You will probably not be surprised to learn that there is yet another diet trend making headlines. The 8-hour diet claims to boost weight loss quickly and effectively, but is it safe?
The basic idea behind the 8-hour diet is pretty simple, and it does not have a long list of foods that you have to avoid. Additionally, the diet does not require any gruelling exercise programme. There is a catch, however: it does dictate when you can eat.
The 8-hour diet’s main premise is intermittent fasting, in which you are allowed to eat over an eight-hour period and are then required to fast for at least 16 hours. This cycle repeats every day. According to David Zinczenko, the diet’s creator, the long fasting period allows the body to focus on repairing and resting instead of constantly digesting food.
If you plan to follow the 8-hour diet, you get to choose the time slot for when you eat and when you fast. You should always wait to have breakfast when your food window begins, but you can drink any time you want. Coffee, tea, and water are all acceptable to tide you over if your window begins later in the morning. When it comes to food, there are no real restrictions on what you can and cannot eat. Instead, you should be focusing on portion size. You’re also allowed to eat snacks during your food window.
As for exercise, the 8-hour diet does not require heavy exercise – just eight minutes of exercise to give your body’s fat-burning processes a jump start.
What do health experts think about the 8-hour diet? In the most basic terms, the diet will work as long as there is a negative calorie balance. In other words, you need to be taking in fewer calories than you are using so that you are not gaining weight. That means this diet could be an effective quick fix to weight loss. The problem is the long-term.
The 8-hour diet may be difficult to maintain for an extended period of time, especially with the long windows of fasting. Think about it: you are awake for around 14 to 16 hours each day and asleep for around 8 hours. That means you are awake and active for a significant amount of time in which you are not permitted to eat.
It seems like the 8-hour diet may just be another fad diet, and it could be potentially dangerous, especially if you are not eating healthy foods. However, if you do think this could be the right plan for you, be sure to speak to your doctor first. He or she may be able to steer you in the right direction and help you along the way.
