16:8 Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss & Maintenance
16:8 Intermittent fasting( also called IF) is a popular and easy technique to lose weight quickly. It can be used alone, in combination with another weight loss plan and even to maintain weight a few days a week. It is often used to help get off the ffrequent weight loss plateaus that occur during a weight loss program . Here are some of the ways it can be used:
- 16:8 Intermittent fasting as a weight loss plan by itself —4-5 days a week.
2. 16:8 Intermittent fasting added to any weight loss plan to jump start the weight loss such as the Keto Diet, Dr Lipman’s Miami Diet Plan or
even the 800 Calorie HCG plan. Especially effective in the Keto diet where the dieter is already in ketosis.
3. 16:8 Intermittent fasting can be used as a simple weight maintenance plan when done 1-2 days a week after weight loss is obtained.
The concept is to fast 16 hours a day and eat during an 8 hour window from about noon to 8 It is even better for weight maintenance program. In addition, there are other types of fasting, depending on the goals and individual eating patterns. The idea is to prevent weight gain after a diet plan. Alternate day fasting is popular. All yield fastest weight loss with minimal effort. All are safe, effective and proven after years of research. Each one offers different advantages and difficulties.
Types of Intermittent Fasting for Fast Weight Loss:
- 16: 8 Intermittent Fasting–16 hours of fasting – 8 hours of eating. Typically: fasting starts at 7- 8 pm after the dinner meal and extends through the night and morning ending at 11 am or noon. Coffee or tea is encouraged with high fat, no sugar creamer, skipping breakfast is the key This leads to almost automatic caloric restriction. Coconut oil capsules are taken before and during fast. This pattern is Dr. Lipman’s first choice, since the fat burning is mostly at night while sleeping–its easy to stop eating if you are not awake Calorie intake is reduced in an automatic fashion. Side effects are minimal.
Fasting periods and the number of days per week depend on individual choice. The goal for all is body fat reduction. The fasting periods can be short or long term. - 5:2 Fasting– 5 days of regular eating, 2 days of limited food. Food is time restricted.
- 24 hr. Fasting– Fasting for 24 hours– difficult for many people because of low sugar. Not recommended.
- Meal Skipping- skipping meals, eating when hungry in a random order. Dr. Lipman finds this very difficult because of lack of organization.
“16:8” Intermittent Fasting: One of the Simplest and Most Successful Plans- Dr. Lipman’s Favorite!
Fasting starts in the evening (usually 7, 8 or 9 pm) and lasts for 16 hours extending to noon or 1 pm the next day depending upon when it started. This is the easiest plan to follow since for most people it means skipping breakfast and then having lunch, snacks the next day. You are in mild ketosis and burn fat all night. Breakfast is coffee or tea with any high fat, zero- sugar creamer and 0 sugar artificial sweetener. (The natural Stevia is the best.) The fat in the creamer increases the ketosis. It’s great for Monday following weekend overeating or drinking. Fat is added in form of coconut oil capsules and olive oil salad dressings.
During the 16 hours only coffee/tea with a no sugar creamer and zero calorie drinks are allowed. Its ideal for those that routinely skip breakfast.
Metabolic Changes and Weight Loss:
Two massive studies from the NIH have reviewed 815 and 2184 studies of weight loss and metabolic changes during fasting. Intermittent fasting causes decrease in insulin and increase in human growth hormone and nor-epinephrine which results in fat burning. Grehlin levels which increase appetite fall during the fast. Weight loss averages between 1/2 to 1-2 lb per week depending on the frequency of the fasting days, the gender, weight and age of the dieter. Once a week fasting in a 45 year old, 175 lb female averaged about 1/4 to 1/2 lb.
16:8 Intermittent fasting plan is useful for several weight management situations:
- Dieters who routinely skip breakfast or who are not hungry at breakfast interested in a simple, stand alone plan once or even 5-7 days a week.
- Dieters who reach plateaus and need to jump start their weight loss can do 16:8 IF several times a week.
- Individuals who have reached their weight loss goals who often eat more on the weekends need a system to help maintain their weight loss. This intermittent fasting can be done every Sunday to Monday morning or even Monday and Tuesday. This can help erase any weight gain during the weekend due to excessive eating or alcohol drinking.
Expanding the Weight Loss in the 16 Hour Fasting: How to intermittent fast 16/8
1 Early dinner at 6 -7 pm can add several hours to the fasting period. There is no reason to stop the fasting at 10 am (if you ended dinner at 6 PM). By adding several hours you are extending the weight loss.
2.Adding MCT oil to dinner and breakfast increases ketosis and weight loss.
3 Changing the pre-fast dinner to a Keto type meal with no carbs increase subsequent ketosis and fat loss.
What’s to Eat During the 8 Hour Eating Period on the Intermittent Fasting?
Meals include either breakfast or lunch, afternoon snack and dinner. For those who need after dinner snacks low carb, portion controlled salty or sweet snacks are available. The last evening snacks signals the beginning of the 16 hour fasting phase. The two meals and snacks can come from any diet plans including Dr Lipman’s Miami Diet, the Keto Diet and even the HCG diet. One can increase overnight Ketosis by eliminating carbs for 4- 6 hours before the final meal. This speeds up ketosis during the night because then the carb restriction is almost 24 hours.(6 pre-fast and 18 hr fasting).
