16:8 Intermittent Fasting: Benefits, Risks, How-to, and More

SoonFasting Team

11 months ago

Nowadays, intermittent fasting has become one of the most well-liked fitness and health fads. Currently, one of the most well-liked health and fitness fads worldwide is intermittent fasting (IF). It is being used by people to simplify their lives and lose weight while also enhancing their health. The 16:8 diet commonly referred to as the 8-hour diet is one of the intermittent fasting methods recommended by Silicon Valley billionaires, celebrities, and social media influencers alike. Restricting mealtimes, or the way you eat only during an 8-hour window each day and fast the rest of the time, is said to help with a variety of health issues, including weight loss and a reduced risk of developing chronic diseases.

However, who is best fit for 16:8 intermittent fasting, and are there any risks? Before diving into it, you should know what exactly it is.

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What is 16:8 Intermittent Fasting?

A common kind of fasting is 16:8 intermittent fasting, also known as the 16:8 diet or 16:8 regimen. This diet requires people to fast for 16 hours a day and then consume all of their calories in the remaining 8 hours.

Some individuals think that this approach is effective because it supports the body’s internal clock or circadian rhythm. The majority of people who adhere to the 16:8 schedule skip meals at night, as well as for a portion of the morning and evening. They frequently consume the majority of their daily caloric intake in the afternoon. There are no limitations on the kinds or quantities of food consumed throughout the allotted 8 hours. In a word, the plan is reasonably simple to implement because of its flexibility and relative simplicity.

Benefits of 16:8 Intermittent Fasting

For decades, scientists have researched intermittent fasting. The results of studies are occasionally ambiguous and conflicting. But studies on intermittent fasting, notably 16:8 fasting, suggest that it might bring about the following advantages:

Fat loss

The potential to encourage rapid weight loss should be intermittent fasting’s most prominent advantage. And not just any kind of weight loss either, most 16/8 IF practitioners discover that the majority or all of the weight they lose is in the form of fat. According to the research of 2016, males who performed resistance training for 8 weeks while adhering to a 16:8 intermittent fasting exhibited a decline in fat mass. All along, the participants kept their muscular mass. How does this benefit operate? Looking at what occurs when you eat “normally” should assist in explaining.

When you have three meals and snacks high in carbohydrates each day, the carbohydrates in your food are nearly instantly converted to blood sugar (glucose). Even brief intermittent fasts on a low-carb diet can cause your body to enter ketosis, an even deeper state of fat burning where ketones take the place of glucose as the main fuel source.

Prevention of high blood pressure and diabetes

An 8-hour eating window may assist persons with obesity in lowering blood pressure in addition to helping them lose weight, according to a 2018 study. In addition, according to a review from 2014, intermittent fasting holds promise as a substitute for typical calorie restriction for lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes and shedding pounds in overweight or obese adults.

Increased life span

According to studies on animals, intermittent fasting may lengthen an animal’s lifespan. For instance, one study discovered that female mice lived longer when they underwent brief, repeated fasting. According to studies on rodents, IF increases longevity by 36% to 8%. Humans may experience a similar effect, but further studies are required before we can be certain. According to the National Institute on Aging, scientists are still baffled as to why fasting might increase lifespan despite decades of research. They are unable to vouch for the long-term security of this technique.

Improved gut health

16:8 Intermittent fasting enhances gut health sufficiently to lower a number of inflammatory indicators. Because it can help your body enter ketosis, it can also aid in the production of new, inflammation-fighting mitochondria. The name of this procedure is mitophagy.

How to Start 16:8 Intermittent Fasting?

Consult your doctor.

Once you choose a general intermittent fasting plan like the 16:8 diet, consult a physician to ensure IF is the correct choice for you. It’s time to dive in, but not necessarily all in. Some people advise progressively expanding your fasting window from 12 to 14 to 16 hours, while some experts advise starting with just a few days per week and working your way up. It’s crucial to pay attention to your body.

Start slowly.

For instance, you might begin with a 12-hour fast, a 12-hour eating window, and gradually transition to a 16:8 schedule (where you fast for 16 hours and have an eight-hour eating window). If you’d prefer, you can go on to a narrower eating window after that.

Drink enough water.

Your body may mistake hunger for thirst. That’s one of the reasons why many 16:8 intermittent fasters advise drinking enough of water.

Avoid comparing your process of intermittent fasting to that of others.

Everyone has a different metabolism and set of goals, so avoid comparing yourself to others. Use trial and error to determine what suits you and your body the best.

