Tag: Diet
The Ultimate Paleo Diet Food List: What To Devour & Resist
In the 21st century, we find ourselves navigating through a myriad of challenges that pose significant threats to our health and overall well-being. Processed foods, added sugar, unhealthy fats, sedentary lifestyles, smoking, alcohol, allergies, artificial additives, mercury poisoning, the list goes on. The paleo diet is offered as a remedy for this lifestyle.
In this article, we delve into the concept of the paleo diet and present the definitive food list, outlining what to include and exclude from this eating plan.
What is the Paleo Diet?
The paleo diet, short for the Palaeolithic diet, is a dietary approach inspired by the eating habits of humans in the Palaeolithic era. The Palaeolithic era refers to the old stone age, before the advent of human settlement and agricultural practices. This was when our ancestors had just invented stone tools, harpoons, and rafts. This diet is also called the caveman diet or the stone age diet.
During the stone age, early humans were hunter-gatherers. They used their simple stone tools to hunt wild animals. They gathered plants, fruits, insects, etc., from their surroundings.
The paleo diet is a modern-day nutritional plan based on the presumed eating habits of paleolithic humans. It encourages consuming whole, unprocessed foods like lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. [1]
Related: Paleo Dieting: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners]
How Does it Work?
The reasoning behind this eating style is that the modern diet, which is full of processed food and added sugars, has led to various health issues like obesity, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. Proponents believe adopting a paleo diet can prevent these problems. Loren Cordain, a prominent paleo diet advocate, contends that it perfectly matches our genetic makeup. He states that human DNA has remained relatively unchanged over the last 10,000 years, making us more compatible with the diet. According to this perspective, our bodies are ill-equipped to handle the agricultural and heavily processed foods of the modern era, which is thought to contribute to the rise of chronic diseases. [2] [3]
Paleo Diet Ground Rules
Here are the rules to follow while practicing the paleo diet:
Eat high amounts of animal protein.
No cereals, legumes, processed food, dairy products, or refined sugar are allowed.
There is no calorie count.
There is no macronutrient ratio calculation.
This is a low-salt diet.
The three levels of the paleo diet and the 85-15 rule: The paleo diet offers three progressive levels of adherence. In the first level, 85 percent of your food should be paleo-compliant, while the remaining 15 percent can be non-paleo, which comes out to be approximately three meals per week. Level two reduces the non-paleo food to 10 percent, allowing roughly two non-paleo meals each week. Finally, at the highest level, you can only have one cheat meal per week.
Even though weight loss can be achieved through dietary changes alone, incorporating exercise into your routine can be beneficial.
Related: Paleo vs. Keto: Which Diet is Best?
Foods To Eat
Here is a list of foods you can include in your paleo diet:
Meat
Early humans relied on wild animals for sustenance. Raw meat played a vital role in their diet, making it a fundamental part of the paleo diet. However, it’s essential to be cautious when choosing meat. Be wary of feedlot and grain-produced meats, as they come from animals confined in small spaces and fed excessive amounts of grain. Nutritionally, such meat falls far short compared to grass-fed or pasture-produced alternatives.
Processed meats should also be avoided, as they are artificially produced and contain preservatives believed to cause cancer. For the best nutritional value, opt for fresh meat whenever possible. If fresh meat is too pricey, frozen meat can be a viable alternative. However, steer clear of canned or tinned meat altogether. By making informed choices about the meat we consume, we can better align with the principles of the paleo diet and prioritize our overall health.
In his “The Paleo Diet Cookbook,” Cordain listed a vast array of meat choices. Ignore anything that you cannot find locally or makes you squeamish. [4]
Lean meat is a cornerstone of the paleo diet, as it is considered to be more in line with the natural eating habits of our ancestors. You can enjoy lean beef, such as flank steak, top sirloin steak, extra-lean hamburger (with the fat drained off), and London broil. Chuck steak and lean veal are also excellent choices. Lean lamb, including grass-fed lamb chops and roasts, adds a delicious twist to your meals. And if you’re a pork fan, pork loin, pork chops, or any other lean cut.
Poultry lovers can indulge in white meat with the skin removed, like chicken breast, turkey breast, or game hen breast. For adventurous eaters, there’s rabbit, goat meat, and even escargot for a unique culinary experience.
For those who appreciate organ meats, there are tasty options like the liver, tongue, and marrow of beef, lamb, and pork. The paleo diet offers many exotic choices if you’re interested in game meats. You can try alligator or crocodile, bear, bison or buffalo, caribou, elk, emu, frog legs, goose, kangaroo, Muscovy duck, New Zealand Cervena deer, ostrich, pheasant, quail, rattlesnake, reindeer, squab, squirrel, turtle, venison, wild boar, and wild turkey. [4]
Meats
Poultry
Turkey
Chicken breast
Chicken wings
Chicken leg
Goose eggs
Duck eggs
Chicken thigh
Pork
Pork tenderloin
Pork chops
Bacon
Ground pork
Beef
Steak
Grass-fed beef
Ground beef
New York steak
Bison
Bison steaks
Bison jerky
Bison ribeye
Bison sirloin
Beef jerky
Lamb
Lamb rack
Lamb chops
Lean veal
Chuck steak
Seafood
Shrimp
Lobster
Clams
Salmon
Venison steaks
Buffalo
Wild boar
Reindeer
Exotic Meats
Rabbit
Goat
Elk
Emu
Kangaroo
Rattlesnake
Ostrich
Pheasant
Quail
Turtle
Bear
Head Cheese
Related: Find your daily recommend protein intake
Seafood
Seafood is one of the healthiest sources of omega-3 fatty acids and protein. Including it in your diet helps with weight loss.
