The 8 Hour Diet: How Does it Work?

By Ryan J James


People looking for a simple and straightforward weight loss plan are in luck - the latest book by David Zinczenko and Peter Moore entitled "The 8-Hour Diet: Watching the Pounds Disappear Without Watching What You Eat!" is now available on Amazon. The basic principal behind this weight loss program is that you are allowed to eat for 8 of the 24 hours in a day. In other words, you will be fasting for 16 hours every day. The diet also calls for a short 8 minute burst of physical activity once a day. Although fasting to lose weight is not a new idea, the notion of fasting for intervals is unique.

The 8-Hour Food Window

If you are interested in trying this diet, you will first need to decide on the time that you will begin and end your 16 hour fast. For many people, this will involve skipping breakfast and starting their 8-hour eating window in the late morning. During the eating phase, you are able to eat anything you would like, however the authors strongly encourage that participants stay with a short list of "power foods" that include lean proteins and vegetables. If you have never done a fast before, it is recommended that you take an 'off day' every 4th day to allow your body an opportunity to adjust to the new diet. Eventually, you will be able to go for 7 to 10 days at a time, then longer.

The Pros

There are four obvious advantages to the 8-Hour diet:

- fasting is a proven way to lose weight.

- with no food restrictions, dieters can still satisfy their cravings during the 8-hour window. This makes sticking with the program more likely.

- with no restrictions on food, dieters can still enjoy their favourite foods, albeit restricted to certain times of the day.

- the 8-minute physical activity component will achieve results.

The Cons

A few drawbacks from the 8-Hour diet:

- the potential exists for overconsumption throughout the 8-hour eating window. If somebody binges on french fries and hamburgers for 8 straight hours, no weight loss plan will work.

- the 8-minute exercise segment may become harder to perform as the diet goes along given the fact that your body is in a net calorie deficit.

- by their very nature, 'diets' are a change from a person's typical eating habits. For this reason, there is a natural tendency for people to gain back weight after they have reached their goal weight. The best 'diet' is no diet at all - learn how to eat a healthy and balanced diet, and you will not need to go on a diet.

Summary

This is a very simple plan to help people break out of a cycle of unhealthy eating. The 16-hour fasting window teaches your body to consume during times of activity and to stop eating late at night. Fasting is a proven weight loss technique, and restricting the times of your caloric intake will keep people from snacking at night (when they are bored, not hungry). If people are able to transition their diet towards the "power foods" and away from unhealthy choices, then this diet will have accomplished something important.




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