Select a smart tool.

People may feel it hard to stick to the 16:8 intermittent fasting or even how to start with it. The challenge is to keep a track of your IF. Thankfully, a variety of useful mobile apps enable you to keep tabs on everything at your fingertips with a smartphone or tablet. Soon app is one of the best intermittent fasting apps to provide personal coaching for personal goals and track your success. You can track your fasting hours, water intake, steps, and weight in the SOON app to guide you every day. You just need to focus on your life and work and leave others to SOON.

Get a Smart App

Intermittent Fasting Apps: Streamlining Your Journey

When you begin your intermittent fasting adventure, keeping track of your IF is a major difficulty. Thankfully, a variety of useful mobile apps enable you to keep tabs on everything at your fingertips with a smartphone or tablet. You can easily schedule and keep track of your fasts using these apps for intermittent fasting. Many of the top fasting apps, such as SoonFasting, allow you to monitor your weight and provide you with graphs and journaling tools. This aids you in achieving your goals. All you have to do is to choose the intermittent fasting tool that best suits your objectives.

It’s crucial to add features that support users in maintaining consistency and motivation throughout their trip if you’re intending to set up intermittent fasting monitoring software. One-of-a-kind Intermittent Fasting Schedules, Fasting and Eating Window Timers, Progress Tracking and Visualization, Smart Reminders, Meal Planning and Recipe Suggestions, and other features are all the main features you should take into consideration. Now, here are various intermittent fasting apps on offer as IF has gained more and more attention. Some of the most popular apps include Fastic, Zero, BodyFast, Do Fasting, and SoonFasting, which can enable you to find the right one customized for you. Stephanie, a SoonFasting user, says that she has dropped 36 pounds with intermittent fasting and the SoonFasting app and is so regretful that she has not discovered the intermittent fasting app sooner. So, if you want to start a journey of IF, start slowly and try to use those helpful apps if necessary.

Take a Quiz to Choose a Fit Intermittent Fasting App

Diet Plans for 16:8 Fasting

Yes, the 16:8 fasting allows you to eat whatever you want during the eating window, but it’s not a reason to binge on pancakes, pizza, and sugared beverages if your current weight and health situation doesn’t allow it.

How to Schedule Meals during the 16:8 Fasting?

The simplest approach to adhering to the 16:8 diet is to select a 16-hour period that includes one’s sleep cycle. Early in the evening is when some experts advise finishing your meal because, after that, your metabolism starts to slow down. However, not everyone can pull this off. Some individuals might not be able to eat their evening meal until after 7 o’clock. However, it is preferable to skip eating for a couple of hours before bed. The following 8-hour eating windows are recommended:

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
noon to 8 p.m.

Since you can still eat a full lunch and supper along with a few snacks during the day, many individuals prefer to eat between noon and 8 pm. You simply need to fast overnight and forgo breakfast during this time. Put it simply, one meal is avoided when the 16:8 plan is used.

For healthy blood sugar levels and to avoid extreme hunger, eating regularly is crucial. However, finding the ideal eating window and mealtimes for their lifestyle may need some experimentation for some folks.

If you still have difficulty following the 16:8 fasting plan, use an intermittent fasting app. It helps you to smartly and efficiently follow the 16:8 plan and customize your meals with the purpose of weight loss and body health.

What to Eat during the 16:8 Fasting?

Even if the 16:8 intermittent fasting diet does not list specific items to eat and stay away from, it is still advisable to concentrate on eating healthfully and restrict or avoid junk food. Too much unhealthy food consumption might lead to weight gain and worsen existing conditions. Stick to wholesome, nutritious whole meals and beverages during mealtimes to optimize the possible health advantages of your diet. A balanced diet places a strong emphasis on:

fruits and vegetables that come in canned, frozen, or fresh varieties (in water)
whole grains, such as quinoa, brown rice, oats, and barley
sources of lean protein, including poultry, fish, beans, lentils, tofu, almonds, seeds, low-fat cottage cheese, and eggs
Healthy fats from nuts, seeds, coconuts, avocados, fatty seafood, olives, and olive oil

Apart from their benefits to weight loss, all the above foods lead you to smart brains.

What to Drink during the 16:8 Fasting?

Drinks can help those who follow the 16:8 intermittent fasting diet feel full. Given that people frequently confuse thirst for hunger, drinking water frequently throughout the day can help them consume fewer calories. During the 16-hour fasting window, the 16:8 diet plan allows the consumption of calorie-free beverages including water and unsweetened tea and coffee. To prevent dehydration, it’s crucial to routinely drink liquids.

