhealthy food in the evening. Remember you dont need to eat all of the days protein at once within your eating window, so feel free to make breakfast or dinner more protein-focused while still incorporating protein-rich foods like yogurt or oats.

Read Also: What To Eat For Breakfast Intermittent Fasting

Read Also: What Is Juice Fasting For Weight Loss

How To Successfully Do The : 4 Intermittent Fast

The Warrior Diet plan involves fasting for 20 hours during the day followed by overeating in a 4-hour window at night.

For example, you may set your feeding window at 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. During this time you can eat as much as you want with an emphasis on unprocessed, organic whole foods particularly those high in dietary fats and protein.

After 10:00 pm, you fast or eat very small portions of specific foods such as raw fruit and vegetables until 6:00 pm the next day. Its important youre eating as fewer calories as possible during this time.

The method is best suited for people who have tried intermittent fasting before or who already consume a low-carb/ketogenic diet.

Hofmekler recommends you follow a three-week, three-phase plan initially before starting the Warrior Diet. This helps the body adapt to the eating and fasting schedule and become accustomed to using body fat as energy. This three-week introduction includes:

Once you have completed the three-phase diet, it is recommended you start it again before following the 20:4 guidelines.

Consider The Intermittent Fasting Plan Right For You:

Some of the popular regimens include:

The 16:8 diet, or time-restricted feeding, where you fast for 16 hours a day, but are free to eat whatever you want in the other eight hours. Experts advise picking an eating window that lets you finish your meals fairly early, such as 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. or earlier, because your body is less efficient at putting sugar away as the day goes by.

Alternate day fasting, which means limiting yourself to 500 calories one day, then eating whatever you want the next, and then repeating that process.

The 5:2 plan, which means incorporating two non-consecutive fast days into your week, then eating normally during the other days.

Here are four tips to keep your plan on track:

Don’t Miss: How To Time Intermittent Fasting

What Should Your Daily Carb Intake Be

Patton says following the plate method is an easy way to make sure youre eating the right amount of carbohydrates. Start with a 9-inch plate. Fill half of it with vegetables, one quarter with protein and one quarter with carbs.

If youre an athlete or physically active, dividing your plate into thirds may better fuel your day. But Patton recommends keeping macronutrients balanced at every meal. Your body can only absorb so much protein at once. It processes fuel most efficiently in smaller, more frequent doses. So be consistent throughout the day: Eat three meals and two to three snacks.

Eat Often Or Intermittent Fasting

The main difference between eating less but more often and strict periods without meals is a hormonal change.

Accordingly, intermittent fasting shows a more potent reduction of insulin levels as well as insulin resistance, which enables better fat burning .

In addition to the growth hormone, which protects muscle mass, the hormone noradrenaline increases to boost metabolism during fasting .

In contrast to intermittent fasting, conventional calorie restriction leads to a loss of muscle mass. Also, the basal metabolic rate decreases if you eat less but frequently.

Consequently, a study with the participants of the weight-loss TV show The Biggest Loser revealed that those participants who lost the most weight through calorie restriction suffered the longest from a weak metabolism.

Since it was precisely these participants who were again rapidly gaining weight, scientists observed a severe yo-yo effect in them .

Also Check: Which Blood Tests Need To Be Fasting

Benefits To Gut Health

Short periods of fasting, such as skipping breakfast , may benefit your gut microbes, explains Professor Tim Spector of Kings College London in his book Spoon-Fed. Although research in the field is in its early stages, accumulating evidence suggests that during fasting, certain species of microbes replicate and feed off carbohydrates in the gut lining. This makes the gut barrier healthier and more efficient.

One explanation for this could be that gut microbes follow a circadian rhythm like you do. Microbe communities, like us, may also need to rest and recuperate as part of a daily circadian rhythm which could be important for our gut health, writes Spector.

Everyones body responds differently to skipping meals, so Spector suggests experimenting by giving breakfast or another meal a miss to see how you feel. Leaving a minimum of 12 hours between eating, even if its only occasionally, could improve your mood and energy levels in the short term , he argues.

