Benefits of Intermittent Fasting and The 4 4 12 Fasting Schedule (2024)

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Benefits of Intermittent Fasting and The 4 4 12 Fasting Schedule? ›

For example, one of the "sub-method" is the 4-4-12 schedule, in which the interval between their breakfast and lunch must be at least four hours, while dinner comes at least four hours after lunch and 12 hours ahead of breakfast the next day.

For example, one of the "sub-method" is the 4-4-12 schedule, in which the interval between their breakfast and lunch must be at least four hours, while dinner comes at least four hours after lunch and 12 hours ahead of breakfast the next day.

Depending on your lifestyle and when you can manage to stop eating, the best hours for intermittent fasting include the 16/8 or 14/10 fasting periods. Intermittent fasting is hailed by many as the new mantra of weight loss, disease prevention, and reversal of aging.

If you consistently stay active while following intermittent fasting, you can lose as much as 6-8 pounds per month. This estimation is shockingly high when you consider that all you have to do is not eat for select hours throughout the day.

Types of intermittent fasting

With 16/8 time-restricted eating, you can eat what you choose during an 8-hour window and fast for the other 16 hours. For example, you could eat between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and then fast from 5 p.m. until 9 a.m. the next day.

A 2023 review of research found that the 16/8 method and 16/8 combined with restricting calories were effective strategies for weight control in adults with overweight or obesity. An eating window starting before noon led to greater weight loss than one that began after noon.

You can drink moderate amounts of black coffee during fasting periods, as it contains very few calories and is unlikely to break your fast. In fact, coffee may enhance the benefits of intermittent fasting, which include reduced inflammation and improved brain function.

According to some researchers, fasting for 10–16 hours can cause the body to turn its fat stores into energy, which releases ketones into the bloodstream. This should encourage weight loss. This type of intermittent fasting plan may be a good option for beginners.

The 5:2 diet is based on a principle known as intermittent fasting. This is where you eat normally at certain times and then fast during other times. There are different versions, but the 5:2 diet involves eating a normal, healthy diet for five days every week and 'fasting' on the remaining two days.

It's difficult for some people to stick with intermittent fasting, but these tips may help you maximize your results. Focus on fresh, whole foods—including filling fiber, healthy fats, and protein—instead of processed foods. Make your fasting days your rest days from exercise to avoid feeling fatigued.

How long does it take to lose 10 lbs intermittent fasting? ›

Weinandy says that results are usually apparent around the 10-week mark, adding that she sees an average weight loss of seven to 10 pounds over that period through any of the three approaches to intermittent fasting mentioned previously. It might take longer than that since everyone's metabolism works differently.

How much, though, depends on what kind of intermittent fasting schedule you're following (more on those schedules, below). People who do some form of full-day fasts usually lose about 10 to 30 pounds over a three-to-six-month period, says Varady.

Put simply, when people practice intermittent fasting without exercising, they are losing weight, but much of it often comes from the muscle in the lean mass. If they are exercising, then that shifts from a loss of muscle mass to a loss fat mass, so that's a large benefit.

Best Intermittent Fasting Method For Visceral Belly Fat

14/10 Method: Fast for 14 hours and have a 10-hour eating window daily. That means you restrict your food intake to a specific 10-hour period while abstaining from caloric consumption for the remaining 14 hours.

Many people randomly eat things during the eating window. The half knowledge that fasting period is enough to lose weight prompts them to consume unhealthy processed foods. Eating junk foods during intermittent fasting negates the benefits of intermittent fasting and enhances the growth of weight.

While practicing intermittent fasting, your body moves through several phases of the fed-fast cycle, depending on the amount of time that you fast. The four phases include the fed state, early fasting state, fasting state, and long-term fasting state (starvation state).

Alternate-day fasting (ADF) is an intermittent fasting approach. The basic idea is that you fast on one day and then eat what you want the next day. This way you only need to restrict what you eat half of the time. On fasting days, you're allowed to drink as many calorie-free beverages as you like.

The practice of 16/8 intermittent fasting involves limiting your intake of foods and calorie-containing beverages to a set window of 8 hours per day. You abstain from food for the remaining 16 hours, though you're still allowed to drink water and other no-calorie beverages, like plain coffee or tea.

You can select any 16-hour and 8-hour block of time that works best for your schedule. But it's important to keep your eating window at the same every day. Other intermittent fasting schedules include 18:6 (when you fast for 18 hours and eat for 6 hours) or alternating days.