How Long Should You Intermittent Fast for Weight Loss?
Intermittent fasting is a popular technique for weight loss that centers around creating a daily eating window for oneself and only eating during a specific time period (and ‘fasting’ during others, such as the hours you sleep). We checked in with registered dietitians and other health and nutrition experts to learn more about the practice, and find out how many hours one should fast per day. Read on for tips, suggestions and insight from Brenda Peralta, RD, registered dietitian of Purely Cookware and Stephanie Hnatiuk, RD, CDE, PTS, registered dietitian, fitness coach, and owner of Stephanie Hnatiuk Performance Nutrition.
Timing & Healthy Intermittent Fasting: Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that provides you with eating windows, Peralta explains. “It doesn’t tell you what you should be eating, but when you should be eating,” she notes. Peralta points out that there are different types of intermittent fasting, and “usually given in a ratio.”
For example, in the popular 16:8, you “fast for 16 hours and have an 8-hour eating window,” she says. (This could mean eating all of your meals and snacks from 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., for example, and fasting for the remaining hours). When fasting, Peralta notes that drinking water is a great way to fuel your body.
Excerpted from She Finds