In the paleo diet, fish and shellfish play a significant role. A variety of fish options are recommended, such as bass, bluefish, cod, drum, eel, flatfish, grouper, haddock, halibut, herring, mackerel, monkfish, mullet, northern pike, orange roughy, perch, red snapper, rockfish, salmon, scrod, shark, striped bass, sunfish, tilapia, trout, tuna, turbot, and walleye. Additionally, any commercially available fish is suitable for the diet.
As for shellfish, there is a delightful range to choose from, including abalone, calamari (squid), crab, crayfish, lobster, mussels, octopus, oysters, scallops, and shrimp. These ocean delights add variety and flavor to the paleo menu, ensuring a diverse and enjoyable eating experience. [4]
Seafood
Fish
Bass
Salmon
Halibut
Mackerel
Sardines
Tuna
Red snapper
Shark
Sunfish
Swordfish
Tilapia
Trout
Walleye
Shellfish
Crab
Crawfish
Crayfish
Shrimp
Clams
Lobsters
Scallops
Oysters
Fish Eggs
Vegetables
Veggies are a nutritional powerhouse packed with essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. The paleo diet advises against consuming vegetables like sweet potatoes, beets, yams, or squash, which have high starch or carb content, as their nutritional value is comparatively low. Unless you are an athlete needing more energy, limit your intake of such vegetables. It may hinder weight loss.
A wide range of vegetables is encouraged, including:
Green leafy vegetables: Beet greens, collards, dandelion, kale, lettuce, mustard greens, spinach, swiss chard, turnip greens, and watercress.
Root vegetables: Beets, carrots, parsnips, radish, rutabaga, turnips, and yams.
Cruciferous vegetables: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and kohlrabi.
Gourd and squash: Cucumber, pumpkin, squash, tomatillos, and zucchini.
Other vegetables: Artichoke, asparagus, bell peppers, celery, eggplant, endive, green onions, mushrooms, onions, parsley, peppers, purslane, and seaweed.
Get creative in the kitchen. Include an assortment of vegetables in each meal. They diversify your plate and ensure balanced nutrient intake.
Vegetables
Leafy Greens
Spinach
Kale
Swiss chard
Arugula
Romaine lettuce
Cruciferous
Brussels sprouts
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Root Vegetables
Carrots
Beets
Sweet potato
Yam
Japanese Sweet Potatoes
Other Veggies
Asparagus
Avocado
Artichoke hearts
Zucchini
Celery
Green onions
Peppers (all kinds)
Eggplant
Mushrooms
Butternut squash
Acorn squash
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Pegan Diet
Fruits
Just like vegetables, fruits can help nourish our bodies and minds. While there are no strict restrictions on the types of fruits you can enjoy on the paleo diet, individuals with diabetes or obesity should be cautious about fruits with a high glycemic index and consume them in moderation. To support your health and paleo lifestyle, here’s a list of fruits with increasing levels of total sugar content that you can include in your diet:
Fruits
Citrus
Lime
Lemon
Grapefruit (white and pink)
Tangerine
Orange
Berries
Strawberries
Blueberries
Elderberries
Blackberries
Raspberries
Tropical
Papaya
Guava
Starfruit
Jackfruit
Mamey Apple
Stone Fruits
Plum
Apricot
Peach
Cherries
Other Fruits
Avocado
Tomato
Kiwi
Pear
Casaba melon
Watermelon
Cantaloupe
Pomegranate
Fruits like raisins, dates, dried figs, papaya, prunes, apricots, pears, mango, bananas, grapes, Pineapple, purple passion fruit, etc., have a very high sugar concentration and should be consumed in moderation. [4]
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are an excellent addition to the paleo diet, as they contain healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals. They can be enjoyed as a snack, added to salads or various recipes, or used as toppings for dishes, offering flavor and nutritional value to your meals. Here’s the list of nuts and seeds that can be included in the paleo diet:
Nuts: Almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts (filberts), macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios (unsalted), and walnuts.
Seeds: Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds.
Although peanuts are commonly referred to as nuts, they are legumes and cannot be consumed in a paleo diet.
Oils
During the stone age, vegetable or cooking oils were nonexistent. Vegetable oils debuted during the agricultural revolution in the Neolithic period and were mainly used for lighting and heating. Cooking oils entered the culinary practices only a few centuries ago. According to Cordain, the introduction of vegetable oils into our cooking has led to a significant rise in omega-6 fatty acids in our daily diets, which is linked to various health issues such as heart and autoimmune diseases and inflammatory conditions.
However, our bodies still need fat as an essential nutrient to function properly. The following oils can be used in cooking to boost your healthy fat intake:
Flaxseed oil
Walnut oil
Olive oil
Avocado oil
Coconut oil
Related: 11 High-Calorie Low-Carb Foods to Include in your Diet]
Non-Paleo Foods to Eat in Moderation
The paleo diet isn’t overly rigid; it offers some flexibility. You can follow the 85-15 rule, allowing occasional indulgence in non-paleo comfort foods.
When it comes to beverages, you’re free to enjoy diet sodas, coffee, tea, wine, or beer, but moderation is key.
As for sweets, remember that ancient humans had access to only honey as their primary sweetener, but even this should be consumed in moderation. Dried fruits or a mix of dried fruits and nuts are acceptable treats, but if you aim to shed some pounds, it might be best to limit their intake.
Foods To Avoid
You must avoid ‘modern’ foods that were not part of the Palaeolithic era. Cordain suggests adopting the 85-15 rule as a gradual approach to transitioning away from these foods. Here are some foods to avoid:
Dairy: Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, ice cream, powdered milk, and yogurt, should be avoided. Early humans did not domesticate animals and milk them until much later, and in true paleo spirit, they should not be consumed.
