Intermittent Fasting For Fat Loss
Intermittent fasting, less commonly known as time-restricted feeding, is a method of fasting that restricts one’s eating window to a particular phase of the day. This method is employed by athletes and non-athletes to improve body composition, restrict calories, or improve overall health.
Researchers found mice who were fed a high-fat diet who ate in a restricted feeding window of 8 hours lost or maintained their weight, while mice who ate the same amount and quality of food, who were able to eat at any given time during the 24 hour day, gained weight. Further, the mice in the restricted-feeding group also showed improvements to overall health markers and reversals of existing health conditions.
This study suggests that regardless of caloric intake, health and weight loss can be achieved by limiting one’s feeding window.
What’s the best time to eat?
It’s important to schedule the eating window according to the circadian rhythm. Studies show eating the majority of calories early in the day has substantial benefits to fat loss, body composition and overall health, whereas eating at night can be very detrimental.
This finding makes sense considering 80% of genes are regulated in accordance to the circadian clock. By time-restricting eating to favour the early part of the day, our gene expression becomes entrained to circadian rhythm, improving overall health.
How long should the feeding window be?
While restricting one’s eating window to 4-6 hours per day has significant health benefits, such a short eating window has been shown to increase weight. This is because restricting oneself in excess can lead to overeating and lower adherence to the fasting protocol.
The standard eating window is between 8-10 hours. This period yields significant health benefits, including fat loss, and provides the greatest chance of sticking to the fasting protocol long-term.
If you’re struggling with fat loss and would like some help, consider booking an appointment with me. Together, we can explore the factors contributing to your weight and create a treatment plan tailored specifically to you.
References
Chawla, S., Beretoulis, S., Deere, A., & Radenkovic, D. (2021). The Window Matters: A Systematic Review of Time Restricted Eating Strategies in Relation to Cortisol and Melatonin Secretion. Nutrients, 13(8), 2525. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13082525
Hatori, M., Vollmers, C., Zarrinpar, A., DiTacchio, L., Bushong, E. A., Gill, S., Leblanc, M., Chaix, A., Joens, M., Fitzpatrick, J. A., Ellisman, M. H., & Panda, S. (2012). Time-restricted feeding without reducing caloric intake prevents metabolic diseases in mice fed a high-fat diet. Cell metabolism, 15(6), 848–860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2012.04.019
Huberman, A. (Host). (2021, October 11). Effects of Fasting & Time Restricted Eating on Fat Loss & Health (No. 41). In Huberman Lab Podcast. https://hubermanlab.com/effects-of-fasting-and-time-restricted-eating-on-fat-loss-and-health/
Pellegrini, M., Cioffi, I., Evangelista, A., Ponzo, V., Goitre, I., Ciccone, G., Ghigo, E., & Bo, S. (2020). Effects of time-restricted feeding on body weight and metabolism. A systematic review and meta-analysis. Reviews in endocrine & metabolic disorders, 21(1), 17–33. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11154-019-09524-w
