Time-restricted fasting diets focus on the timing of eating instead of limiting food intake. This diet does not restrict the number of calories or the types of food to eat, but only the time being spent on eating.
3 Things to Know About Time-Restricted Diet: How Long Should you Fast to Lose Weight?
Someone on this diet will only eat during specific hours of the day, and outside of this period, they will fast or not eat anything. Typically, the eating window ranges from 6-12 hours a day. People who practice this diet can only drink water or unsweetened coffee or tea to keep them hydrated and no calories after that.
According to a new study by researchers from the University of Illinois, two daily fasting diets are effective for weight loss. They also identified which of these two is more effective in weight loss. Before that, here are some things you must know about a time-restricted diet.
Is a Time-Restricted Diet Effective?
While some people would be successful in this diet program, it is important to remember that no single diet plan is effective for everyone. It is best to speak to a doctor before trying this or any diet.
Many studies suggest that a time-restricted diet may have the potential to lose weight and improve health. In one study designed to mimic obesity in postmenopausal women, mice under the diet program lost weight and saw health improvements, unlike those that ate around the clock.
Another study also found that those mice that only ate within an 8-9 hour-period lost weight and had an improved metabolic fitness.
In one study also, researchers allowed obese rats to eat for only 9 hours a day for five days, which showed that young adults gained less weight. Lastly, a study found that a time-restricted diet has helped obese people to lower their calorie intake and lose a small amount of weight after limiting their eating hours to an eight-hour period for 12 weeks.
Time-Restricted Diet Does Not Reduce Body Weight
Research has shown that young men who followed the time-restricted diet reduce their calorie intake without losing strength. It did not also result in reductions in body weight or body fat compared to the standard diet.
In another study, the researchers placed resistance-trained men into either a time-restricted diet or a normal diet group. The group in the time-restricted diet ate 10% of their calorie needs during an eight-hour window for eight days. The team experienced a decrease in body fat with no reduction in muscle mass.
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How Long Should You Fat to Lose Weight?
The study from the University of Illinois compared a four-hour time-restricted diet and a six-hour time-restricted diet to a control group.
Participants in the four-hour time-restricted diet are asked to only eat between 1 pm to 5 pm, while those in the six-hour time-restricted diet were asked to eat between 1 pm to 7 pm. Both groups were followed for ten weeks to track any changes in their body.
The study found that participants in both groups experienced a reduction in calories by 550 calories each day, which means they lost about 3% of their body weight. There was also no significant difference in weight loss between the two diet groups.
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