Fatty and processed meats: Reduce consumption of processed meats, such as bacon, sausages, and deli meats, as they often contain additives and preservatives.
Grains: Avoid all grains, including barley, millet, rye, sorghum, wheat, rice, oats, and corn, as they were not consumed during the Palaeolithic era. Foods like bread, rolls, muffins, lasagna, etc., made using these grains must be avoided.
Legumes: These are a group of plants that produce seeds in pods. These foods are rich in protein and fiber. They include:
All beans (black beans, green beans, kidney beans, mung beans, etc.)
Lentils
Lupins
Miso
Peanuts and all products made using peanuts (e.g., peanut butter)
Peas (black-eyed peas, chickpeas, snow peas, sugar snap peas)
Soybeans and all soybean products
Salt-containing foods: Salty foods like bacon, cheese, canned meat and fish, salami, ketchup, olives, pickled foods, salted nuts, sausages, etc., should also be avoided.
Starchy vegetables: White potatoes, corn, and peas.
Soft drinks and sugary beverages: Cut back on sugary beverages, including soft drinks, fruit juices, and energy drinks.
Sugar and artificial sweeteners: Minimize or eliminate added sugars, including refined and artificial sweeteners. Even honey should be consumed in moderation.
Vegetable oils: Refrain from using vegetable oils like soybean, sunflower, and canola oil in cooking or as a primary fat source.
Remember, the paleo diet focuses on whole, unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods that our ancestors would have consumed during the palaeolithic era. Avoiding these modern processed foods will lead to more wholesome and nourishing dietary habits. [4]
FAQs
Why are legumes not allowed in the Paleo diet?
In the paleo diet, legumes are excluded due to the presence of anti-nutrients like lectins and phytates, which can interfere with nutrient absorption and digestion. While legumes have some health benefits, they are not included in the paleo eating plan to ensure better nutrient absorption and adherence to the diet principles.
What are whole foods?
Whole foods are unprocessed or minimally processed foods that are in their natural state, free from additives, and rich in nutrients.
Can I have eggs on a Paleo diet?
Yes, eggs are allowed on the paleo diet and are considered a staple. For a more paleo-compliant option, organic eggs from cage-free birds are preferable over store-bought ones, as they align better with the principles of the paleo diet.
What are the benefits of a Paleo diet?
The paleo diet is renowned for its abundant protein, fiber, and antioxidants while keeping carbs, sodium, sugar, and processed foods in check. It is believed to positively affect cholesterol, blood pressure, and inflammation, promoting weight loss, better blood sugar management, improved sleep, and increased energy levels. [5] [6] [7] [8]
What are the potential side effects of the paleo diet?
Eliminating whole grains, dairy, and legumes can lead to calcium, vitamin D, and B vitamins deficiencies. For vegans, excluding legumes may result in a lack of a primary protein source. Additionally, a sudden increase in fiber intake can lead to gastric problems. [9]
Conclusion
While the paleo diet has gained traction, it has its fair share of critics. Some nutrition experts argue it can be restrictive, omitting certain nutritious food groups like whole grains and legumes. Another contention is that replicating the exact diet of Palaeolithic humans is not optimal, as their eating habits varied vastly depending on where they lived and what was available. Maybe they never had chronic diseases because they never lived long enough to have them. Opinions and studies provide conflicting views about this. [10]
It is wise to consult a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian before starting a new eating plan. They can help you tailor the diet to your health needs and goals.
References
Challa HJ, Bandlamudi M, Uppaluri KR. Paleolithic Diet. [Updated 2022 Jul 4]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan.
Obert, J., Pearlman, M., Obert, L., & Chapin, S. (2017, November 9). Popular Weight Loss Strategies: a Review of Four Weight Loss Techniques. Current Gastroenterology Reports, 19(12).
Gibbons, Ann. (n.d.). The Evolution of Diet. National Geographic.
Stephenson, N., & Cordain, L. (2013, February 21). The Paleo Diet Cookbook: More Than 150 Recipes for Paleo Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners, Snacks, and Beverages. Harvest.
Jönsson, T., Granfeldt, Y., Ahrén, B., Branell, U. C., Pålsson, G., Hansson, A., Söderström, M., & Lindeberg, S. (2009). Beneficial effects of a Paleolithic diet on cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes: a randomized cross-over pilot study. Cardiovascular Diabetology, 8(1), 35.
Steigleder, K. M., Dias, C. B., Ferreira, M. M., & Leal, R. F. (2023). Disease risk and inflammation-associated diets. Natural Plant Products in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 71–85.
Frassetto, L. A., Schloetter, M., Mietus-Synder, M., Morris, R. C., & Sebastian, A. (2009, February 11). Metabolic and physiologic improvements from consuming a paleolithic, hunter-gatherer type diet. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 63(8), 947–955.
Lindeberg, S., Jönsson, T., Granfeldt, Y., Borgstrand, E., Soffman, J., Sjöström, K., & Ahrén, B. (2007, June 22). A Palaeolithic diet improves glucose tolerance more than a Mediterranean-like diet in individuals with ischaemic heart disease. Diabetologia, 50(9), 1795–1807.
Gunnar, K. & Kelly, E. (2023, March 16). The Paleo Diet — A Beginner’s Guide + Meal Plan. HealthLine.
Butler, Stephanie. (2023, May 17). Going Paleo: What Prehistoric Man Actually Ate. HISTORY.
Arnold Schwarzenegger on Protein: “The Quality Isn’t As Important As You’ve Been Led to Believe
Bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger’s attention to nutrition and dieting remain top priorities at the age of 76. In the latest Arnold’s Pump Club Newsletter, Schwarzenegger discussed protein intake and whether or not quality matters when choosing which sources to consume.
