With the 16:8 method (eight-hour diet), you limit eating to 8 hours a day, followed by a 16-hour fasting period. But what is the best implementation of the 16:8 diet? And is interval fasting suitable for you?
It is a variation of intermittent fasting or interval fasting and has helped many people lose weight.
How intermittent fasting works with the 16:8 method?
Experts also refer to this diet as an eight-hour diet since you only fast during 8 of the 16 hours, and the other half of the 16 fasting hours are for sleeping.
All your meals should take place in a window of 8 hours. And During the remaining 16 hours is a fasting phase with no calories.
The 16:08 is not very challenging compared to other types of intermittent fasting because half of the fast is at night when you’re asleep.
For example, you can eat an early dinner and a very late breakfast. Or have the last meal of the day in the afternoon if you have a very early breakfast in the morning. The main thing is that there are 16 hours between the last meal of the previous day and the first of the next day.
Experts also recommend boosting the metabolism in the morning with an exercise session or workout.
A day during the 16:8 diet
Eat 8 hours, fast 16 hours: this type of interval fasting is easier to implement than you might think.
It is suitable for everyday life. For example, you can eat the first meal around 11 a.m. and then stop eating eight hours later. That way, you’ll be hungry again at lunchtime, and you can eat dinner around 7 p.m. If you eat breakfast later (around noon), you can usually get by with two large meals during the day.
You can drink water, unsweetened teas, and black coffee during the fast.
IF you find it hard to leave the house without breakfast in the morning? No problem – this option is also possible at 16:8. However, if you eat at 8 a.m., you’ll have to bring “dinner” forward to 4 p.m.
Is the 16:8 diet suitable for you?
Some people love dietary rules, like to count calories, and have no problem with renunciation when they want to lose weight. None of this is necessary with the 16:8 diet. So it is suitable for people who:
- like to eat and do not want to give up certain foods
- want to maintain their weight or lose weight
- do not have the time and desire to cook according to strict diet plans in their everyday life
- want to fast for a short period
Another advantage: 16:8 fasting is possible for all diets from vegan to omnivore.
Who should not use the 16:8 method?
On the other hand, the 16:8 Intermittent Fasting is not advised to people who:
- Have problems with the pancreas
- Thyroid dysfunction
- Severely overweight because the adrenal glands are too heavily preloaded. In these cases, experts initially recommend a low-carb diet.
- People with diabetes should only fast under medical supervision.
What should you eat on the 16:8 diet?
There are no rules about what can and cannot eat. But it would be best if your diet consists mostly of fresh vegetables and fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and good fats. As a rule, the more colorful and varied, the better
- green leafy vegetables, in particular, contain many vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and the miraculous substance sulforaphane: broccoli, spinach, savoy cabbage, kale, orchard.
- Cauliflower, beet, fennel, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and salads are also perfect for adding volume to dishes while absorbing essential micronutrients.
- Olive oil, chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts, fatty fish such as herring, sprat, or mackerel, and hemp oil also provide vital omega-3 fatty acids.
- Complex carbohydrates from starchy vegetables: sweet potatoes, pumpkin or root vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and pseudo-cereals such as quinoa or buckwheat have a more satiating effect than products made from white flour and provide a good portion of fiber on top of that.
- And don’ forget about Protein. You can get it from legumes, fish, eggs, yogurt, and low-fat meat.
- Spices such as cinnamon, cumin and turmeric, and other power foods such as ginger additionally activate the metabolism.
- Alcohol and sweets are allowed in the 16:8 variant, but moderation is key.
- If you’re a coffee-lover, you should only drink black coffee, Latte Macchiato and Cappuccino contain calories, and they break the fast.
A trick for productivity: a cup of coffee with a mini shot of unsweetened almond milk and a cardamon capsule. The essential oils taste good and help with the feeling of hunger.
Other forms of intermittent fasting
- 5:2: Eat five days, fast two days. It is suitable for those who find it easier to eat only about 500 calories on two days than to eat very little in the long run.
- Relief Day: A gentle form of Intermittent Fasting in which you take a day off your gastrointestinal tract once a week, either by eating only vegetables or fruit or by having a complete juice day. Hydration is important – 3 to 4 liters are recommended during the relief day.
