Intermittent fasting is a more effective weight-loss method compared to other methods. It is planning your diet using time, an effective tool. There are many ways to follow intermittent fasting with different fasting time intervals.
Different Methods of Intermittent Fasting
Time-Restricted Eating or Time-Restricted Fasting
This is the easiest intermittent fasting method. In this, you have an eating time window of 12 hours. You will have a day time window of 12 hours for eating and fast for the remaining 12 hours. You can pick your fasting period. It is better to prolong night time fasting as it helps boost the body’s metabolism. Also, it makes you delay your first meal.
16:8
This method has an 8-hour window eating period and a 16hours fasting period. This is one of the most popular ways of intermittent fasting for weight loss as it is very effective. It is not necessary for you to start your fasting at the same time every day. It is very flexible that you can change your schedule depending on your other plans. Make sure to take 2 to 3 meals at relevant interval timings between the 8 hours. Ideal timing for 16:8 fasting is to have your breakfast around 11 AM and finish your dinner by 6 PM.
20:4
In this intermittent fasting, the timings are 20 hours of fasting and 4 hours of feasting. This is a bit difficult method for beginners to follow. Beginners should start from other methods of intermittent fasting before this one. In this method, the eating window can be around 2 PM to 6 PM or 3 PM to 7 PM. This is a very effective fasting method for weight loss. You have only 4 hours to eat in a day with restricted carbohydrate consumption.
5:2 or Fast Diet
This is one of the lenient methods of intermittent fasting. There is a 2-day fasting period in a week. You can choose any two consecutive days to fast with a restricted calorie intake of 500 to 600 calories. This fasting method is getting more popular as it is easier to follow than other methods. If you are a beginner, this is the best method to start with.
24 Hour Fast
In this intermittent fasting, you should follow 24-hour fasting after every meal. If you have your meal at 8 PM today you will have your next meal is the next day at 8 PM. You have to fast for the entire 24 hours between every meal. This fasting method is ideal to follow once a week.
36 Hour Fast
This is the same as 24-hour fast except that there are an additional 12 hours of fasting. You can break your fasting only after 36 hours. It makes the body go into a metabolic state called ketosis and helps in weight loss.
Alternate Day Fasting
As the name suggests, in this method you have to follow a fasting diet every other day. Take a restricted carbohydrate on your fasting days. This is another easy method for beginners as there is no such restriction. Less carbohydrate intake is only for alternate days.
Warrior Diet
This intermittent fasting method starts in a day and ends on the same day itself. It allows you to have a few fruits and juices during day time and a huge meal at night. This is one of the best methods to follow for beginners.
Intermittent fasting is an effective, time-oriented weight loss diet plan. It is important to eat healthy during fasting and avoid junk food as your eating window is narrow. Fasting may be difficult for regular eaters. As a beginner, you have to start with the easy ones to make your body adjust to the changes. The best way to start intermittent fasting is to skip your meals at regular periods when you are not hungry or when you are busy with your work. Later you can catch up with one of these methods which you find easier for you.
