Fasting for weight loss: the 16:8 method
There are so many questionable fad diets that usually involve calorie deficits to help you lose weight. Intermittent fasting on the other hand is a lifestyle trend that has been proven to be a very practical and healthy weight loss method with the 16:8 being by far the most popular fasting protocol. When fasting for weight loss, the 16:8 is one of the best techniques to consider along side OMAD - One meal a day and extended fasting.
Fasting in general isn’t a new concept. It has been practiced for centuries for religious, health and spiritual reasons. It’s only in the last few years, with a backing of amazing research that health, fitness, nutrition experts and enthusiasts have learned of its true benefits, turning it into a full blown body transformation trend.
It’s no wonder Intermittent fasting has grown popular over the years with many celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry, Hugh Jackman and Terry crews all swearing by it.
The 16:8 also known as 2MAD or 2 meals a day generally refers an eating pattern were one fasts for 16 consecutive hours (only drinking non caloric to very low caloric beverages) and consumes all one’s meals for the day within an 8 hour eating window; For-example, you could choose to skip breakfast and have lunch and dinner or skip dinner and have breakfast and lunch. it’s based on personal preference so whichever works for you, as long as you eat within the 8 hours you have for the day.
For weight loss, this fast is a great tool because not only does it work but there’s a longer time frame were calories are restricted and a shorter eating window were you eat healthy and cut out a lot of unhealthy processed food options.
It is very important that when you break your fast, you have a healthy, well balanced, satisfying meal that’s going to make you feel good and provide you with the nutrients that your body needs. You spent 16 hours in an unfed state, do you really need to break your fast with processed unhealthy foods like donuts, sugars and fries?… all this will do, is make you feel horrible, give you food anxiety and negate the impact of the fast. Switch it up instead and have a soup, a huge salad, some protein, healthy fats and some whole natural carbs. Trust me, you’ll thank me later. Not only will you feel full, your wait would have paid off and you will feel great from making conscience, healthy food choices.
Like I mentioned in my last blog, the misconception that you can eat whatever you want, during a fast, without a care of what it is, is only going to delay your efforts. Many beginner fasters tend to over compensate for the time they didn’t eat by binging and taking in a lot more calories than they would have normally which honestly if you’re going to do, you might as well just stick to 3 meals a day and eat healthier. Remember, not all fasts are cut out equal for everyone. If you cannot do the 16:8, stick to a shorter eating window until you know you’re able to gradually extend your fasting hours effortlessly.
When you eat and what you eat, go hand in hand with a properly executed Intermittent fasting plan. After your body has had its much needed gut rest, to get it moving again, and properly, give it the right kind of fuel and the health benefits will be exactly what the doctor ordered. IF has a lot of advantages for the body that will only come from making the right food choices when your eating window opens.
Benefits of the 16:8
The benefits of a fast are generally many, but the longer the fasting hours, the more powerful the effects for our bodies. The 16:8 is great because
It is an effective weight loss tool as it creates a calorie deficit
It helps you transition from sugar burning to fat burning
Maintains lean muscle mass
It improves insulin sensitivity.
Sugar levels are controlled
Mental clarity and positive mood
Increased productivity levels
Reduces bloating and swelling
Boosts your metabolism
Better sleep
Ketosis
I absolutely love the 16:8 because I do not calorie count with it and from my experience with the 13 hr fast, I have gained a basic idea of quantity vs calories and I know like many people for sure that green foods have the lowest calories and natural fats have a lot but, the good kind; as so do lean proteins and whole natural carbs. So I eat guilt free, knowing when it’s time to re-feed, I’m going with what is good for my gut without having to mentally or physically stress about it.
Personally I combine 3 to 4 methods to be able to maintain my new weight and shed some. The 16:8 takes up 50 percent of that as it’s what I fall back on most of the time. I’ll talk more about what methods I use and how and why that works for me in my future posts. look out for that.
For someone that is trying the 16:8 for the first time, you may think it’s crazy for anyone to sanely choose to “starve” themselves for such a long period of time every single day! and that’s a normal sentiment, I get it! After all, it’s not meant to be easy especially when starting out. However, if you sync your eating pattern with your circadian rhythm, this is very achievable and nearly effortless. Please watch my video from last week to learn more about circadian rhythm and how syncing it with Intermittent fasting makes it work.
