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It lets you get the most out of your eating schedule, as it limits your eating to eight hours, leaving 16 hours to ‘fast’.
16 hours without food? That sounds challenging, until you consider that we sleep (or should sleep) for about eight hours a day. Add four hours before bedtime and four hours after waking and there you go.
Read more: Intermittent fasting: the definitive guide
Dr Arien van der Merwe from Healthy Living Space says that it takes your body about six to eight hours to burn carbohydrates and afterwards your body will start to burn fat. If you eat dinner at 6pm and breakfast at 10am you will be turning your body in a fat burning machine – making you lose weight effortlessly.
READ: Four diets that actually work
IF also has other benefits. According to James Clear, intermittent starving extends overall longevity. A study, which took place in 2007 showed that intermittent fasting not only reduces the risk of cancer, but also cardiovascular disease. Dr Arien also noted that IF can prevent type 2 diabetes and even reverse it.
If you need actual proof of this theory, Australian actor, Hugh Jackman who put himself on the 16/8 eating plan for his role in the new Wolverine film. According to the Examiner, lost 6.8kg’s for his role and has confessed to feeling good about it.
Okay to sum it up, we need:
8 hours to eat
8 hours to not eat
8 hours to sleep
But if the 16:8 eating plan is not working for you, here are other plans to do:
• The 20:4 also known as the Warrior plan requires 20 hours of fasting and only four hours of eating.
• The 5:2 is an easier plan, which involves five days of normal eating and two days of fasting.
Infographic: Mercola