Given his star power and name recognition, fans listen when Arnold Schwarzenegger talks about his nutritional options. Having dominated the most prestigious stages in the sport, Schwarzenegger is no stranger to the protein demands of a top-tier bodybuilder. He’s a seven-time Mr. Olympia winner, a reign he made possible with popping biceps, a slim waist, and towering height.
In retirement, Schwarzenegger admits his diet has changed drastically. In 2022, he credited an 80% plant-based diet he’s followed for the last five years. ‘The Austrian Oak’ was dealing with cholesterol issues, which eventually led him down this ‘green diet’ path. While he accepts animal-based protein sources have richer amino acid profiles, Schwarzenegger believes the diet he follows has helped improve his life.
Hoping to make fitness more mainstream, Arnold has used his newsletter to inform the masses. To shed more light on diet hacks, the bodybuilding icon went over a healthy checklist he uses to stay fit despite his hectic schedule. Now, he’s back to highlight the differences between eating protein for quality versus quantity.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Weighs Up Protein – Does Quality Matter?
According to the seven-time Mr. Olympia, if you’re eating enough protein, quality isn’t as important.
“The debate about protein superiority usually focuses on the speed of digestion, rate of absorption, amino acid content, or being “clean.” But all of these claims might be a distraction from what really matters.
New research suggests that if you’re eating enough protein, the quality isn’t as important as you’ve been led to believe.
Many people believe that if you want to grow muscle, you need a fast-absorbing protein with high digestibility. But there hasn’t been much research asking a more practical question — if you eat more protein, can you worry less about the quality?
However, he says for those who want to consume less protein, quality options are preferred due to their absorption qualities.
The new study — which reviewed existing protein research — found that the quantity of protein you consume determines the need for quality. In other words, if you want to eat less protein, it’s best to focus on more premium protein. But, if you prefer eating a higher protein diet, then it’s OK if you’re not always consuming the highest absorbing options.
This is because protein consists of amino acids, the building blocks of your cells and muscle. And you need essential amino acids because your body can’t make them. Low-quality proteins have fewer essential amino acids or can be missing some of them completely. And that’s why some proteins really are “better” than others.
Schwarzenegger shared that the body will compensate with amino acid ‘gaps’ if the person eats excessive protein daily, which is good news for bodybuilders, who must consume staggering amounts of protein to maintain their muscle mass.
“But if you eat more protein (a minimum of 1.6g/kg per day of protein, according to the research) — even if it’s not the best option — the quantity compensates for the lower quality, your body fills the amino acid gaps (assuming you’re eating a variety of protein sources), and your body gets what it needs to build muscle, help you recover, and support your overall health
Of course, there are other considerations when choosing protein. Calories still matter, so if selecting a “lower quality” protein source means loading up on unnecessary calories, that could impact your results. But the protein itself — as long as you eat enough — will not hold you back.
If you want some guidelines or count your macros, here’s a simple example to show how it works. Let’s say you’re 175 pounds. If you’re eating only high-quality options (such as whey, beef, egg, soy, or milk — all have high digestibility), you could see results with only 80 grams of protein per day. But, if you eat roughly 175 grams of protein daily, you can eat some lower-quality forms of protein such as peanuts, wheat, or beans.” Arnold Schwarzenegger shared in his newsletter.
Aside from his nutrition, Schwarzenegger continues to dedicate himself to training but he’s also eager to help others discover fitness. In a recent collaboration with fellow FUBAR actors Bert Kreischer and Fortune Feimster, Schwarzenegger turned back the clock pumping iron and offered tips on maximizing contractions during each movement.
RELATED: Arnold Schwarzenegger Unveils His 3-Tier ‘Hierarchy of Muscle Gains’
Schwarzenegger believes adequate protein consumption is critical to a happy, healthy, and fit lifestyle. Regardless of its quality, “it will not hold you back.”
Published: 3 August, 2023 | 5:43 PM EDT
Primobolan
Primobolan for Women – Comprehensive Guide to Primobolan (Methenolone) is an anabolic steroid that is well-tolerated by many women due to its low androgenic properties. It is often considered one of the safer choices for female athletes and bodybuilders. However, like any steroid, it should be used with caution and proper knowledge. This guide will…
How Many Calories To Eat During Intermittent Fasting 16:8?
We cannot pinpoint the beginning of fasting, as it has been a part of several cultures since time immemorial. The last few decades have seen the rise of diets like the Paleo diet, the Mediterranean diet, the South Beach diet, and the Atkins diet, each with its unique practices and guidelines. The current trend is Intermittent Fasting (IF). Before jumping on the IF bandwagon, let us dig deeper into this trend.
What is Intermittent Fasting (IF)?
Intermittent Fasting (IF) involves alternating between periods of fasting and eating. IF entered the mainstream because of the TV documentary Eat Fast, Live Longer (2012) [1]. However, fasting is nothing new and has been a part of various cultural and religious traditions for centuries. [2]
There are various methods for practicing intermittent fasting:
The 5:2 or Fast diet involves five days of eating normally and two days of fasting. The 5:2 diet incorporates a planned intake of around 500-600 calories on fasting days.
Eat Stop Eat diet involves a 24-hour fast once or twice a week.
Time-restricted fasting is the most commonly followed IF approach. There is a broad palette for this type of IF. To get the best results, it is recommended that people fast for more than 13 hours. For example, the Warriors’ diet, or the 20:4 fasting method, involves 20 hours of fasting and four hours of normal eating. Similarly, variations like 12:12, 14:10, 15:9, and 16:8 exist.
