By Neil O’Hanlon (N.O.7. HEALTH COACHING) / April 25, 2022 / 1 Comment
By Neil O’Hanlon
WHY WHEN WE EAT, IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT WE EAT!
Big statement I know, but this is what I’ve learnt over the last few years. I thought the word ‘fasting’ meant ‘starvation’. I thought that purposely deciding not to eat breakfast or delaying my meal times would leave me ravenous and wasting away? Not so, when I tried this out over five years ago, I found the complete opposite. My weight stabilised, whilst burning more fat with no extra effort. I had loads more energy, my focus and clarity went through the roof and because I was mainly skipping breakfast I managed to gain some time back for myself in the day. My training went from strength to strength without losing muscle mass contrary to popular belief and my race times became quicker. This really is a win, win method.
IN MY OPINION, OBESITY ISN’T A CALORIE PROBLEM, I BELIEVE ITS A HORMONE PROBLEM
What Is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting in simple terms is a method where you break each day into two parts. If you’re doing the 16:8 method which I practice daily Monday to Friday, then you have a 16 hour period and an 8 hour period. For 16 hours every day, you consume nothing but water, coffee, tea and other unsweetened drinks. Then for the other eight hours of the day, you can eat all your meals and snacks.
Now I know the 16 hour period sounds like a long time, but if you’re getting enough sleep, you should be asleep for about half that time. Intermittent fasting is a technique in which all food is consumed within a relatively small window of time. It’s been gaining popularity and studies have gone on to confirm that it leads to fat loss and weight maintenance. A longer fasting time between eating gives the body a break from the constant barrage of food it needs to digest, and in turn this reduces inflammation. The reality is, our bodies need time to process food, digest it and burn away extra calories. Thats a result!
A MAJORITY OF STUDIES I’VE READ CONFIRM THAT IT LEADS TO FAT LOSS AND A WHOLE HOST OF OTHER BENEFITS
I Really Believe This Is The Easiest Way To Lose Weight
If you’ve looked at the rest of my website, you’ll know by now, that I don’t believe in any kind of diet or deprivation. When it comes to food it’s all about enjoying ourselves. It needs to be balanced and sustainable, which most diets and exercise regimes aren’t. If you are one of those people, who are sick of extreme calorie restrictions and unreasonable food limitations, then I’ve got an idea. Perhaps try intermittent fasting, the 16:8 method in particular, is exactly what you’ve been looking for. The 16:8 plan, also called the 8 hour eating window, is an easier and more consistent way of fasting that avoids heavily calorie restricted diets. Studies have shown that intermittent fasting can have benefits on both your body and mental health, as well as being one of the methods that works fast for weight loss.
The Takeaway
Hopefully I’ve managed to simplify and explain this way of eating which I practice daily. I’m not too regimented on weekends as prefer to keep it sustainable and balanced. The 16:8 intermittent fasting can be a great option for those who want to slim down. Other major benefits include weight loss, reduced risk of type II diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and reduced inflammation. It’s important to ensure that you get all the essential nutrients, such as protein, healthy fats, complex carbs, vitamins, and minerals and drink plenty of water.
I think Intermittent Fasting is the historical secret for weight loss because it might be one of the most powerful dietary interventions you can do to help shift the pounds, yet it’s been mostly ignored by doctors and dieticians for so long. It’s totally normal, simple and best of all it actually works.
If you’d like to read the full in depth article on how to implement this, then check out the ‘Complete Guide To Intermittent Fasting And Time Restricted Eating’ which is readable as a client member.