Intermittent fasting is one of the most popular diets available today. Intermittent fasting can help you lose weight, improve your health, or choose a healthy diet that fits into your lifestyle.
But when you've never practiced intermittent fasting, it can be difficult to know how to implement this eating pattern and what the ideal duration of intermittent fasting is.
What are the different durations of intermittent fasting?
There are several methods of intermittent fasting with varying lengths of fasting time:
- 12-hour intermittent fasting: fast for 12 hours each day, including your overnight fast. Simply fast for a short period before going to bed and after waking up. For example, if you finish dinner at 7 p.m., that's when your fast begins. If you were to continue snacking after dinner, it would shorten your fasting time.
- Another beginner-friendly method is 14/10 intermittent fasting. You fast for 14 hours and eat within 10 hours.
- You can limit your food intake to six to eight hours each day. 16/8 fasting: eat for eight hours and then fast for 16 hours. Skipping breakfast, for example, is a good way to avoid this.
- There's also the 5:2 approach, which involves eating regularly five days a week. On the remaining two days, you limit yourself to one 500- to 600-calorie meal.
- Finally, Eat-Stop-Eat involves fasting for 24 hours, once or twice a week. This intermittent fasting is more difficult to implement and it may take time for your metabolism to adapt to this type of intermittent fasting.
Longer periods of not eating, such as 36-, 48-, and 72-hour fasts, are not necessarily better and can be dangerous for your health. Spending too much time fasting may encourage your body to store more fat in response to starvation and therefore will not help you lose weight.
What is the ideal duration for intermittent fasting?
There is no right length or method for intermittent fasting. It is unique to each person, and the program must be adapted to their needs and habits. The duration of an intermittent fast also depends on their goals: losing weight, adapting their schedule, improving their health, etc. For many, the 16/8 method (fasting for 16 hours per day) is the most practical, simple, sustainable, and easy to stick to over the long term. Indeed, 16/8 intermittent fasting (fasting for 16 hours) is practical for reducing the number of meals to prepare.
For people who want to adopt an intermittent fasting consisting of only two meals a day, the 16-hour fast (16/8 intermittent fasting: lunch and dinner meals or breakfast and lunch meals ) is the most suitable. This 16-hour fast can be done without time limit and can be maintained over the long term. This type of intermittent fasting helps regulate insulin, which helps to release fat.
For longer fasts, such as one day a week without eating, this can cause stress to the body and be detrimental to your health. It's important to see whether your metabolism adapts over time.
Tips for Maintaining Intermittent Fasting
Sticking to an intermittent fasting schedule can be difficult, so here are some tips for maintaining your intermittent fasting.
- Drink 2 liters of water a day. Drink plenty of water and low-calorie beverages, such as tea, throughout the day. Drinking water also fills your stomach, reducing your appetite.
- Avoid obsessing over food. Plan distractions on fasting days to keep your mind off food.
- Rest and relaxation. Practice sports outside of fasting periods, and focus on light exercises like yoga during fasting days.
- Make every calorie count. If your chosen method allows for a few calories during fasting periods, choose nutrient-dense foods that are high in protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Examples include beans, lentils, eggs, fish, nuts, and avocado.
- Eat high-volume foods. Choose nutritious but low-calorie foods, including popcorn, raw vegetables, and fruits with high water content, such as grapes and melon.
- Increase the flavor. Season meals generously with garlic, herbs, spices, or vinegar. These foods are extremely low in calories and full of flavor, which can help reduce hunger.
- Opt for a healthy, nutrient-rich diet after the fast ends. Eating foods rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients helps keep blood sugar stable and prevent deficiencies. A balanced diet also helps with weight loss and improves overall health.
- Treat yourself. Choose dishes that you enjoy cooking.
- Avoid foods that contain too much sugar. Sugar can be addictive and make you want to eat more.
What are the benefits of intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting provides many benefits and has several advantages for your health.
Weight loss
Intermittent fasting can help you lose weight by lowering insulin levels.
This is because the body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, which cells use for energy or convert to fat and store for later use. Insulin is a hormone that allows cells to absorb glucose.
Insulin levels drop when a person doesn't eat. During a period of fasting, it's possible that the decrease in insulin levels causes cells to release their stored glucose as energy.
Repeating this process regularly, as with intermittent fasting, can lead to weight loss. Intermittent fasting can decrease the overall amount of calories consumed, which can also contribute to weight loss.
Coupled with sports sessions outside of your day or fasting period can significantly increase energy expenditure and therefore promote weight loss.
Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes
Intermittent fasting may also have benefits for diabetes prevention, as it can promote weight loss and potentially influence other factors linked to an increased risk of diabetes. Being overweight or obese is one of the main risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes.
The risks of developing other diseases (cancer, cardiovascular disease) could be reduced through intermittent fasting. However, nothing has yet been scientifically proven in humans.
Eliminate toxins
Toxins and waste produced by the human body during digestion are the cause of poor health and many diseases. These toxins mainly come from a poor diet. The body must eliminate these toxins. Overeating prevents the body from self-healing, and our bodies do not always receive enough water to eliminate all toxins. Various diseases can occur. Through intermittent fasting, the body deprives itself of food for a while, activating its self-healing abilities. The body thus begins its cleansing process, promoting better health.
In summary.
There are many types of intermittent fasting, each with its own benefits and advantages for your health and body. Some intermittent fasting durations will be easier to maintain over the long term than others. Any method is good, so to ensure intermittent fasting is right for you, start gradually until you find the intermittent fasting duration that works for you. Be sure to listen to your body. If you feel dizzy or weak, or if you feel like the intermittent fasting diet is interfering with your daily activities, stop fasting. It could be detrimental to your health if you are not fueling your body adequately. It is important to consult your doctor before starting any diet. Finally, prioritize a healthy diet to best optimize the desired results.