What are 16:8 Fasting Results?

Here is the story of two NBC Universal employees. Marnee Muskal wanted to control her weight, and David Torchiano wanted to investigate if he could lower his cholesterol levels through 16:8 intermittent fasting.

After one-month 16:8 plan, “I did notice that, even though I was maintaining my weight, my clothes were fitting me better. And so for that, I think it was successful. (The nutritionist) did say, like, ‘Don’t worry about the number on the scale. Because you will see other benefits,’” Muskal said. As for David, “I feel like I’ve gotten more conscious about what I’m eating,” he said. “I’m less inclined to eat junk food at night after dinner and I have not had a chocolate croissant since I started fasting!”

For Whom is 16:8 Fasting Top Right?

Intermittent fasting is not something that anyone needs to do. It’s only one of several lifestyle choices that might help you live healthier. Generally speaking, the 16:8 intermittent fasting is more fit for those who aim to lose weight and improve some health conditions.

For example, if you use the 16:8 intermittent fasting approach, your eating window might be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It can be especially useful for someone with a family who already eats dinner early in the evening. Then much of the time spent fasting is time spent sleeping anyway. Depending on when you set your window, you don’t actually have to “miss” any meals. But how consistent you can be will determine this. Daily periods of fasting might not be for you if your schedule is unpredictable, you periodically require or desire the freedom to go out for breakfast, go on a late date, or attend happy hour.

If you are an intermittent fasting beginner without any knowledge about whether the 16:8 should be taken or not, use an intermittent fasting app for beginners since it directly guides you on how to choose your first fasting window. A quiz can be done on an intermittent fasting app and a conclusion can be made based on your age, gender, lifestyle, current and target weight, occupation, etc.

Risks of 16:8 Intermittent Fasting

Although 16/8 intermittent fasting has several health advantages, there are some possible risks as well.

Hunger, weakness, and tiredness

When you initially begin to follow 16/8 intermittent fasting, there may be some short-term negative side effects, such as hunger, weakness, and exhaustion; however, they usually go away after you establish a routine.

Overeating

The limited eating window of 16/8 intermittent fasting may backfire on people with big appetites who might be prone to overeating if they are too hungry during the fasting window. Weight gain, bloating, digestive problems, and a bad relationship with food might result from this. When eating a balanced diet of healthful whole foods, most people naturally eat less when IF. Therefore, don’t allow this potential disadvantage to stop you from trying the 16/8 method.

High-stress hormones

Another type of change, a hormonal one, also occurs as the metabolism shifts from carbohydrate to fat. Your body may employ stress hormones like cortisol to release amino acids and lipids from your reserves as it gets acclimated to burning fat for fuel. Until your body gets proficient at burning fat, this process can feel stressful. At that point, cortisol levels will return to normal.

Fertility problems

Female fertility may be affected by intermittent fasting, according to a specific study. Given that pregnancy is a very energy-intensive process, it is more likely that calorie deficit is to blame for this than fasting itself. If you are attempting to conceive or are already pregnant, think about delaying IF!

Is There a Calories Limit during 16:8 Fasting?

“How many calories should I consume during intermittent fasting 16/8?” is a common question. We’ll try our best to explain how many calories to consume in order to meet your health and weight loss objectives because this is a good question.

Most noteworthy is, that intermittent fasting and calorie restriction are usually compared when they are mentioned as diets for weight control. Therefore, it’s apparent that a majority have little knowledge about diets even though they know they should cut calories.

Let’s be clear about one thing: Your body NEEDS calories although many individuals today are terrified of them. But the fact is that your bodies need calories for energy to function. Given that it will vary based on your sex, age, height, weight, and level of exercise, determining how many calories to consume during intermittent fasting 16/8 can be a little challenging. But there are still other websites like calorie calculator that can assist you if you need help doing this calculation. Consult your health care physician or a trained dietician if you have any further queries (RD).

No matter if you try the 16/8 to lose weight or to improve your general health, it is not wise for you to cut your caloric intake below what your body requires. This is because intermittent fasting still allows for weight loss and because sustaining a calorie deficit for an extended period of time might have detrimental effects on one’s health. Another justification for not reducing your caloric intake is that your body will adapt if you do so repeatedly over an extended period of time. Your body will therefore actually conserve energy and burn fewer calories each day. As a result, when calorie intake is reduced, people often reach a plateau according to a 2012 study.

