Diet often plays a more important role than exercise in losing weight methods. But how to control your diet to achieve your desired weight loss results？ Today this blog will introduce you to the popular 16/8 intermittent fasting diet, we will talk about what is this method, what effects you can get, how many times should you take it, and give you an example 16/8 intermittent fasting plan you can follow, so that you can thoroughly understand it, and perfectly fit it into your eating habits.
The 16/8 intermittent dieting, also called 16/8 diet, as its name suggests, is a diet in which you eat for 8 hours and then fast for the remaining 16 hours. Unlike other weight-loss diets that are not allowed to eat so many kinds of high-calorie foods, the 16/8 intermittent diet doesn’t limit the type or amount of food you eat within the 8-hour period. As a result, it is easier for those who practice the method to insist, and not rebound and get bulimia from fasting for a too long period.
How often should you take
Unlike other diets, 16/8 intermittent fasting each day is independent, so you can start your 16/8 diet on any day, depending on your goals and your doctor’s advice. However, you don’t have to stick to a 16/8 diet every day, as long fasts may suppress your metabolism and slow your pace of weight loss. At the same time, going without food for a long time can cause cholesterol levels to rise, feeling sick in the morning (open new TAB), dehydration, and low blood sugar.
Therefore, you can schedule your 16/8 intermittent fasting frequency wisely, such as choosing 1 cheat day out of every 7 days to avoid strict healthy fasting. This method can wake up your body and boost your metabolism to reach your weight goals.
Common 16/8 schedules
Here are some common 16/8 schedules that you can fit into your body clock, and if you’re an early riser, you can start eating earlier. The only thing to do is try to eat 2-3 hours earlier before you go to bed. Sleeping with hunger helps you burn fat during sleep and is more likely to lose weight on the scale the next day.
- 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- 2 p.m. to 10 p.m
Here are recommendations to design your 16/8 diet
Vegetables:
Spinach, lettuce, eggplant, cabbage heart, and other low GI food
Fruits:
Can choose tomatoes, apples, strawberries, oranges, etc., high sugar fruit to eat less, fruit do not juice
Staple food:
Choose black rice, corn, millet, oats, buckwheat, and other cereals
Nuts:
Nuts are high in fat and energy, so control your consumption
A 16/8 intermittent fasting plan you can follow
9:00: 2 slices of whole-wheat toast, 1 egg, 1 cup of milk
10:30: 1 banana
13:00：Seared salmon with brown rice and parmesan-kale salad
17:00：Grilled shrimp served with black bean salsa