Fasting for weight loss: techniques at home

This nutrition system became popular thanks to the book by Ori Hofmekler. Intermittent fasting according to the 20-4 scheme has become not just a nutritional system, but a way of life for a strong modern person.

The author of the acclaimed bestseller “The Warrior Diet,” Ori Hofmekler, is not a nutritionist or sports nutrition specialist, he is not a biologist or a doctor, however, his book popularly and objectively describes the essence of intermittent fasting according to the 20-4 system. The author emphasizes that this is not a diet, but a way of eating that is close to a philosophy of life. Followers of the 20-4 interval nutrition plan have made it part of their lifestyle to help them stay strong and in tune with the times.

The main advantage of the nutrition system called the warrior diet is its simplicity. In order to get your body in shape and become stronger, you don’t need to count calories and keep food diaries, break down dishes into components and constantly weigh foods. Following the warrior diet comes down to a few clear rules:

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• The day is divided into two phases, the fasting stage lasts 20 hours, the remaining 4 hours are reserved for meals;
• During the fasting phase, it is allowed to consume a minimum amount of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as juices squeezed from them;
• You should train at the end of the fasting stage, the first meal comes after training, it should include protein foods, for example, eggs and kefir;
• The largest meal occurs in the evening, which suits those who cannot go to bed when hungry. The volumes of the evening meal are not regulated, but foods must be supplied in a clear sequence: first fiber, then proteins and fats, and at the very end - carbohydrates;
• You should not drink during meals, thirst is used as an indicator of satiety, as soon as you feel thirsty, it is time to finish your meal, since the body is already full.

The name for such a food system was not chosen by chance; in ancient times, warriors did not have the opportunity to eat fully during the day, they had access only to vegetables and fruits, the evening was reserved for eating, and the night was for sleeping.

If the warrior diet fits into your lifestyle, then very soon you will be able to experience its first results.

Proponents of the 20-4 intermittent fasting system note that adaptation to the new nutrition system takes from two days to a week; after a few days, the body gets used to it and the person stops feeling hunger at the stage without eating. Training on an empty stomach is very effective, people feel cheerfulness and physical lightness. The Warrior Diet teaches you to truly enjoy food, the joy of eating comes every evening and brings psychological peace.

How to do intermittent fasting

The easiest way to follow the 16:8 diet is to choose a 16-hour fasting window that includes time when a person is sleeping. Some experts advise finishing your meals in the early evening, as after this time your metabolism slows down. However, not everyone can do this. Some people are unable to stop eating after 7 pm. However, it is best to avoid eating 2-3 hours before bed.

You can choose from the following 8-hour eating windows:

• from 9 am to 5 pm;
• from 10 am to 6 pm;
• from noon to 8 pm.

During this period, people can eat their meals and snacks at a time that suits them. Eating regularly is important to prevent blood sugar spikes and dips and to prevent excessive hunger. You can experiment to find the best meal times for your lifestyle.

Breaking out of fasting

You need to finish any of the types as gradually as you started. During the first days, you should not overeat or eat heavy and fatty foods. Your appetite will be large, so you need to control it and reduce the desired portions by at least half.

Also, do not forget that when leaving, you must completely avoid consuming the following foods:

• butter and vegetable oil;
• salt;
• sugar and sweets;
• flour products;
• meat;
• fish;
• dairy products.

Recovery should take approximately the same amount of time as the fasting procedure itself lasted.

Recommended foods for intermittent fasting

Although the intermittent fasting plan does not specify which foods to avoid, you should focus on eating healthy and limiting or avoiding unhealthy foods. Eating too much unhealthy food can lead to weight gain and contribute to the development of diseases.

A balanced diet includes:

• fruits and vegetables, which can be fresh, frozen or canned (in water);
• whole grains, including quinoa, brown rice, oats and barley;
• lean protein sources such as poultry, fish, beans, lentils, tofu, nuts, seeds, low-fat cottage cheese and eggs;
• healthy fats from fish, olives, olive oil, coconuts, avocados, nuts and seeds.

Fiber-rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains can help a person feel full. Healthy fats and proteins also promote satiety.

Drinks may play a role in satiation for those following an intermittent fasting diet. Drinking water regularly throughout the day will help reduce your calorie intake because people often mistake thirst for hunger. The 16:8 diet plan allows you to consume calorie-free drinks—such as water, unsweetened tea, and coffee—during the 16-hour fast. It is important to consume fluids regularly to avoid dehydration.

