This blog post is focused basically on the 16/8 intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting comes in different types depending on the amount of time you will spend fasting.
Intermittent fasting is the process of abstaining from food for a specific period for health reasons like weight loss, or the ketosis process.
Intermittent fasting is getting more and more popular and there are different approaches you can take to intermittent fasting. There is the 5:2 method, the 16/8 method and so on.
The 16/8 fasting method is what we will be discussing in this article.
Let’s get to it.
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The 16/8 Intermittent Fasting
It is also called the Leangains protocol.
This method involves eating only during eight hours of your whole day.
This means that you have only 8 hours in your eating window. So you are to fast for 16 hours straight.
The 16/8 Intermittent fasting method has been proven to reduce high blood sugar levels, improve life longevity, boost brain power and more.
16/8 intermittent fasting is the process of eating foods and beverages that contain calories only within a 8- hour eating window in a day.
It demands that you stay away from food for the remaining 16 hours that’s left.
You can do this once a week, twice a week, or whenever. It all depends on your body and what you want.
16/8 intermittent fasting has become so popular nowadays. Everybody wants to know how it works especially folks that are wants to lose weight and fats.
Usually, these people are looking for fast ways to lose weight effectively and 16/8 intermittent fasting encourages this.
Some other dieting methods may restrict on what you can eat during your eating window but 16/8 intermittent fasting is not so.
It permits you to eat anything you want during your eating window. 16/8 intermittent fasting is very easy to follow and do.
It does produce real results. 16/8 intermittent fasting is less restrictive and is very flexible.
How to get started?
Firstly, pick a time period of eight hours that you will eat only. You are to limit your eating to this period only.
A lot of people choose to eat between 12 o’clock in the afternoon and 8 pm in the evening.
That is a very common eating window for lots of people, so it depends on you entirely.
This method is very convenient because you only fast overnight (while you are asleep) and then you skip breakfast.
It is one of the most convenient methods of intermittent fasting.
This also means that you can still eat lunch and dinner during that time frame and also a few snacks here and there! Awesome right?
Some people also choose to eat between 9 in the morning and 5 pm.
You can choose this eating window too if it is convenient for you.
This window allows you to eat breakfast, lunch and even dinner if you can, but you will be fasting in the evenings and throughout the midnight.
Just experiment very well with the different periods and choose whichever ones are best for you and also fits your schedule.
I suggest that during your eating window, you eat healthy. Don’t overfeed in the name of you going into a fast.
Eat snacks, foods and veggies.
The snacks will help you to stabilize your sugar levels which will most likely have dropped so low during the fasting period. But take little of snacks and more of fruits,
Vegetables, whole foods (preferably cooked) and healthy beverages during your eating period.
– Eat enough protein during your eating period of 16/8 IF.
Proteinous meals are more filling and you find that you eat lesser portions when you go for this.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t eat other classes of food but focus on the proteins darling.
-Drink enough calorie-free Beverages like water and organic tea (plain).
I have been able to cut out frizzy drinks from my diets as well as highly sweetened drinks.
You can do this as well. Apart from cutting down some pounds, you’d be saving a few bucks here and there while at it.
Drink more water today.
– Just choose an 8- hour eating window that works best for you and limit your food intake to that time.
16/8 fasting is simple and easy.
For me, I use my phone’s alarm to regulate my eating window and try as much as possible to talk about it so I don’t fall off the wagon too often.
Recently, I downloaded an application that helps with tracking my eating window, the steps I take, my water intake, and also my sleep pattern.
There are tons of them on Google play store as well as AppStore in both free and premium modes.
You can choose your choice and roll with it.
Join a support group if you need to.
Personally, I thought support groups were overrated till I started intermittent fasting and realized I needed all the motivation and inspiration I could gather especially at the onset.
However, joining has been a major flex for me as I have been able to draw inspiration from people as well as avoid the mistakes they made.
Joining a support group on my fasting journey has also helped to keep me in check, more like having an indirect accountability group that keeps me going.
You can check through Facebook groups for different groups you can join.
Note that eating healthy is key while engaging in intermittent fasting and with that, results are guaranteed in time.