hances are you’ve heard of intermittent fasting and its amazing benefits.
You may be compelled to try it, but not sure how the fasting works or how to get started.
If that’s you, you are in the right place.
This post explains what intermittent fasting or IF is, and its most popular 16/8 fasting method.
It also has a sample 1-day 16/8 fasting plan you can use to get started right away.
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What is Intermittent Fasting (IF)?
Intermittent fasting is not a diet but rather an eating pattern.
It splits a day into periods of eating and fasting, which you alternate.
IF is all about when to eat, not what to eat.
Thus by definition, it’s not a diet.
Because it’s not about the foods you eat, IF works with any dietary choices.
There’s also no calorie counting.
How it works is you choose a part of the day to refrain from eating.
This is called your fasting window, and the other part of the day is reserved for eating.
Intermittent Fasting can easily fit into just about any lifestyle or diet.
And many people find IF less restrictive and more flexible to stick to than actual diet plans.
This leads to the 16/8 fasting, the easiest fasting method around.
How Does The 16 /8 Fasting Work?
There are many different ways of doing intermittent fasting.
They involve splitting between periods of fasting and eating.
Out of many, one of the most popular fasting methods is the 16/8 or 16 hours fast.
This fasting method restricts your eating window to hours, such as 12-8pm.
Noticeably, this schedule skips breakfast and AM snack.
Eating begins at the lunchtime and ends with your dinner as late as 8 pm.
From there, you fast for the 16 remaining hours from 8 pm to 12 pm the next day.
Many people find 16/8 fasting method to be the easiest to do since much of 9 pm to 7 am is spent sleeping.
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They’ll only have to refrain from eating from 7 am to 12 pm.
Also, one perk of the 16/8 fasting method is it is adjustable to your lifestyle.
As long as you stick your time allocation to 16/8, you can designate your eating period from 9 am to 5 pm, 10 am to 6 pm, 11 am to 7 pm etc…
It also helps that coffee, tea, and water are allowed while fasting.
Though it’s easy to implement, the 16/8 intermittent fasting is not without challenges.
Those who are used to eating a big breakfast may feel the void in the morning. This may further compel you to eat a larger portion during the eating period.
Finding the schedule you find doable is inevitably the key to success of the IF 16/8 method.
Over the years, this particular fasting method has grown in popularity. Amongst the most devoted followers are those looking to lose weight.
This is because IF can effortless reduce your calorie intake and produce weight loss.
This is as long as you can keep your meal portions unchanged and don’t compensate for the lack of meal by eating more.
In addition to weight loss, this fasting method is also believed to boost other aspects of health.
Improve blood sugar levels, better brain functions, and longevity are amongst those benefits.
Because intermittent fasting is free from food-based rules and limitations, it’s virtually effortless.
It’s easy to follow, hassle-free, and requires minimal effort.
If you’ve been thinking of starting intermittent fasting, the 16/8 fasting is a good place to start.
It’s beginner friendly and popular amongst the first-timers.
By following this fasting method, it can provide real results.
Below here’s a 1-day sample 16/8 fasting schedule to get started.
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16/8 Fasting Schedule
- 7:00 am Wake up
- 7:30 am Lemon Water
- 8:00 am Skip Breakfast
- 12:00 pm Lunch
- 3:00 pm Snack
- 8:00 pm Dinner
- 9: 00 pm Fasting
Fast for 16 hours..
16/8 Intermittent Fasting Meal Plan
Monday
- Meal #1: Avocado chicken salad
- Snack #2: Hand full of nuts
- Meal #3: Macadamia basil pesto pasta
Tuesday
- Meal #1: Vegan chickpea salad
- Snack #2: Fruit of your choice
- Meal #3: Mexican tempeh quinoa salad
Wednesday
- Meal #1: Tuna avocado salad wrap
- Snack #2: Hummus and raw veggie sticks
- Meal #3: Asian fried “noodles”
Thursday
- Meal #1: Broccoli tofu salad
- Snack #2: Piece of dark chocolate
- Meal #3: Salmon kale salad
Friday
- Meal #1: Turkey Chili
- Snack #2: Organic Edamame
- Meal #3: Grilled chicken salad
Saturday
- Meal #1: Grilled salmon salad
- Snack #2: Dark chocolate bark
- Meal #3: Chicken tortilla soup
Sunday
- Meal #1: Sprouts, chicken, quinoa Buddha bowl
- Snack #2: Greek yogurt
- Meal #3: Teriyaki chicken with cauliflower rice
Take Home Message
If you’re thinking of trying intermittent fasting, the 16/8 fasting is the easiest to do and stick to.
It involves eating only during an 8-hour period and fasting for the remaining 16 hours.
Also if you’re trying to lose weight, intermittent fasting is said to aid and foster weight loss. This is without counting calories and following a specific meal plan.
It may also improve blood sugar, better brain function, and longevity.
Before you start, discuss with your doctor to see if intermittent fasting is right for you.