People find it easier to stick to 16:8 intermittent fasting when they follow these tips:

• Drink herbal tea with cinnamon during fasting as it helps suppress appetite
• Drink water regularly throughout the day
• Watch less TV to reduce exposure to food images, which can stimulate hunger
• practice mindful eating during meals
• meditate while fasting

Contraindications to fasting and possible consequences

Each person is individual, so losing weight without harming the body is not possible for everyone. There are a number of contraindications that prohibit some people from going on a hunger strike:

1. Pregnancy or lactation (breastfeeding).
2. Liver or kidney failure.
3. Exhaustion or anorexia.
4. Deep depression.
5. Hypothyroidism (thyroid disease).
6. Cerebrovascular accident.

Even if contraindications do not apply to you, refusing food is stressful for the body, so it will show in every possible way that it needs food.
Such as:

• headache or muscle pain;
• bad breath, light coating on the surface of the tongue and nausea;
• insomnia;
• dizziness, body weakness, fainting;
• excessive sweating, fever.

All these symptoms are a normal reaction of the body to stress received. Subsequent periods of fasting will be much easier. But keep in mind that non-compliance with the rules and long periods of time can negatively affect your health. Thus, a useful procedure can lead to serious illness, cell death and even death.

Benefits of intermittent fasting

Scientists have been studying intermittent fasting for decades.

Research results are sometimes contradictory and inconclusive. However, research on intermittent fasting, including 16:8, suggests that it may have the following benefits:

Weight and fat loss

Eating over a period of time can reduce the number of calories you consume. It can also help boost your metabolism.

A 2021 study found that intermittent fasting resulted in greater weight and fat loss in obese men than regular calorie restriction. A 2021 study reports that men who followed the 16:8 diet for 8 weeks showed a decrease in fat mass.

Disease Prevention

Proponents of intermittent fasting suggest that the diet can prevent several diseases, including:

• diabetes mellitus type 2
• heart diseases
• some types of cancer
• neurodegenerative diseases

However, research in this area remains limited.

A 2014 review reports that intermittent fasting may be an alternative to traditional calorie restriction for reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and weight loss in overweight or obese people. However, scientists warn that more research is needed before they can come to reliable conclusions.

A 2021 study shows that in addition to weight loss, an 8-hour eating window may lower blood pressure in obese people.

Other studies report that intermittent fasting reduces fasting glucose levels by 3-6% in people with prediabetes, although the diet had no effect in healthy people. Fasting insulin levels are reduced by 11-57% after 3-24 weeks of intermittent fasting.

Time-restricted fasting, such as the 16:8 diet, can improve learning and memory, and slow the progression of diseases that affect the brain. Animal studies have shown that this form of fasting helps reduce the risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cancer.

Increased life expectancy

The study authors concluded that short-term fasting increases the lifespan of female mice. Scientists cannot explain why fasting can lengthen life expectancy. Therefore, they cannot confirm the long-term safety of this practice.

Reviews of people who used fasting and opinions of doctors

Like most diets, people have different opinions about fasting. Many can even try somehow, but give up on the first day due to poor condition and weakness. But in fact, these are only temporary symptoms that will subsequently pass.

Having analyzed the reviews of Internet users, one gets the impression that fasting is a useless and harmful pastime. This is written by those who are too weak in spirit to hold out for even a day, or by those who neglected some rules and really did something wrong. Nevertheless, there are a large number of people who, having tried fasting several times, still periodically arrange fasting days for themselves. At the same time, they feel great and lose some excess weight.

Here are some of the reviews that are most often seen on this topic:

1. Irina, 25 years old. I heard about the miracle of fasting once a week, from which you not only lose weight, but also cleanse yourself. I decided to try it, but by lunchtime at work I felt terrible dizziness, fatigue and irritability. As soon as I ate, the day got better. In general, it's not my thing.
2. Anna, 28 years old. Since childhood, I noticed that my mother drinks only water once a week. At the age of 15 I joined it myself. At first it was difficult, but now for me it’s not a problem at all, but even a pleasure. I don’t have a problem with being overweight, but I know that I am benefiting myself by doing so.
3. Ruslan, 34 years old. And I tried fasting. It’s terribly hard, I have no strength, I’m constantly hungry, but I’ve lost 8 kilograms. Then I picked them up again, because I really wanted a normal life and food.

As the opinions of people who have tried losing weight through fasting show, one of the main things you should pay attention to is getting back into a normal lifestyle.

It turns out that losing a kilogram without eating turns out to be much easier than not immediately gaining twice as much.

After testing it for yourself, you will understand that this method really gives a good result, although the main purpose of the fast is considered to be cleansing. The main thing is to do everything right and not lose your temper when leaving. According to doctors, fasting is a responsible step that can lead to both positive and negative results in relation to your health. Only under the supervision of specialists can you be sure that you will not harm yourself.