How Much Protein Should You Eat

Intermittent fasting designates an eating window for you to consume all of your days nutrients. However, just because your eating window is smaller while fasting, doesnt mean you should eat less protein. You must power your body with protein to feel full during your fast and maintain a high level of energy throughout the day.

According to the National Academy of Medicine, adults should consume a minimum of 7 grams of protein for every 20 pounds of body weight. If youre approximately 150 pounds, you should consume just over 50 grams of protein per day. If youre approximately 250 pounds, you should increase your daily protein intake up to 90 grams.

Don’t Miss: Can You Lose Belly Fat By Fasting

Top 6 Questions About Intermittent Fasting

1) Wont I get really hungry if I start skipping meals?

As explained above, this can be a result of the habits you have built for your body. If you are constantly eating or always eat the same time of day, your body can actually learn to prepare itself for food by beginning the process of insulin production and preparation for food.

After a brief adjustment period, your body can adapt to the fact that its only eating a few times a day. The more overweight you are, and the more often you eat, the more of an initial struggle this might be.

Remember, your bodys physical and cognitive abilities most likley wont be diminished as a result of short term fasting.

2) Where will I get my energy for my workouts? Wont I be exhausted and not be able to complete my workouts if fasting?

This was a major concern of mine as well, but the research says otherwise: Training with limited carbohydrate availability can stimulate adaptations in muscle cells to facilitate energy production via fat oxidation.

In other words, when you train in a fasted state, your body can get better at burning fat for energy when there are no carbs to pull from!

Ill share some of my experiences, now doing heavy strength training for 3 years in a fasted state:

Here I am pulling 420 lbs. at 172 BW after a 16 hour fast:

A post shared by Steve Kamb on Nov 21, 2018 at 10:43am PST

LeanGains digs into various options here, but here is really what you need to know:

4) Wont fasting cause muscle loss?

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 you can do anywhere from one day of intermittent 16:8 fasting to seven days a week, depending on your goals and the advice from your GP.

Evidence differs, however, on whether its healthy to do intermittent fasting all the time for a number of reasons. While one study suggests that fasting helps your vital organs by giving metabolic functions a break, other research suggests the fasting can lead to an increased level of cholesterol and can lead to feelings of nausea, along with causing spells of low-blood sugar and dehydration.

Also Check: How Many Calories Should I Eat For Intermittent Fasting

Why Might Changing Timing Help

But why does simply changing the timing of our meals to allow for fasting make a difference in our body? An in-depth review of the science of IF recently published in New England Journal of Medicine sheds some light. Fasting is evolutionarily embedded within our physiology, triggering several essential cellular functions. Flipping the switch from a fed to fasting state does more than help us burn calories and lose weight. The researchers combed through dozens of animal and human studies to explain how simple fasting improves metabolism, lowering blood sugar lessens inflammation, which improves a range of health issues from arthritic pain to asthma and even helps clear out toxins and damaged cells, which lowers risk for cancer and enhances brain function. The article is deep, but worth a read!

Optimal Intermittent Fasting Windows

This so-called time-restricted eating is a form of intermittent fasting. Instead of fasting on alternate days or several 24-hour periods per week, time-restricted eating encourages dieters to limit their meals to certain windows of time.

Eating and drinking during a 10-hour window allows your body to rest and restore for 14 hours while drinking water, coffee or tea. According to study co-author Satchin Panda, PhD, Your body can also anticipate when you will eat, so it can prepare the body to optimize metabolism.

Other studies on time-restricted eating have found similar results. Researchers from the University of Alabama split obese men with prediabetes into two groups: One group ate all of its meals within an 8-hour window between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. and the other spread its meals out over 12 hours between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The study showed both groups maintained their weight but those who restricted their eating to an 8-hour window had lower insulin levels, reduced insulin sensitivity and lower blood pressure their appetites decreased, too.

