Intermittent Fasting 101: The 16/8 Method
16/8 Intermittent fasting which involves cycling between periods of fasting and eating — has become the “it” diet even among those who typically don’t do well with weight loss diets. It’s become so intriguing that it even became the No. 1 diet trend of 2019, according to Google.
Initially I was worried that it wasn’t a healthy option but after reading up on it I actually found out it’s beneficial in more ways than just weight loss. Before getting into the benefits, let me explain what 16/8 Intermittent Fasting means.
WHAT IS 16/8 INTERMITTENT FASTING?
16/8 intermittent fasting is having an eating window of eight hours per day and abstaining from food for the remaining 16 hours. How frequent you do it is up to you. For weight loss, I would say a minimum of 5 days a week. Some choose to do every day, other do alternating days; I am doing 5 days with weekends “off” because I like that to also have to be able to enjoy a glass of wine or late night dinner without feeling guilty.
When it comes to typical diets, I am not one of those people that enjoy it. I mean, does anyone??
I hate counting calories or having too many restrictions on what I can or can not eat. It’s one of the main reasons 16/8 intermittent fasting has become so popular and why it’s the diet I went with.
Now, let me clear something up, this doesn’t mean you eat everything in sight during those 8 hours because that would just be counterproductive to your fasting period but I am not counting calories or being super hard on myself about what I am eating. Trying to be mindful of the foods I am consuming, below is what my day looked like yesterday:
9 am BREAKFAST: 2 boiled eggs and 1/2 avocado; cup of coffee & milk
12:30 pm LUNCH: rice, beans and grilled chicken
2:30 pm: green tea w/scoop of collagen
4:45 pm DINNER: salmon, broccoli and baked sweet potato
5 pm-9 am FASTING
It’s easy in comparison to a lot of the strict rules with other diets, making 16/8 intermittent fasting a way of obtaining real results with minimal effort and thought. It’s much less restrictive and a lot more flexible than most other diet plans and can easily be adapted into pretty much any lifestyle because you choose the hours that work for you.
BENEFITS OF 16/8 INTERMITTENT FASTING
If 16 hours of no foods sounds like too much for you initially you can ease into it with 14/10 which means you fast for 14 hours and have an eating period of 10 hours until you work up to 16/8.
I already mentioned the perk of being much more flexible and easy to maintain long term but 16/8 intermittent fasting has also been linked to a long list of benefits, including:
INCREASED WEIGHT LOSS: restricting your window of eating to 8 hours a day, reduces the amount of calories you are consuming. Studies also show that fasting can boost your metabolism which in turn increases weight loss.
PRESERVE MUSCLE MASS: this is a huge benefit in comparison to calorie-intake restrictive diets because you will lose fat while maintaining muscle which is what helps you achieve the defined and “toned” look.
ENHANCED LONGEVITY: Longer, healthier life? Yes, please! Studies show that fasting enhances our chances of living longer.
IMPROVES BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS: by reducing insulin levels by up to 31% and blood sugar by 3-6%, fasting decreases your risk for diabetes.
MY 16/8 FASTING EXPERIENCE
It’s only been 1 1/2 weeks since I started fasting, took Saturday off, and I feel good. Since I can have breakfast around the typical time I usually do, it has not been hard on me. I haven’t felt hungry in the time between my last meal (5:30pm) and bedtime. I’ve had no headaches or dizzy spells and my energy level hasn’t decreased.
It’s certainly the best diet method I have tried because it’s not filled with rules or long lists of foods you can’t eat which always becomes frustrating to me. I haven’t weighed myself yet but once I do I will update you guys. One thing I am going to change is to slowly making my meals healthier so that I can reap the full benefits of 16/8 fasting but so far, all good.
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