16:8 Intermittent Fasting
In 16:8 IF, you chow down on your regular meals in an eight-hour time frame and say ‘Thanks, but no thanks’ the other 16 hours of the day. Piece of cake, right? You will likely skip one meal per day on this diet. You can consume zero-calorie beverages like green tea and water during fasting. Most people follow an 11–7 eating timeframe.
However, you can choose your own routine based on the following factors:
Are you a morning person, or do you need coffee to kickstart your engine?
Are you grumpy when you skip your breakfast?
Do you hit the sack early or stay up till late?
Do you start your day with an intense workout?
People who generally sleep late can start their eight-hour timeframe later. On the other hand, individuals who cannot function without breakfast can skip dinner and have breakfast. Keeping yourself busy can take your mind off food. This can help align your fasting window with your working schedule.
Read more on 16:8 Intermittent Fasting 7-Day Meal Plan
How Do You Fast?
Pick your eight-hour slot. As mentioned earlier, it depends on your lifestyle and preferences. Once you cross this task off your list, you can light the fuse on your new food groove and try to stick to it. If it doesn’t work for you, experiment with different time slots until you find the most sustainable one.
The golden rule is to eat strictly within your chosen eight-hour timeframe. Remember, it does not mean you must eat all three or four meals in the eight-hour window. Skipping a meal that now lies in the eight-hour fasting window can help you enter a calorie deficit.
Whether you do this for a few days or all the days of a week is up to you. That said, this diet is not for children, pregnant women, or people with eating disorders. [3]
How Does Intermittent Fasting Work?
The primary mechanism behind intermittent fasting is ketosis. Our body depends on glucose from food for energy. When we fast, the primary source of energy is systematically depleted. So our body turns to the glycogen stored in our liver and muscles for energy, which also runs out in a few days. At this point, the liver breaks down the fat stored in the body into ketones to use as fuel. [4]
When we fast regularly, our body reduces reliance on glucose for energy, and fat gets burned faster. Ketones enhance satiety and fat metabolism. All of this contributes to better weight loss and health.
How Many Calories Should You Consume?
There are no dietary restrictions on this diet regimen. This diet is not about what you eat; it’s about when you eat. You can continue eating what you usually eat. But since most people start this diet to lose weight or become healthier, it is better to stop eating processed or junk food.
IF is not a dry fast. You must keep yourself hydrated throughout the day. To maintain energy levels, you can have low-calorie beverages like green tea or other herbal teas and unsweetened black coffee.
For Weight Loss
If losing weight is your endgame, it is smart to keep tabs on your calorie intake. To lose weight, you should burn more calories than you consume. That’s a no-brainer, right?
Our bodies carry out vital processes continuously, even when we are asleep. Breathing, heartbeat, muscle relaxation or contraction, nutrient absorption, temperature regulation, hormone regulation, and detoxification are just a few of our body’s activities that require energy. The food we consume is digested, broken down, absorbed, and transported to our thirty-something trillion cells. They are further broken down to generate energy for all the metabolic activities. The excess energy is converted to fat and stored as an energy reserve.
Weight Loss
Fat
Before we talk about calories and metabolism, let’s talk about fat.
Fat has a bad reputation among those trying to lose weight. But here’s the thing, our body needs fat. The fat under our skin insulates our body and prevents heat loss on cold days. Our vital organs have a layer of fat protecting them. Without fat, our bodies cannot absorb fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, E, and K. Every nerve and cell in our body has a fatty layer surrounding them to enable their functionality. However, the fat reserves have to be regularly emptied and refilled. It is when there is no healthy balance between usage, storage, and consumption that problems arise. In short, fat is necessary in healthy amounts. [5]
How Many Calories Does Your Body Need?
Our body needs calories for all the basic metabolic activities mentioned earlier. Everyone needs a minimum amount of calories in their daily diet to keep them alive. This is different for different people. It depends on age, gender, height, weight, sleep patterns, stress, etc.
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the minimum calories your body needs for basic metabolic activities at rest. You can find this out by using an online calculator like this one. Alternatively, you can use the following equations to calculate your TDEE: [6]
Men: (13.397 x weight in kg + 4.799 x height in cm – 5.677 x age in years) + 88.362
Women: (9.247 x weight in kg + 3.098 x height in cm – 4.330 x age in years) + 447.593
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the number of calories your body requires or burns daily based on your activity levels.
Amount of Exercise/Activity
Description
TDEE/Maintenance
Sedentary
Little or no Exercise/desk job
TDEE = 1.2 x BMR
Lightly Active
Light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week
TDEE = 1.375 x BMR
Moderately Active
Moderate Exercise, sports 3-5 days/week
TDEE = 1.55 x BMR
Very Active
Heavy Exercise/sports 6-7 days/week
TDEE = 1.725 x BMR
Extremely Active
Very heavy exercise/physical job/ training twice a day
TDEE = 1.9 x BMR
So if you are a 6-foot-1, 35-year-old male weighing 95 kilograms and living a lightly active lifestyle, then:
Your BMR = (13.397 × 95) + (4.799 × 185.42) – (5.677 × 35) + 88.362 = approximately 2,052 calories.
Your TDEE = 2052 × 1.375 = 2,821.5 calories.
You need approximately 2,821.5 calories to stay in shape. To lose weight, you must enter a calorie deficit.
Related: Should You Exercise While Intermittent Fasting?
How Many Calories Should You Cut?
Try not to consume less than your BMR. Losing around 1-2 pounds (approximately 0.5–1 kg) per week is considered safe and healthy Attempting to lose more can have severe repercussions.
One pound of fat equals 3,500 calories. As a general rule of thumb, shaving off 500 calories from your daily intake can cause a weight loss of 1 pound per week.
What Should You Eat?
