Fasting for weight loss; The 13 hr Rule.
Intermittent Fasting has been proven to have so many metabolic and health benefits one of them being weight loss. But, to achieve optimal weight loss, fasting in combination with healthy eating habits will get you your desired results. Today, I’m going to share with you how I used the 13 hr synced circadian rhythm style of intermittent fasting to kick-start my weight loss journey.
Before we get into details, let me explain a little bit what the circadian rhythm is. To simply put it like I understood it while doing my own personal research over a year ago, the circadian rhythm is a biological clock in your body that recurs naturally every 24 hours and controls when you wake up, when you sleep and when you keep active during the day. That’s why when it’s off, people will suffer metabolic disturbances like experience sleep difficulties resulting from jet lag after a long flight over different time zones.
That said, the circadian synced fast is an all night fast that follows the pattern of the sun and allows you to tweak your body’s biological clock with intermittent fasting which in turn supports your weight loss goals. By fasting after sunset and re-feeding the next day in the morning, your circadian rhythm will help regulate how your calorie intake is used, making this the best option for beginner fasters as it is closer to an everyday traditional eating pattern.
This fast ranges anywhere from 12 hrs to 14 hrs though I personally recommend 13 hrs because it has slightly better benefits for the body than the 12 hr fast and easier for beginners to start with than the 14 hr fast. You keep in fasted state for 13 hrs and you have an 11 hour feeding window. A feeding window does NOT mean that you have to eat constantly all through the day for the 11 hours. It only means you can divide your 2 or 3 meals within the 11 hours feeding time frame. Let me give you an example; You have breakfast at 7:00 am, have your lunch around 12:00 pm and dinner at 17:00 pm and then resume your fast at 18:00 pm, eating nothing all night until 7:00 am the next morning. How we sync the intermittent fast with the circadian rhythm is to make sure we consume our meals during the day light hours and give our gut its needed rest during the night hours.
With this fast, it is believed that metabolic disturbances like obesity, sleep disorders etc are at a risk of developing when our circadian rhythm is ignored. For example, if you snack late in the night, your insulin levels increase and since your body naturally wants to rest, it won’t be in an optimal state to break down and digest your food, most likely storing it as fat.
Watch the video version of this article below
How I used the 13 hr rule to kickstart my weight loss.
To achieve optimal weight loss, I needed to consider greatly what I ate and when I ate it. The misconception that you can eat whatever you want without making smart food choices during your feeding window will only delay your efforts and disappoint you when you see no results especially with a 13 hr fast which has 3 meals.
I started this fast after my last meal which I made sure to finish at least 20 minutes before my fasting window began. Make sure to have your dinner at least half hour to 50 minutes before your fasting window begins.
I drank green tea before bed and kept a glass of water by my bedside.
In the morning after my 13 hours were up, I broke my fast with a small breakfast comprised usually of a fruit bowl with rolled oats and plain yoghurt.
I meal prepped for my other meals and kept busy to learn to control my cravings during the day.
Kept hydrated all day and consumed non caloric drinks.
I calorie counted and kept my intake to between 1000 to 1500 for all my 3 meals in total because otherwise I wasn’t seeing any body weight change. For me to be able to feel full from my meals, I found myself having mostly a plant based diet for at least 2 of my meals of the day.
I ate a balanced diet combined with low natural carbs, whole foods, natural fats.
I avoided processed sugars including artificial sweeteners.
Some of you will probably dread this but exercise! I was at my heaviest so I decided to walk at least 30 minutes a day and it really did make a difference. Today I walk between 2 to 4 hours, 4 days a week. sounds crazy but true!
I maintained this fasting routine for a couple of weeks to be able to control my appetite and slowly challenged myself by adding an extra fasting hour every week after.
And lastly I made sure to not only weigh myself but also to take my body measurements because the scale cannot always be trusted. I explain why in my video.
1st January 2019 at a new years party vs. 8 months later when I hit my first weight goal of 78 kg.
Did it work? Yes! Would I do it again? Absolutely! On the days when I do not have my nanny and have to prep 3 meals a day for the family, I always fall back on the 13 hr rule to make family meals special without throwing my efforts to lose weight. I found that when I implemented all these steps, only then was I able to start shedding those extra pounds. That is why IF is considered a lifestyle unlike traditional diets. To maintain your weight, you need to keep intermittent fasting.
Benefits of a 13 hr fast
It is the best way to kickstart your journey to a lifestyle of fasting.
Gut rest
Ketosis is achieved by hour 12 so your body starts to break down and burn fat even though for a short time.
Improves insulin sensitivity over time
It is simple as it aligns with your natural clock
You still get to eat 3 meals a day
Better for deep sleep as your clock isn’t tampered with
Helps kickstart weight loss
Reduces on water retention
Improves your energy levels
Cons
Better results with lowered calorie intake
No cellular benefits of autophagy
Doesn’t burn as much fat as longer fasts
Lower levels of ketosis
You need to restrict your calorie intake in order to see weight loss benefits.
Poke bowl, one of my favourite healthy go to options for lunch
Although this style of fasting also has some great benefits, it’s not the most powerful option for weight loss unless you consider counting and reducing your calories intake to between 1000-1500 kcal for all the 3 meals and avoiding snacking in between. I found it easiest to get full on mostly plant based meals when i did this.
To conclude, yes the circadian synced 13 hr fast is a fast and not a mock up of it, if you take into consideration all the tips I have given you to achieve optimal weight loss. However, it just felt like a lot of work for me overtime so I increased my fasting hours and reduced my feeding window and I liked the results of that better. I still do fall back to if from time to time especially when i have to prepare 3 meals for the family and crave to eat, but most times I’m okay with skipping breakfast.
For better weight loss efforts, I recommend longer fasts like the 16:8 which I will talk about in my blog next week. please note that not all fasting protocols are created equal for everyone so it is best to try each one out to find which one, or combination of fasts works for you.