Formally, calorie requirements of 16:8 intermittent fasting will be the same as with any other diet plan and will vary according to the person’s body type, gender, beginning weight, target weight, and amount of exercise. Regardless of whether you try the 16/8 to lose weight or to improve your general health, we advise you not to cut your daily calorie intake below 1,200 as we need calories to give the body energy to function.

How to Deal with Hunger Pangs during 16:8 Fasting?

Since it is accustomed to regular meals, the body does not prepare for this shift when you begin intermittent fasting. The reward system in the brain is connected to the desire to eat. In addition to your bodily needs, hunger also affects your mental well-being. You can improve your fasting practice by managing your appetite. Thankfully, there are many strategies you may do to deal with hunger pangs when fasting, such as drinking warm liquids like tea and coffee, distracting yourself by organizing exercises or other activities, sleeping well, and so on.

How Often Should 16:8 Intermittent Fasting be Done?

Because the 16:8 diet’s days function independently of one another, unlike other intermittent fasting diets, you can practice intermittent 16:8 fasting for as short as one day or as long as seven days per week.

On whether it is healthful to practice intermittent fasting constantly, the evidence varies. While studies from Queen’s Medical Centre(opens in new tab) have shown that fasting for short periods of time increases metabolism, extended fasts of three days or more have been shown to inhibit and even slow down metabolism. Additionally, starving yourself for an extended amount of time might raise your cholesterol, cause morning sickness, dehydrate you, and cause low blood sugar episodes.

What is the Best Morning Workout During the 16:8 Fasting?

Exercise on an empty stomach is not only acceptable, but it also enhances the advantages of both fasting and exercise. This is an example of a multi-therapeutic strategy, where the synergy of two factors that each independently promotes health actually increases the advantages of each factor above the sum of their separate effects. Exercise in the morning before breakfast is one of the greatest methods to get these advantages. But what is the best morning workout? Cardio in the morning, especially on an empty stomach, is fantastic. Cardio is excellent for fat loss, of course, but it’s also beneficial for your cardiovascular system. By keeping your metabolism under control, a morning workout will also help set the tone for your diet for the day. Finally, doing cardio exercise in the morning gives you extra time in the evening to lift weights.

Triggers to Maximize the Effectiveness of 16:8 Fasting

Maintaining an intermittent fasting schedule might be difficult. People may maintain their goals and maximize their health benefits from intermittent fasting by using the following advice:

Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water and calorie-free beverages throughout the day, such as herbal teas.
Avoid having a food obsession. To keep from thinking about food during fasting days, schedule plenty of diversions, such as catching up on work or going to the movies.
Relax and rest. On days when you’re fasting, stay away from the hard activity, however gentle exercise like yoga may be helpful.
Follow the fast by choosing nutrient-dense foods. It helps to maintain stable blood sugar levels and avoid nutrient shortages to consume meals that are abundant in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. A well-balanced diet will also aid in losing weight and improving general health.
Sleep well. Getting too little sleep while dieting can make it harder to lose weight and encourage overeating. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule, sleeping in a dark room, or avoiding late meals before bed is all ways to increase your quality of sleep.
Take part in some exercise. Lifting weights can modestly accelerate your metabolism, increasing the number of calories you burn throughout the day, even while you’re at rest.

How to Select a 16:8 Intermittent Fasting App?

There are applications available today for anything from counseling to cuddling. Wellness and diet applications are not rare. Although there are many applications available for tracking intermittent fasting, it might be challenging to sift through them all and select the best one. The majority of applications for intermittent fasting include features for setting sensible weight goals, monitoring nutrition and water intake, and monitoring exercise routines.

So, what are the essential elements of making a good 16:8 intermittent fasting app?

Firstly, it must be a tracker compatible with the 16:8 plan, which means users can freely pick up any solution either for breakfast or dinner.

Then in addition to a tracker for fasting, the app should offer trackers for diet or activities so that healthy diets may be understood for improved results when the 16:8 intermittent fasting method is used.

Last but not least, the app should help users adhere to the 16:8 plan in the right way, therefore it should have a variety of tools and content to help users better understand fasting, which is crucial for users.

Based on the above three necessary elements, you can try the SOON app, which starts off with a quick quiz that customizes the app to your unique needs and goals. Your past experiences with fasting, eating patterns, degree of fitness, and a few other topics will be covered. And when you open the app, the fasting tracker is the first thing you see. To obtain the best results SOON combines intermittent fasting with keto, paleo, Mediterranean, and other diets, as well as more than 20 other diet patterns that are available within the app.

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