Weight loss is one of the most challenging tasks a person may undergo, especially if he or she is beyond the normal weight all his or her life. While exercise can definitely do wonders in achieving your ideal body shape, it should be coupled with a sensible diet plan and avoiding processed and fast foods as much as possible.
Speaking of diet plans, a lot of them have sprouted over the years that promise rapid weight loss results. Some of these diet plans include reducing the intake of sweets and carbs, and eating more protein and fats. On the other hand, there is also an eating plan that encourages eating more vegetables and other plant-based foods, and avoiding all kinds of animal-based meats.
Recently, a new eating plan is getting popular especially among Silicon Valley employees and perhaps by many people around the world. This eating plan is called intermittent fasting, and it has several forms which include time-restricted eating.
Facts About Time-Restricted Eating
1. Time-restricted eating is under the umbrella of intermittent fasting (IF).
Time-restricted eating involves eating in a specified period of time. Normally, people who restrict their eating period follow a specific time when they will “fast” or not eat anything within that period (except drinking water), and when they will eat their meals.
2. In time-restricted eating, you can choose your own eating pattern.
For example, the common eating pattern usually followed is 16:8, or 16 hours “fasting period”, and 8 hours when you can eat your meals. On the other hand, some IF practitioners even extend their fasting period – even up to 23 hours — thus shortening what is usually referred to as their “eating window”. Basically, the longer the fasting period, the more fats you will burn which can hasten your weight loss process.
3. Time-restricted eating is mostly focused on when you will eat instead of what you eat.
In time-restricted eating, you can eat up to three meals a days, as long as it is within your eating period. This includes your “first meal” of the day (can be considered your “breakfast” of the day), a light snack, and dinner.
While time-restricted eating is more of following a certain eating pattern rather than a diet plan, eating organic and unprocessed foods can provide better results especially if your goal is to lose weight. Some even exercise during their fasting period along with eating healthy, and swore on its effective weight loss results. Nevertheless, time-restricted eating can be an effective way to lose weight, among other health benefits.
Benefits of Time-Restricted Eating
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Among positive health benefits of time-restricted eating are as follows:
1. It can help you eat less, thus aid in losing weight.
From the moment we wake up until before bedtime, we tend to eat because we have gotten used to it. Through time-restricted eating, it can help you to eat less than usual, which can reduce the number of calories you eat that is normally the cause of weight gain. However, losing weight will still depend on what you eat. If you still eat high-calorie foods within your eating window, you may not end tup eating less.
2. It can help improve your heart health.
According to a study, people who ate within an 8-hour eating window helped lower their bad LDL cholesterol by over 10 percent in both men and women.
3. It can help regulate blood sugar levels.
Too much blood sugar levels can result to diabetes and even affect different parts of your body. In fact, several studies have reported reduction in their blood sugar by up to 30 percent.
4. It won’t lessen the amount of lean tissue in your body.
This includes organ tissue, muscular tissue, and bone tissue, as per series of study reviews conducted by Stephen Anton, a researcher at the University of Florida – College of Medicine. Unlike other diets, time-restricted eating won’t affect lean tissues in our body, which are important to keep our bodies functioning properly.
5. It provides other significant health benefits aside from losing weight.
Apart from improving weight, heart health, and blood sugar levels, time-restricted eating can also help promote longer lifespan, improve metabolism and cognitive function, provide more energy, reduce inflammation and even help prevent cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
Before trying time-restricted eating, it is best to consult your doctor first, or try a certain eating pattern first and gauge which works for you or not.
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