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Intermittent fasting is quickly becoming more and more popular. We live in a world where we are all trying to live a fast-paced life, full of horrible chemicals and temptations. Many of us are trying to lose weight and figure out the best diet to live a healthy life. We have seen all sorts of different strategies and plans from so many different people. Half the time we try to take up routines from famous people. Or we have to look through all these different supplements and try to find something natural and effective. My personal recommendation for pretty much everyone is to try Exipure. Truth is we are all just muddling through the best we can. However, there has been a couple of different methods that we have seen others have success in. One such method is intermittent fasting.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
The idea of intermittent fasting is to go back to our history. People used to spend most of their time hunting and scavenging. They ate most of their food in one meal or during a specified time of day. Going back to our history with intermittent fasting means we are forgoing eating throughout the day and get most or all of your calories within a specific timeframe. This has been used for weight loss and weight management. There have been some studies that may indicate there are health benefits to it as well. The possible prevention of diseases improved cognitive function and of course your metabolism and digestion. When I say of course, it’s because of the benefits of fasting.
What Methods are There?
16:8 is an easier method of intermittent fasting. Meaning fast for 16 hours and eat for 8 hours. The next step up from that would be 18:6. You fast for 18 hours and eat for 6 hours. Then there is the last method. This one has been coined, in 2001, as the Warrior diet. This is the 20:4 method. Fasting for 20 hours and only eating for 4 hours. This is obviously the most extreme of the three and the hardest one to do right.
The 16:8 Method
As mentioned before this is the easiest of the three aforementioned methods. The reason is because the majority of your fasting timeframe is when you are sleeping. Most people eat breakfast and dinner about 10 to 12 hours apart. So, your eating window being 8 hours is not that much of an adjustment. It could be as simple as eating your breakfast at 10 and your dinner before 6. It really doesn’t sound that bad, does it? However, it does help control extra eating and snacking since there is a definitive start and cut off. The difference of cutting out a couple of hours of eating time, makes it more likely that you will still be full or digesting during the in between of your meals.
The 18:6 Method
This is taking it one more step. 18 hours of fasting and only 6 of eating. This takes your fasting time more into your day. Some people accomplish this by splitting only eating 12-6 or eating 8-2. However, there is a large majority that want to split their fasting between the morning and night. Eating more around 10-4, they eat more in the middle of their day. This is probably the favorite method when it comes to intermittent. You can start reaping the benefits of fasting without going to extreme. Your window of eating makes it a decent amount of time to get your full calories but taking away nearly any possibility of snacking. If you start eating at ten, arguably that would be breakfast at 10 lunches at 12:30 and dinners between 3 or 3:30. This way you are done eating by 4. Not a whole lot of wiggle room for anything extra.
The 20:4 Method
This is the most extreme method, therefore called the warrior diet. There is not really a whole lot of room for anything other than eating but only for four hours. You need to be strategic to get the right amounts of nutrients and calories within a short amount of time, and without feeling like you’re gorging yourself. In diets where you are eating throughout the whole day and limiting your calories at each meal you can feel limited. You know things like avocados and other things are very healthy for you but higher in calories. You are more likely to avoid them in a regular diet. However, when you are trying to fit your whole day in such a short time frame, these foods are your friends. They are healthy options that aren’t extremely filling but higher in calories. With the 20 hours of fasting, you are also much more likely to reap the benefits. Your body is fully cleaning out your digestive tract and fully metabolizing the foods you eat before you need to eat again.
Conclusion
These methods can be a very healthy and effective option if done correctly. A huge issue with intermittent fasting is how a lot of people decide to execute these methods. It becomes almost a crutch to be able to eat unhealthy foods that are high in calories. To be able to eat whatever you want as long as you do it within your window. I’ve seen people try to do this and have absolutely no success. As with every method for a healthy lifestyle, you still have to do the right kind of work to have success.
Have you tried intermittent fasting? What kind of success have you had, or tips you have figured out?
Mel's Health and Fitness 