Skipping breakfast and having lunch and dinner has worked best for me because I’m naturally not a morning person. When I re-feed, Lunch is usually my biggest meal of the day and for dinner I opt for a lighter meal. The beauty about IF and I will keep on saying this, is that it’s super flexible and you can try it and tweak it to find which one, or combination of fasts, works best for you.
How do I apply the 16:8 in my IF lifestyle?
Basically I begin my fast after my last meal which in my case is dinner . I usually begin at 7 pm (and adjust accordingly if I have social plans) and when I wake up the next day at 7 am, I’ve already completed 12 hours of fasting.
First thing I do is drink ACV water (1 mix 1 TBS Bragg organic apple cider vinegar into a 300 ml glass of water ) this acts as an appetite suppressant for me. If you don’t like the sound of that then consider other options like black coffee, tea (no sugar, artificial sweeteners, creamers or milk), plain water, water scented with lime or cucumber or spicy ginger in hot water. They all work for me!
Then, I go about with my usual house chores; One of the benefits of fasting as I mentioned in my first video, is that it increases mental clarity and productivity; so getting a lot done before your first meal helps destruct you from any opportunities to hover in the kitchen and snack on something before your feeding window opens.
After that, I begin my fasted workout routine which involves a 50 minute walk from my apartment to my gym, get some strength training done, walk back home and shower . By this time, I’ve already completed 3 more hours and have an hour or less to cook my lunch before my feeding window begins. Best part is, I skipped breakfast without even thinking about it.
I keep hydrated through out the day on non caloric beverages and eat my lunch at noon which usually comprises of a huge leafy salad or soup, a generous serving of lean protein, natural fats and a small serving of whole natural carbs. For dessert I have a fruit bowl and my lunch is done within an hour. I do not eat again until 6 pm which gives my gut enough time to digest my lunch before dinner. Eating this way gives your body the nutrients and vitamins it needs without sabotaging your efforts to lose weight.
After my dinner, I resume my fast at 7 pm making sure to take in no more calories and only keep hydrated. I repeat this cycle every day and switch it up to other fasting styles when needed.
Adding exercise to your fasting routine is a great way to keep busy and distracted in the mornings to avoid snacking.
You can follow the same pattern I use or figure out how to work this fast into your everyday life. To challenge yourself, try adding two more hours to your fast. The 18:6 will have the added advantage of significant ketosis for more fat burning and kick starting the activation of autophagy which helps clean your body of old damaged cells
Please, consult with your health professional if you’re new to fasting and not sure if it is for you. In my first video BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO INTERMITTENT FASTING, I listed out who shouldn’t do Intermittent Fasting. Watch that if you can and make sure you’re off that list before attempting to try IF.
It’s also okay if Intermittent fasting isn’t for you regardless of how many people swear by it. Start slow with my BASIC GUIDE TO THE 13 HR RULE and gradually build it up to make it work for you. Change can be hard but if you give it time, you can own it and adopt to it. IF works when a regimen is kept for as long as possible. I’ve been doing it for 15 months now and I’m never going back because this is my normal and it can be yours too.
Let me know if you have tried this fasting protocol, why you started it and what tweaks you incorporated to make it work for you.
Until next week!
Kinobody. (2018, May 27). Intermittent Fasting Day in the Life [Video] YouTube. URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAOyZx4DdI&t=172s
Andy Gallagher. (2013, September 19). youtube com ▶ Intermittent Fasting Hugh Jackman reveals his secret to look lean 2013 YouTube [Video] YouTube. URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhf9gbMYSuM
Business Insider. (2017, March 1). Terry Crews on intermittent fasting [Video]. YouTube. URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW_99QcCTzE
Access. (2020, January 18). Jane Seymour Stuns At SAGs Revealing Her Weight Loss Secret: Intermittent Fasting, No Drinking [Video]. YouTube. URL https://youtu.be/Bn7GN6jcaPM