More protein and whole grains: More energy is required to digest or metabolize proteins and whole grains. Also, consuming these foods makes you feel full and can curb your hunger.
Less processed food: A small serving (70g) of French fries has over 200 calories and still doesn’t make you feel full, because of which you might end up ordering more food. By the time you are satiated, you’ll have mostly likely overshot your daily calorie intake goal.
More healthy food: Fruits and vegetables are an excellent option. They are nutrient-dense, have low calories, and are very filling.
Combine with other diets: You can practice intermittent fasting with other weight-loss diets like the keto and low-carb diets. Despite their intense calorie restriction, such diets allow you to meet your daily macro and micronutrient intake goals. Losing fat may be good, but vitamin or mineral deficiency can harm your overall health and well-being.
Related: How long does it take to see results from Intermittent Fasting?
Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
Here are the advantages of practicing intermittent fasting:
Easier weight loss: IF might improve your eating habits. You don’t binge-eat before bed or snack when you are bored at any point when you practice IF. Plus, IF can train your body to use its stored fat. You will experience weight loss even if you don’t restrict your calories. [7] [8]
Reduces insulin resistance: Our food is broken down into glucose and absorbed into the bloodstream. Insulin is responsible for glucose absorption by the body’s cells (they need it to generate energy for cell metabolism). When there is Insulin resistance, the cells cannot absorb glucose easily. Because of this, more Insulin has to be produced, and blood sugar levels increase. Studies have shown that IF can reduce insulin resistance and, as a consequence, reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. [9] [10]
Reduces inflammation: A study by the University of Toronto showed that IF reduces oxidative stress. This, in turn, reduced inflammation induced by oxidative stress. Inflammation is responsible for several chronic diseases like asthma and arthritis that can be avoided through IF. [11]
Supports brain function: Healthy food gives you more mental clarity and energy. Some studies suggest that IF promotes the growth of new nerve cells and can help prevent Alzheimer’s. [12]
Detoxification: Even your stomach and intestines need to take a breather. With time-restricted eating, it is easier for the body to remove toxins that are generated due to metabolic activities and other external factors.
Improves heart health: IF reduces bad cholesterol and promotes good cholesterol in your body. This can lower your blood pressure and improve your heart health. Improved blood sugar levels and a healthy body weight reduce heart disease risk. [10]
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there any side effects to Intermittent Fasting?
A sudden change in diet and reduced food intake can cause nasty side effects like hunger, headache, dizziness, irritability, digestion problems, fatigue, and dehydration. Some of these may disappear after you get used to the new diet regimen or make changes to suit your needs. However, extreme and prolonged calorie restriction can cause malnutrition.
Is 16 hours the minimum fasting duration?
Sixteen hours is not mandatory for intermittent fasting. There are other variations to choose from. However, you need to fast for at least 13 hours to squeeze every drop of goodness out of it. Plus, 13 hours doesn’t feel long since you will be sleeping through most of it.
What should I avoid doing while fasting?
You should avoid:
Drastic dietary changes without consulting a dietician or a nutritionist
Overeating to make up for the lost meal
Snacks, sugary drinks, and processed food
Not drinking enough water
Eating heavy dinners
Consuming very-low calories and starving yourself
Hardcore exercise if you are in a calorie deficit
Can I exercise while fasting?
Yes, you can. It accelerates fat metabolism and weight loss. However, it is better to stick to low-intensity workouts to avoid side effects like dizziness, fatigue, and low blood sugar. Stay hydrated and try exercising during the eating window.
How long does intermittent fasting take to work?
This depends on your goal, diet, calorie intake, health, sleep routine, etc. Your body takes a few days or weeks to switch to your fat reserves for energy, so don’t step on your scale right away. Within a month, you will have improved gut health. Most people notice weight loss results after 10 weeks. Longer fasting durations offer better benefits.
Conclusion
The number of calories you need to eat during intermittent fasting depends on several factors, including your current physique, lifestyle, and goals. But remember that a significant calorie deficit will make you lose more muscle mass than fat.
Muscles are essential for movement and metabolism. Decreased muscle strength will reduce metabolism and make losing fat much more challenging.
References
Intermittent fasting: The positive news continues – Harvard Health. (2018, June 29). Harvard Health.
Patterson, R. E., Laughlin, G. A., LaCroix, A. Z., Hartman, S. J., Natarajan, L., Senger, C. M., Martínez, M. E., Villaseñor, A., Sears, D. D., Marinac, C. R., & Gallo, L. C. (2015, August). Intermittent Fasting and Human Metabolic Health. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 115(8), 1203–1212.
Not so fast: Pros and cons of the newest diet trend – Harvard Health. (2017, October 1). Harvard Health.
Wilhelmi de Toledo, F., Grundler, F., Sirtori, C. R., & Ruscica, M. (2020, June 10). Unravelling the health effects of fasting: a long road from obesity treatment to healthy life span increase and improved cognition. Annals of Medicine, 52(5), 147–161.
Calder, P. C. (2015, July 15). Functional Roles of Fatty Acids and Their Effects on Human Health. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, 39(1_suppl), 18S-32S.
Roza, A. M., & Shizgal, H. M. (1984, July). The Harris Benedict equation reevaluated: resting energy requirements and the body cell mass. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 40(1), 168–182.
Klempel, M. C., Kroeger, C. M., Bhutani, S., Trepanowski, J. F., & Varady, K. A. (2012, November 21). Intermittent fasting combined with calorie restriction is effective for weight loss and cardio-protection in obese women. Nutrition Journal, 11(1).
Gabel, K., Hoddy, K. K., Haggerty, N., Song, J., Kroeger, C. M., Trepanowski, J. F., Panda, S., & Varady, K. A. (2018, June 15). Effects of 8-hour time restricted feeding on body weight and metabolic disease risk factors in obese adults: A pilot study. Nutrition and Healthy Aging, 4(4), 345–353.
