Can Eating 3 Meals Within 8 Hours Really Help You Lose Weight?

Can Eating 3 Meals Within 8 Hours Really Help You Lose Weight?

Do you want to lose weight but can't bear the thought of missing a single meal?

Is there a dietary method that allows you to have all three meals without much hassle and also helps you slim down, with some additional benefits to boot?

Perhaps the "16+8 Intermittent Fasting Method" could be the choice for you.

Today, K will introduce the 16+8 fasting method in detail.

“What is 16+8 Intermittent Fasting Method?”

There are many types of intermittent fasting, such as the most common alternate-day fasting, the 5+2 intermittent fasting, and the daily time-restricted feeding. The 16+8 is a form of daily time-restricted feeding.

The "8" refers to: eating three meals within an 8-hour window to help your body store the necessary energy and ensure a balanced intake of eggs, dairy, lean meats, and fruits and vegetables.

The "16" refers to: a complete 16-hour fast. If you feel hungry, you can drink water or black coffee to increase satiety and promote metabolism.

The "16+8" refers to: combining these two states, where you consume all the energy you need for the day within 8 hours, and do not consume any calories for the remaining 16 hours.

"Intermittent Fasting May Indeed Have Certain Benefits"

✅ Promotes Fat Burning

Fasting for 10 to 14 hours or more can deplete glycogen stores, allowing the triglycerides within fat cells to be better metabolized.

During the 16 hours of fasting, blood sugar is consumed first, and the body's stored glycogen is also depleted. At this point, fasting shifts the body's metabolic mode from sugar metabolism to fat metabolism, relying on fat for nutrition, which is more conducive to weight loss.

✅ Improves Insulin Sensitivity

Fatty acids are metabolized into ketone bodies in the liver, and ketone bodies are the main source of energy for many tissues and organs, including the brain, during fasting.

The metabolism of fat does not stimulate the secretion of insulin, so fasting can improve cellular sensitivity to insulin. After resuming a normal diet, the body's blood sugar regulation will be more efficient.

“Avoid Overeating for 8 Hours after Eating

In principle, the 8-hour eating window should be compressed into the earlier part of the day, finishing dinner by 3 PM, and not consuming anything for the next 16 hours.

However, this can be quite challenging, so researchers have offered an alternative:

⭐️ Fast between 6 PM and 10 AM the next day, and complete the three meals of breakfast, lunch, and dinner within the 8 hours in between, eating normal portions without overindulging.

What can you eat during the 8 hours that is both satiating and healthy? Follow these 7 guidelines:

1️⃣ Opt for high-fiber staples: such as taro, yam, oatmeal, brown rice, buckwheat, and whole wheat.

2️⃣ Include quality fats: Consume 20 to 35 grams of quality fats daily to help reduce hunger during the fasting period.

3️⃣ Ensure adequate protein intake: Consume an amount of protein that is equal to your weight (in kg) multiplied by 2. For example, if you weigh 50 kg, you should consume 100 grams of protein daily.

4️⃣ Increase intake of foods rich in vitamin B: such as lean pork and brown rice.

5️⃣ Supplement with vitamin E appropriately, and you can enjoy a handful of unsalted nuts daily.

6️⃣ Drink plenty of water and consider increasing your consumption of oolong tea and green tea.

7️⃣ Supplement with iron to reduce muscle loss, such as lean pork, lean beef, and pig blood.

“Fasting is Not the Same as Dieting”

Many people ask, isn't fasting just another form of dieting? However, there is a fundamental difference between the two.

Dieting involves restricting calorie intake, which simply means consuming fewer calories and nutrients than the body's basic needs.

Fasting, on the other hand, allows you to go without food for more than ten hours, but during the eating window, you consume the necessary calories, protein, and carbohydrates to eat to your satisfaction, ensuring that your metabolism remains at a relatively high level.

⭐️ Data from a study in the UK shows that out of 210 men, only 1 successfully lost weight through dieting, and out of 124 women, only 1 succeeded. The failure rate for this method of weight loss, which involves simple calculations and calorie control, is 99.5%, and it may be even higher for obese patients with eating disorders.

⭐️ Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch found that when people try to lose weight, they often avoid consuming high-fat foods. Ironically, this can increase their cravings for these foods and lead to binge eating. Worse still, the longer a person goes without high-fat foods, the greater their desire will be.

In summary, any form of "dieting" is not advocated! Otherwise, it's really possible to fall into a vicious cycle of "dieting ➡️ binge eating ➡️ dieting again."

“Keep Your Mouth Shut and Don't Forget to Move Your Legs”

During the "16+8 Intermittent Fasting" process, if you want to achieve better results, you can combine it with some exercise, but be careful to avoid overexercising, as it may do more harm than good.