What Is 16/8 Intermittent Fasting?
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What Are The Health Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting?
On today’s episode of Live Lean TV, I’m answering the question, what is 16/8 intermittent fasting and what are the health benefits.
Since I’ve been asked so many questions about intermittent fasting, also known as IF, I’ve finally decided to create an entire post about it.
Does intermittent fasting work for muscle gains?
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Can IF double your fat loss results?
Let’s talk intermittent fasting 101 and get right into the IF basics.
My 14 Day Intermittent Fasting Results
I have tested the 16/8 intermittent fasting method, so here’s the feedback from my 14 day IF experiment.
As you know, I truly believe in coming to conclusions based on experimenting and analyzing personal results, rather than just being one of those “what does the research show” kind of guys.
Remember, everything I talk about, I have personally used in my journey to Live Lean 365 days a year.
In other words, I truly live my message.
Here’s How I Built My Current Health And Physique
During my journey to get to my current health and physique, I’ve followed a meal cadence of eating every 3-4 hours, for 5-6 meals a day.
In the past, eating smaller, more frequent meals has worked for me.
But does that mean a meal cadence of eating every 3-4 hours is optimal for maintaining lean muscle, burning fat, and increasing mental performance and overall energy?
Well I know it helped me, but the question is, is it optimal?
Since I’ve been eating every 3-4 hours, for 5-6 meals a day, for a few years now, could I be experiencing performance plateaus?
We all know when the body adapts, benefits can decrease.
Based on this, I’m always looking for optimal results in all areas of my life.
So, with that said, I took my own advice and tested the 16/8 intermittent fasting method for 14 days.
You can see my intermittent fasting results video post here.
What Is 16/8 Intermittent Fasting?
If you’re not aware of what intermittent fasting is, let me explain.
The 16/8 intermittent fasting approach simply means following a limited feeding window of 8 hours, with a larger fasting window of 16 hours.
For example, the typical fasting period would be between 8pm-12pm, when you would not eat any calories.
This would mean your feeding period, when you eat your calories, would be between 12pm-8pm.
What Are The Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting?
#1. Dramatic Fat Loss Results
Many people who do intermittent fasting have experienced dramatic fat loss results by increasing their insulin sensitivity.
#2. Increase In Overall Health And Longevity
People following intermittent fasting have also experienced increases in health and longevity, by lowering their blood pressure and a reducing free radicals within the body.
Can IF Double Your Fat Loss?
As mentioned earlier, I experimented with intermittent fasting for 14 days.
I’ll shared a full recap of my overall experience and 14 day intermittent fasting results using the 16/8 IF method, here.
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Question For You:
- Have you tried intermittent fasting? Do you follow intermittent fasting?
- Tell us about your experience with it and what your results have been like?
Be sure to share your answers in the comment section below.
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Brad Gouthro is the founder of Live Lean TV, a media company focused on helping men and women “Live Lean” 365 days a year. Brad’s programs and content have helped millions of people all over the world learn how to get in shape, and more importantly, sustain it for life.
Good and Informative..!
it’s coming …
Hi Brad awaiting your experience of IF its been two weeks now how is it please comment is it worth an effort . Do let us know in depth analysis
my feedback….that shit Works…it Works well, a Little bit too well I would say, I got to be the most ripped i’ve been in my life, but I lost some muscle as well, but my bodyfat was about 2%, no bs, i weighted around 185, and I am 6′ 3″, but I didn’t enjoy how I looked right after my feeding window, I looked bloated, and the fact that you try to keep your eating window might lead you to eat a bunch of crap sometimes if you are outside, or don’t have time to cook or go grocey shopping
Awesome!! :0)
Yep, I’m still on IF…update video coming up 😉
Keen to get your update. Is it near?
So???? Been 2 weeks :0)
@Mr100asd Fantastic Glenn. Loving hearing success stories like this. Keep living lean my friend.
Hey Brad. I have had a over weight problem from the time I was about 12, now Just shy of 65 . 3.5 years ago at 270 lbs (6 foot 2) 38% B.F. I decided to change my life. In about 8 mos. lost 80 lbs. started going too the gym 2.5 years ago. 185-190 lbs 25 % b.f.. 6 mos. ago set a goal of 10%. fine tuning my diet and moor cardio, down too 16-17%started fasting 7-7am 2mos ago down to 13-12.8% plateaued. Intermittent fasting a week ago.Thanks to U.today 11.7% 155 lbs.WOW Working for ME. Thanks Glenn
To gain muscle is hard and we have to spend a lot money in food and time
Brad,
I congratulate you for trying the IF way. However, if I may, it’s my opinion that the 16/8 cannot possibly work unless it involves calorie restriction. Either way, looking forward to seeing your results.
Best of luck,
Ori Hofmekler
Brad,
Once again, my goodness – we are similar in our beliefs. I was SO excited to see your post on this as JUST like you, I won’t reccomend anything to my clients without first self experimenting. SO, I personally did the exact same thing for two weeks just a few weeks ago but experimented with two non-consecutive 24 hour periods… THEN after the two weeks I went back to normal eating to see if I would just gain the weight right back… I’m not done with self experimentation yet and I would still like to read more reputable research on the subject, however thus far I am really starting to see a place for this 😉 good luck and can’t wait to hear your opinion and results!
@KateGray It’s an everyday habit.
How many days per week should you do this? Is it an everyday eating habit?
@liviasugar Embrace your strong legs! Very sexy in my opinion. I still want you training your legs, but train them less frequently than your other priority muscle groups.
@waltdog177 yes you do. keep it the same.