Sutton, E. F., Beyl, R., Early, K. S., Cefalu, W. T., Ravussin, E., & Peterson, C. M. (2018, June). Early Time-Restricted Feeding Improves Insulin Sensitivity, Blood Pressure, and Oxidative Stress Even without Weight Loss in Men with Prediabetes. Cell Metabolism, 27(6), 1212-1221.e3.
Ahmed, A., Saeed, F., Arshad, M. U., Afzaal, M., Imran, A., Ali, S. W., Niaz, B., Ahmad, A., & Imran, M. (2018, January 1). Impact of intermittent fasting on human health: an extended review of metabolic cascades. International Journal of Food Properties, 21(1), 2700–2713.
Mandal, S., Simmons, N., Awan, S., Chamari, K., & Ahmed, I. (2022, January). Intermittent fasting: eating by the clock for health and exercise performance. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 8(1), e001206.
Gudden, J., Arias Vasquez, A., & Bloemendaal, M. (2021, September 10). The Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Brain and Cognitive Function. Nutrients, 13(9), 3166.
What is the Best Intermittent Fasting Window to Lose Belly Fat
Belly fat can be stubborn and annoying. Despite a balanced diet and exercise program, losing it may take a long time. Intermittent fasting is a viable weight loss method adopted by thousands of people worldwide.
One of the unique features of intermittent fasting (IF) is its flexibility. It allows individuals to choose eating and fasting periods suited to their lifestyles. Hence, you may have heard of people on a 16:8 or 24-hour IF protocol.
In IF, the fasting window requires abstaining from calories. Moreover, the eating period doesn’t prescribe any dietary restrictions. However, adopting a balanced IF diet for the eating window can help you achieve your weight loss goals faster.
There are several IF patterns to choose from. Each pattern offers a different fasting and eating window. The 16/8 has become a pretty popular IF method. While IF has several health benefits, they vary for each protocol. [1]
I have you covered if you are scouting for information on the most effective IF window to lose belly fat. But before that, let’s learn a little about belly fat.
What is Belly Fat, and Why is it Harmful?
Belly fat can hamper your physical fitness and aesthetics. Fat accumulating around your belly is known as visceral fat and can be very harmful. This kind of fat typically accumulates within the abdominal cavity and pushes the stomach out due to the space it takes around the stomach and intestines.
Several factors, including an unhealthy or sedentary lifestyle, poor eating habits, metabolic complications, or other underlying diseases, can cause fat accumulation. [2]
These fat deposits around your belly can lead to other health issues, such as obesity, if not checked at the right time. Hence, finding safe ways to prevent an increase in your waistline is essential.
Start by determining your body mass index (BMI). Your BMI can is a quick way to check if you have a healthy weight.
How Intermittent Fasting Can Help Lose Abdominal Fat
In a fasting window, you must avoid consuming calories. Depriving your body of calories for a certain period can benefit your metabolism.
Studies reveal that abdominal obesity can be caused by poor metabolism. IF can help improve your metabolic rate. While IF, you will restrict your eating window, which can help lower insulin levels. A slow metabolism can make you feel starved, making your weight loss efforts all the more challenging. [3][4]
How can lowered insulin levels impact your belly fat? Well, insulin is one of the principal drivers of fat storage. When you eat constantly throughout the day, your insulin levels spike. With increased insulin levels in your blood, your cells begin resisting insulin, and as a result, the body is pressured to make more of it. Hence, decreasing the insulin levels the body produces can lower insulin resistance.
When you don’t eat for a certain period, such as in an IF fasting window, you allow your body to rest and the insulin levels to drop significantly. While this can work wonders for fat burning, it can also lower the risk of developing certain health conditions such as diabetes. [5]
How to Find the Best-Suited IF Window for Losing Belly Fat
If you are an intermittent fasting beginner and unsure about which IF routine will work the best for you, you must begin by choosing a protocol that fits your lifestyle. Remember, no fasting or dieting plan can give overnight results; introducing a sustainable IF fasting pattern and maintaining consistency can fetch the best results. This may require dedicated practice and patience.
There is no harm in experimenting with different fasting windows. You can alter the eating and fasting window depending on what accelerates your abdominal fat loss. If you started with shorter fasting windows, you can try increasing it by an hour or two to see if there’s any difference. Be consistent with your IF regimen if you want to see visible changes. Hence, select a fasting pattern that fits your lifestyle.
Here are the IF methods you can pick from for losing belly fat:
16:8 Intermittent Fasting
The 16:8 method involves 16 hours of fasting and an eight-hour feeding window. You can choose the eating and fasting durations you think are the easiest to maintain. For instance, if you finish your dinner by 7 pm, you could continue fasting until 11 am the next day. So, you can consume meals between 11 am and 7 pm.
Drink plenty of water during the fasting phase, as it can help combat dehydration and keep you feeling full. Although some people consume unsweetened black tea and coffee during the fasting window, it could cause dehydration.
5:2 Intermittent Fasting
5:2 fasting method involves eating a normal diet five days a week while limiting your calorie intake to 500-600 calories for any two non-consecutive days.
24-Hour Fast (Eat-Stop-Eat)
If you can go without food for 24 hours twice a week, the Eat-Stop-Eat IF method is for you. In this fasting pattern, if you eat on a Monday, say at 8 pm, you can only resume eating again on Tuesday, 8 pm. This 24-hour fast should be done twice a week for the best results. You can drink calorie-free beverages during the fasting windows and eat normally on non-fasting days.
