I try to fast for 12 hours every day. Last meal at 6pm don't eat again until at least 6am, etc. I find this perfect for an active lifestyle as the 16/8 fast is too difficult to get calories in if you are training semi-seriously. Maybe start with the 12 hour daily fast then over time extend the fast until you find out what works for you.
questioner1 wrote:
I've had a few questions about an intermittent fast for awhile now, specifically the 16/8 method. Maybe someone on here has some answers...
From what I understand, the idea behind the whole thing is that your body cannot process stored fat while insulin levels are high. You are essentially in an 'energy saving' state So, for the last few hours of the 16 hour fast, you have no/less insulin, and therefore are burning more fat for your energy.
Can anyone (preferably someone who knows what they are talking about) comment if this is correct from an physiological standpoint? It sounds logical to me, but I'm no expert by any means. I also can't readily find anything to confirm/refute that this is correct.
I do know that this method works well for me, at very least its an easy way to cut a few hundred calories from my day, with only a short period of actually being hungry. However, I don't know if it works because its just a caloric deficit, or if its because of the insulin level logic described above.