How to Intermittent Fast 16/8–Eating or Drinking During the 16 hour Fasting Period
All foods are eliminated. Zero calorie, zero sugar drinks are permitted as is coffee and tea. It’s very important to eliminate all sugar and carbs during the fasting period. Eating any sugar or significant calories stops the ketosis and fat burning. Coffee or tea with artificial sweetener (Truvia, Stevia are the best, Splenda and Equal are acceptable) and a zero sugar coffee creamer are the best choice upon awakening. The zero sugar creamers (some even dairy free) or a ketone bomb increases the ketosis and fat burning during the morning fasting period. The fat in the creamers containing MCT oils quickly bypass the liver, goes to the the brain and circulation increasing the overall ketosis. This increases energy, decreases appetite and increases metabolism.
Ketone Supplements in Fasting Diet Role of MCT Oils
MCT (medium chain triglycerides) oils are medium length chains of fats called triglycerides. As short chains of triglycerides they are metabolized differently than other fats. They are easily digested, quickly absorbed into the blood and subsequently immediately converted into ketones for energy. They are not stored as other fats. Coconut oil and palm oils are the best sources of MCT’s.
“Medium-chain” comes from the number of carbon molecules usually between 6 and 12. The MCT’s include Caproic acid (C6): 6 carbon molecules, caprylic acid (C8): 8 carbon molecules, capric acid (C10): 10 carbon molecules and Lauric acid (C12): 12 carbon molecules. caprylic and capric acid are the two MCTs the body most easily uses for energy. Olive and avocado oils are not as effective as coconut oils and can be associated with less weight loss. The produce greater fat loss than seen with olive oil. Studies have shown no adverse metabolic effects feomMCT oil.
MCT oil is a supplement often added to smoothies, bulletproof coffee and salad dressings. MCT oil is most commonly extracted from coconut oil, as more than 50% of the fat in coconut oil comes from MCTs. These fats are also found in many other foods, such as palm oil and dairy products.
MCT Oils for Ketosis
Four different types of MCTs exist, of which caprylic and capric acid are most commonly used for MCT oil. In some cases, these specific types have unique benefits. MCT oil has about 10% fewer calories than long-chain triglycerides (LCTs), which are found in foods such as olive oil, nuts and avocados (Trusted Source).
*MCT oils are Medium Chain Triglycerides. Our preparation consists of coconut oil in a capsule to avoid unpleasant side effects of adding oil to food or drinks. It bypasses the liver & quickly increases ketosis. It’s taken 2 times a day-1 with the coffee in the morning and 1 at the start of the fast.
Enhanced 16/8 Intermittent Fasting Plan
The diagram below shows the 16/8 intermittent fasting pattern with lunch at noon and the last food at 8 pm. MCT oil should be added with breakfast and the beginning of the fast.
Enhancement of Intermittent Fasting
- Adding MCT oil--3000 mg before fast and with coffee upon awakening increases ketosis and fat burning
- . Extending the fast beyond 16 hours increases weight loss. For example, if a patient starts his fast at 6 PM he would be done by 10 AM. If lunch was not until 12 or 1 PM, then he cold continue fast for 3 hours and lose even more weight.
- Ketosis and fat burning can be extended further by eliminating all carbs from the dinner before the fast.
When to Do the 16: Intermittent Fasting Days
With intermittent fasting ( known as IF), you simply restrict the hours you eat each day. There are many IF approaches, such as the common 16-8 protocol as previously described. or the one-meal-a-day pattern (in which you eat everything in one meal, such as lunch or dinner). But as long as you’re fasting 12 to 16 hours you should lose weight.
Intermittent Fasting vs. Keto Diet
Unlike the Keto Diet each day of the intermittent fast is independent of the day before or after. This means it can be added once a week, Monday to Friday or even every day. Individuals with a lot of weight to lose can do it 5- 7 days a week. Others who have reached their goal can do it every Monday or Monday and Tuesday to compensate for overeating on the weekends.
Does Skipping Meals and Intermittent Fasting Lead to Lower Metabolism? Intermittent Fasting vs. “Breakfast Skippers”
Older research suggested that IF leads to decreases in metabolism and frequent smaller meals could increase metabolism. However, this has not proven to be true. The research on metabolic rate is remarkably conclusive: Energy expenditure is dependent on the total intake of calories over the day and very little is due to macro-nutrient changes and frequency of meals. Webber and Macdonald studied the metabolic effects of fasting for 12, 36 and 72 h in 29 participants and found no changes in their metabolic rate. Indeed, the weight gain often observed in regular “breakfast skippers” is due the fact that these individual often consume more calories latter in the day and thus overall food intake is actually increased.
Medical Reasons NOT to Do Intermittent Fasting:
There are a few reasons intermittent fasting may not be the best method to lose weight. As in any other diet certain individuals do well and others do not. In this diet there are more common reasons to avoid IF including these situations: diabetes, low blood pressure, low blood sugar and women trying to conceive or breast feeding.
The diaphragm below shows the blood ketones during a fast and the elevation in ketones by adding MCT oils compared to
no MCT oils. Note below the minimal ketosis without fasting, the increasing Ketosis(red zone ) with overnight fasting and the elevated and prolongation of the ketosis when adding MCT oil at night and in the morning.
Why is there More Weight Loss that Expected Simply from Skipping Breakfast with 16:8 Intermittent Fasting
The average dieter may lose 1/4 to 1/2 lb per week per day of fasting. This is more than one might expect from skipping breakfast. The additional weight loss is the result of reducing the eating to only 8 hours a day as well as the mild ketosis that is produced during the 18 hour fast. Stopping carbs after lunch on the day before the fast can increase the weight loss even more.
Its simple to eliminate carbs in the afternoon and during the evening meal before the fast. This results in even greater ketosis during the fast because the body does not need to stop and use up the carbs stored in the liver and focus on the fat!