Side effects of intermittent fasting

Potential side effects and risks include:

• hunger, weakness and fatigue in the initial stages of the diet
• overeating or eating unhealthy foods within an 8-hour eating period due to excessive hunger
• heartburn and reflux as a result of overeating

16:8 Intermittent Fasting for Women!

Intermittent fasting may be less beneficial for women than for men. Some animal studies suggest that intermittent fasting may have a negative impact on female fertility.

The 16:8 diet is not suitable for those with a history of depression and anxiety. Some studies suggest that short-term calorie restriction can improve depression, but chronic calorie restriction may have the opposite effect.

Intermittent fasting is not suitable for pregnant women or those who are breastfeeding or trying to become pregnant.

People who want to try the 16:8 method or other types of intermittent fasting should talk to their doctor first, especially if they are taking medications or have:

• an underlying health condition such as diabetes or low blood pressure
• history of mental disorders.

Although scientific evidence suggests that the 16:8 method may be beneficial for preventing diabetes, it may not be suitable for those who already have the disease. The 16:8 intermittent fasting diet is not suitable for people with type 1 diabetes. However, some people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes may want to try the diet under a doctor's supervision.

How to fast

If you have already decided to test one of the cleansing options for yourself, let's look at all types in more detail.

Partial fasting

This is a kind of diet when the daily diet is reduced to 200–300 kcal.

One of the options is juice hunger. It is widely used in medical institutions due to the thorough cleansing of the body from harmful substances. It is worth considering that packaged juices are not suitable due to their high sugar content. You also need to separate the days when you have either vegetable or only fruit juices. They mainly use carrot, beet, apple and orange.

This is a gentle version of hunger when the body is not deprived of vitamins. The minimum period is 1 day, but it is advisable to last three to achieve complete cleansing and maximum weight loss results. This way you can get rid of 2–3 kilograms in three days.

Full on the water

During the entire period, it is necessary to avoid eating food, but you can drink water in unlimited quantities. The main thing is still, non-carbonated water, so use purified, distilled or boiled water. The result can be 4–5 kilograms in three days. In fact, you can spend much longer time without food, but it must be borne in mind that beginners should not immediately go to extremes. One day will be enough.

Complete dry

The result will be maximum (about 5 kilograms in three days) if you strictly follow the conditions. In other words, don’t drink, don’t eat at all, and don’t even wash your hands. Of course, this sounds a little absurd, which is why dry fasting is recommended to be done in medical institutions under the supervision of specialists. After all, it is so important not to harm the body when wanting to get rid of a few kilograms.

The duration of dry hunger is limited, because without fluid in the body, cells will begin to die, which will lead to death. Therefore, this type must be taken very seriously and preferably under the supervision of a doctor. To avoid harmful consequences, you should lose weight without water for one to three days.

Combined fasting

This type includes alternation of the two above types. The usual schedule is 2-3 days dry and then you can drink water. It is easier to tolerate than previous types, since the crisis begins from the first days. With this way of losing weight, you won’t have to wait long for results.

Contraindications

Intermittent fasting, of course, is not suitable for everyone and has contraindications.

This type of food is prohibited for people:

• with a body mass index below 17, as well as patients with anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders;
• pregnant and lactating women;
• planning to conceive;
• women with cycle disorders;
• teenagers under 18 years of age.

A relative contraindication for cyclic fasting is if the patient has:

• diabetes mellitus;
• low blood pressure;
• gout;
• diseases of the kidneys and digestive system;
• diseases requiring constant use of medications.

Even if you consider yourself healthy, consult a specialist,

before practicing Intermittent Fasting.

Rules and preparation

When starting cyclic (intermittent) fasting, remember that now this is your way of life, in which there should be no breakdowns or relaxations. Start with the 16/8 scheme, then move to 18/6: try, experiment.

You should not start fasting if you:

• are sick;
• You feel sick;
• are pregnant or planning to conceive a child;
• belong to the category of people for whom this method is contraindicated.

Avoid Intermittent fasting if you realize that after a week:

• you continue to feel hungry around the clock;
• experience irritation and unmotivated aggression;
• lost 5 kg or more;
• you feel weak and cannot do your usual work.

Eating should be a joy, don’t torture yourself with what doesn’t suit you.

Note:

• During the eating window, try to eat healthy foods;
• control the quantity and quality of food;
• Drink enough fluids.

During the famine period:

• allow yourself unsweetened tea and, if necessary, coffee;
• drink clean water in the amount required for you.