Read Also: How To Start Intermittent Fasting 16 8

How Do I Know If Intermittent Fasting Is Right For Me

Intermittent fasting is generally safe, but it isnt for everyone. Intermittent fasting may not be right for those that are underweight, have nutritional deficiencies, diabetes, or eating disorders. Following an intermittent fasting plan may also not be a good fit for pregnant women, breastfeeders, those trying to conceive, women with fertility issues, and those who have a history of missed periods.

If any of the medical considerations I listed out apply to you, please talk to your doctor before starting an intermittent fasting plan. Even if none of these scenarios apply, you should still talk to your doctor to ensure that it is a good fit for you. If your doctor gives you the okay, then youre good to go!

Recommended:

• People who want and need flexibility in how long they fast.

Learn more about crescendo intermittent fasting:

Frequently Asked Questions Concerns And Complaints

Im a woman. Should I do anything differently?

I havent worked with women on implementing an intermittent fasting schedule, so I cant speak from experience on this one.

That said, I have heard that women may find a wider window of eating to be more favorable when doing daily intermittent fasting. While men will typically fast for 16 hours and then eat for 8 hours, women may find better results by eating for 10 hours and fasting for 14 hours. The best advice I can give anyone, not just women, is to experiment and see what works best for you. Your body will give you signals. Follow what your body responds favorably to.

Also, if youre a female, there is an allfemale page on Facebook that discusses intermittent fasting. Im sure you could find a ton of great answers and support there.

I could never skip breakfast. How do you do it?

I dont. Breakfast foods are my favorite, so I just eat them at 1pm each day.

Also, if you eat a big dinner the night before, I think youll be surprised by how much energy you have in the morning. Most of the worries or concerns that people have about intermittent fasting are due to the fact that they have had it pounded into them by companies that they need to eat breakfast or they need to eat every three hours and so on. The science doesnt support it and neither do my personal experiences.

I thought you were supposed to eat every 3 hours?

Here’s why this was a popular idea for a brief period of time:

Here’s the problem:

Free Bonus:

Also Check: How To Intermittent Fasting For Beginners

What To Eat During Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern and not a diet plan. You may feel confused about what to eat while intermittent fasting. Although it is all about time intervals, eating healthy foods can make it more powerful.

Here is the intermittent fasting food list that can help you plan a balanced diet:

Carbohydrates To Eat When Intermittent Fasting

With intermittent fasting, its smart to focus on whole foods rich in fiber but low in starches.

While starchy foods increase blood sugar and insulin levels, dietary fibers counteract these effects .

For this reason, this list puts net carbs in parentheses:

• Mushrooms
• Pistachios
• Sweet potatoes

Due to its high content of resistant starches, sweet potato is the most digestible variety if you want to replenish your carbohydrate stores.

Unlike conventional starches, resistant starches pass through the small intestine without being converted into glucose.

Instead of being absorbed as sugar, resistant starches are broken down into short-chain fatty acids, on which your gut bacteria can nourish.

We will take a closer look at when to eat carbohydrates during intermittent fasting shortly.

You May Like: How Is Intermittent Fasting Done

How Can I Suppress Hunger During Intermittent Fasting

Eat high-fiber foods, such as nuts, beans, fruits and vegetables, and high protein foods, including meat, fish, tofu, or nuts, during your eating window, Varady advised. Chewing high-fiber gummies can also help.

Drink lots of water. People tend to think they’re hungry, when they are really just thirsty, she said.

Go for black coffee or tea, or cinnamon or licorice herbal teas. These beverages may have appetite-suppressing effects, Varady noted.

Watch less TV: I know this sounds strange, but while you are watching TV, you are bombarded with dozens of ads for food. This can make you feel hungry, when in actuality, you are not hungry at all, she said.

Remember, being “a little hungry” is the best thing that can happen to you, wrote Madelyn Fernstrom, health and nutrition editor at NBC News, calling it a “true mind-body connection” that helps you recognize fullness.