Intermittent fasting is a type of diet that limits food consumption at certain times. Several studies have proven the efficacy of this diet, one of which is for losing weight.
There are several methods you can choose when you want to undergo this diet. The difference generally only lies in the eating window. Well, here are the right meal times when undergoing intermittent fasting.
Meal Times During Intermittent Fasting
Here are some of the most popular methods:
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16/8 eating window
This method is also called the Leangains protocol. The method is to skip breakfast and limit daily eating time to 8 hours.
For example, you can only eat from one in the afternoon to nine at night. Outside of that, you can’t consume anything except drinking water. This means that this method requires you to fast for 16 hours.
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Eat-Stop-Eat
Well, this method requires you to fast for 24 hours 1-2 times a week. This means you are not allowed to consume anything from dinner until dinner the next day.
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Diet 5:2
You should only consume 500-600 calories for two consecutive days in a week. After that, you can eat normally for the remaining five days.
The similarity of the three methods above is that they are able to reduce your daily calorie intake. In that way, this can help you lose weight.
Even though there is a meal window, it doesn’t mean you can eat as much as you want. You still need to regulate the types of food and the portion sizes you eat.
Most people consider the 16/8 method to be the simplest and easiest to do. In fact, this method is the most sustainable, meaning it can be done in the long term.
If you want to try this diet, here’s How to Implement an Intermittent Fasting Diet for Beginners that you need to know.
Effects of Intermittent Fasting on the Body
There are several things that happen in your body when you fast. For example, your body adjusts hormone levels to make stored fat more accessible. Cells also begin repair processes in tissues.
So, here’s what happens to the body when you do this diet:
- Human growth hormone levels increase fivefold. This process is beneficial for fat loss and muscle gain.
- Insulin sensitivity increases and insulin levels drop dramatically. Lower insulin levels make stored body fat more accessible.
- During fasting, cells begin the process of cellular repair. This includes autophagy, where cells digest and remove old and dysfunctional proteins that build up in the cells.
- There are changes in gene function that are related to longevity and protection against disease. Learn more about the Benefits of Intermittent Fasting Diet for Health below!
Can Everyone Do It?
Of course not, there are some groups of individuals who are not advised to do this diet.
These groups of individuals include:
- Children and adolescents under 18 years of age.
- Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- People with type 1 diabetes who use insulin. There is concern that intermittent fasting increases the risk of hypoglycemia.
- A person who has a history of eating disorders.
