Intermittent fasting for weight loss: How to make time-restricted eating sustainable

A new study found no noticeable difference between an intermittent fasting window of four and six hours in terms of weight loss.

By: Longjam Dineshwori | | Updated: August 3, 2020 8:38 am

Other than weight loss, this diet is also known to have immense health benefits. @Shutterstock

Intermittent fasting, also called time-restricted eating, is increasingly gaining popularity as a weight loss diet plan. Several studies have also backed intermittent fasting as a safe way to lose weight. In addition, intermittent fasting is known to help boost metabolic health, lower inflammation, improve insulin resistance and even extend lifespan. Also Read - Not all people living with obesity at risk of cardiometabolic diseases: Study

This type of fasting focuses on limiting your eating time to a certain timeframe, such as an 8-hour, 6-hour, or even 4-hour window every day. Most people following this diet plan go for the 16:8 format of time-restricted fasting. In this, you have to fast every day for 14 to16 hours and restrict food intake to 8-10 hours. You can have 2, 3, or more meals within this eating window. During the fasting hours, you can drink water, coffee, and other no caloric beverages to reduce feelings of hunger. Also Read - How to lose weight fast: Use self-monitoring digital health tools

Does the timeframe of the eating window matter?

None at all, according to a recent study published in the journal Cell Metabolism. You may think that you would eat more if you follow longer eating hours, but that is not true. Anybody who follows intermittent fasting is less likely to overeat overall. Also Read - “Stop weighing yourself and start measuring your body fat” says Nutritionist Nmami Agarwal

For the study, the researchers recruited 58 participants and divided them into three groups. One group was allowed to eat only between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. (four-hour eating window), while the other group could eat from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. (six-hour eating window). During the fasting hours, the participants were allowed to only drink water or calorie-free beverages. The control group made no changes to their diet or eating timeframes. Unlike other weight-loss diets, intermittent fasting doesn’t restrict your food choices or portion size.

The study participants followed the fasting schedule for 10 weeks and had health markers including weight, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, blood pressure, LDL (“bad”) and HDL (“good”) cholesterol, triglycerides (a type of fat found in your blood), and inflammatory tracked.

The researchers found no noticeable difference between the four-hour and the six-hour groups. Both fasting groups showed reduced calorie intake and an averaged body fat loss of 3 percent. However, there was no change in the control group.

Pick a timeframe that works best for you

Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that an intermittent fasting window both the four-hour and the six-hour windows will have the same benefits for weight loss. But they recommend that you should choose a timeframe that works best for you.

Alternate day fasting, whole-day fasting, and time-restricted fasting are popular types of intermittent fasting. According to lead researcher Krista Varady, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois at Chicago, time-restricted eating is more sustainable for the average person.

A previous study by Varady and her team has found that alternate-day fasting tends to have a high dropout rate of about 30 percent. But there were almost no dropouts in this new study.

If you want to try intermittent fasting to lose weight, you can choose a window that suits you as two hours difference won’t make any difference and give almost the same benefits.

Many people think that if you restrict your eating time, you’ll end up eating more, but the new study didn’t find that to be true.

Published : August 2, 2020 4:01 pm | Updated:August 3, 2020 8:38 am

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