It’s been 4 months I’ve been following intermittent fasting. Lost 12 pounds
IF best! Eating window from 10am-6pm everyday! With 5 days a week hitting the gym. You’ll see the fat just melting off of you. But you still have to count your calories, that’s still important.
My life = IF. I don’t eat from 7pm until 11 am or 12pm the following day. And then after that meal, I don’t eat again til 6pm. Not even a snack. NOTHING. I eat so high in protein that I don’t need snacks. Snacks are for WIMPS!! SUCK IT UP AND EAT A STEAK. BAHHH!
Started IF this year in February, combined with exercise, never lost weight in the past… now I’m at 11% body fat. I can say without a doubt that it works, but of couse you should also eat healthy and exercise.
Finally someone who has the balls to try something different
Screw IF, it’s a waste of time in my opinion
I’ve done IF before. It didn’t seem to make a difference with weight loss vs eating 3 meals per day at standard times. I did notice it was easier to follow an IF routing for lifestyle reasons like work and dating and arranging my time effectively during the day.
Intermitten fasting is so easy to adopt. Now It’s more like a lifestyle. The benefits show within few weeks with little to not effort. I feel awesome. I combine this with a low carb diet, and I just workout 3 days a week 🙂
Yeah I life it but it´s for now 14/10.. So eating for 10 hours and fasting for 14 hours. It works perfect.. You´re also a big inspiration, thank you for that.
Hey Brad, I am currently experimenting with intermittent fasting 16/8 for two weeks now and I have lost 2 inches off my waist but I havent lost any weight. My exercise routine did change due to a strain in my levator scapulae muscles, so I stopped lifting weights altogether and have been focused on yoga and calisthenics. This is week 3 and I have cheated a couple of days but I still am getting great results, so I cant wait to see my results once I get back to my normal workout regiment
I followed the 16/8 fasting plan while also on a ketogenic diet for 21 days and lost 10lbs in those 3 weeks. I also trained in a fasted state supplementing with 10grams of BCAAs right before my workout at 8am, another 10 grams at 10 and my last 10 grams at 12 with me breaking my fast at 1 and eating till 9. The results were phenomenal. Muscles started popping out of nowhere and waist line trimmed down to the point I had to buy new shorts and I wasn’t as fatigued as usual so I was able to up the weight to reach failure
I follow the Eat Stop Eat protocol. I do 2 24-hour fasts twice a week (from dinner to dinner) breaking my fast right after a weight training workout. It works. My training goes very well, I’m gaining muscle and leaning out at the same time. I also follow a paleo lifestyle. Good luck!
TWEETED! Love using IF strategically!
ive been doing it for over a year and it seem to help a bit, with the diet i was following, then changed to another and its help me lose 10 – 15 lbs since march, i vary the hours i fast, then i drink coffee and water in between up until i feel hungry then i break the fast
Hey Brad, when you do the eating part of the intermittent fasting do you keep your calorie intake at what it would usually be for a normal day for those 8 hours or is it less/more?
It does work, i saw all kinds of new muscle out of no where, i was working out less but still lifting heavier than i could ( went low rep heavy weight )
I agree that the first few days suck but my mom swears by this technique to lose fat fast and the less feeding period you have (with still normal or close to normal calorie intake) it is even better. Its good for people who cant entirely cut out junk food from their diet.
Thanks, Brad! 🙂
I did this for one month I loved it because even if you eat something like a cookie it won’t hurt you too bad. However I ate from 10am-6pm and thought it worked better rather than 12-8. I lost 9 pounds in a month. To stop hunger pains at night eat a big meal at your last hour of the feeding period and go to bed early.
Just started the warrior diet. I’ll give it a week or two before I comment on the effectiveness.
Hey Brad!
I am a former gymnast 19 years old from Canada. Ive watched a lot of your videos and my results are great! I just have a question, I have a lot of muscle especially in my thighs and being a retired gymnast I am looking to cut down the bulk/muscle into leaner looking legs. Is there any pointers on working out or major aspects of eating you could give me?
Did IF for few weeks and because of it was able to start seeing definiton in my midsection!
Yes I have for almost a year now!lost a lot of fat! I just need to lift heavier and and more protein in my diet! It does work at least for me.
Yes I have almost for a year now! Lost a lot of fat! But need to maintane
ive used it for almost a month and have broken my fat loss plateu and strength is still going up (slowly) while im in a calorie defecit! when i was eating 6 meals a day i was miserable, its not convenient, and i never really felt satisfied after eating a meal. IF works, youll definately notice a difference in performance after your first week
I’ve been doing the 16/8 method for a few months together with carb cycling..all I have to say is , IT WORKS!! I tried going back to spreading my meals out, 5 to 6 meals didn’t like it.. first few days is hard but it’s all psychological.. You could do it!!
IF is amazing, some people say its just a ‘diet trend’ but it truly isn’t, as i’ve done it for almost a year. A 16/8 window is much more manageable to begin with, however, i believe that if you’re REALLY out to lose weight a 20/4 window is much more efficient – however make sure you attempt to get all your calories in, as you don’t want to ruin your regular metabolic rate – as that will happen if you don’t get all your calories.
IF works but the first few days suck…..I’ve been doing it for 1year now!
I followed this intermittent fasting in 2004, while i was in a military school, i used to weight 231 pounds and 1.70 meters of height, i did breakfast at 6:00 am and lunch at 12:00 pm (military schedule), then nothing of food til next day, i dropped to 175 pounds in 10 months, so i like and support this method, and as a personal comment, when i dominated my mouth with fast, i dominated everything else, so…..greetings from Guatemala
Nope
Do you follow intermittent fasting? I want to hear about your experience in the comment section.