Although considered effective, not everyone can easily adopt such prolonged fasting diets. It is best to consult your dietician or health professional before undertaking prolonged fasts.
Warrior Diet
The Warrior Diet involves 20 hours of fasting and a four-hour eating window. This form of eating and fasting is inspired by the eating habits of ancient warriors who fasted through the day and feasted at night. While the Warrior Diet may not be easy for many, some swear by its efficacy and benefits.
Regardless of your IF plan, you must track the food and beverages you consume during the eating window. Eating the wrong foods during the feeding window can make getting rid of stubborn fat all the more difficult.
Now, did you know that aside from metabolism, inflammation, and bloating may have a role to play in your belly fat?
Getting rid of your belly fat may take a while, but you can at least control inflammation by consuming the right foods. Sometimes, chronic diseases can elevate stress hormone levels in the body, causing inflammation. Cortisol is often associated with belly fat. Moreover, deficiencies in certain vitamins are also linked to weight gain and inflammation.
Several studies reveal inflammation is directly associated with abdominal fat, especially in diabetic people. Your dietary choices can help manage symptoms of inflammation to a large extent. Hence, a nutritious and balanced meal can help regulate inflammation and manage your weight. [6]
Research findings suggest that most of the body weight lost through intermittent fasting primarily comes from fat loss. As a result, IF can be effective in belly fat reduction as well. Intermittent fasting has benefitted people with obesity. Abdominal fat indicates obesity and higher BMI and needs to be managed for weight loss. [7][8]
Role of Hormones in Belly Fat and How IF Can Help Get Rid of Belly Fat
Intermittent fasting can lead to eating nutrient-dense calories and stabilizing your hormones. In the process, it can help maintain muscle mass. Your body stores energy in the form of fat. When you fast for a certain period, your body sends norepinephrine to the fat cells, catalyzing the fat to break it into fatty acids that are then burnt for energy. IF can fasten this fat-burning process and prevent high insulin levels. As these levels naturally drop and enable fat burning, it can help eliminate belly fat faster.
It is essential not to break your fast with a meal that can trigger an insulin spike, as it can rob you of your progress. Combining a healthy diet with IF and eliminating sugary beverages, starch-rich foods can work in your favor. Try including more protein, good fats, and fiber in your eating window for better results.
Things to Consider for Optimizing IF for Belly Fat
After selecting the preferred fasting window, adopt the following tips while practicing IF:
Avoid overeating during your eating window. Reduce the intake of sugary items that can cause insulin level spikes. Avoid foods with trans fat and cut down on refined carbs. [9]
Pay attention to sleep quality, as poor sleep can increase insulin resistance, cortisol, and weight gain around the belly. [10]
Make light exercise such as walking or yoga a part of your lifestyle. As stress can trigger cortisol levels, it can also lead to hunger pangs and enhance belly fat storage. A low-intensity workout like walking can reduce stress hormones and boost fat burning.
Lower your alcohol consumption, as it has been linked to a risk of developing excess fat around the waistline. [11]
FAQs
Do I need to worry about losing muscle with intermittent fasting?
During fasting, your body burns fat for energy. Eating a high-protein diet will ensure you don’t lose muscle mass while intermittent fasting.
How long will it take to see a reduction in my belly fat with intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting duration needed for a noticeable reduction in belly fat may vary from person to person. You must stay consistent and patient, allowing your body time to adapt to the new IF regimen.
Is intermittent fasting only effective for belly fat, or can it reduce overall body fat?
Intermittent fasting can be effective in reducing overall body fat. IF can restrict your overall calorie intake and put you in a calorie deficit, where your body burns more fat than it consumes. This is one of the most effective ways to lose body fat.
More on Fasting and Fat Burning:
Concluding Thoughts
Intermittent fasting has holistic health benefits and can be a powerful tool for reducing unwanted belly fat.
You must select an intermittent fasting pattern that fits your lifestyle. However, pay attention to a few things when fasting for belly fat loss, including what you eat during your eating window. You can start with the 16:8 method, as it is relatively easier to manage.
You must not undermine the importance of incorporating plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and other essential nutrients in your eating window. Also, maintain a calorie deficit and avoid unhealthy fats in your eating window. Whether your fitness goal involves weight management or targeted belly fat loss, the results hinge on consistency and patience.
Reference
Research on intermittent fasting shows health benefits. (2020, February 27). National Institute on Aging.
Jensen, M. D. (n.d.). Role of Body Fat Distribution and the Metabolic Complications of Obesity. PubMed Central (PMC).
Metabolic Syndrome | MedlinePlus. (2020, January 17). Metabolic Syndrome | MedlinePlus.
Vasim, I., Majeed, C. N., & DeBoer, M. D. (2022, January 31). Intermittent Fasting and Metabolic Health. PubMed Central (PMC).
Albosta, M., & Bakke, J. (2021, February 3). Intermittent fasting: is there a role in the treatment of diabetes? A review of the literature and guide for primary care physicians. PubMed Central (PMC).
Bawadi, H., Katkhouda, R., Tayyem, R., Kerkadi, A., Raad, S. B., & Subih, H. (2019, November 22). Abdominal Fat Is Directly Associated With Inflammation In Persons With Type-2 Diabetes Regardless Of Glycemic Control – A Jordanian Study. PubMed Central (PMC).
Welton, S., Minty, R., O’Driscoll, T., Willms, H., Poirier, D., Madden, S., & Kelly, L. (n.d.). Intermittent fasting and weight loss: Systematic review. PubMed Central (PMC).
Kim, J. Y. (2020, October 27). Optimal Diet Strategies for Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance. PubMed Central (PMC)
Comparison with ancestral diets suggests dense acellular carbohydrates promote an inflammatory microbiota and may be the primary dietary cause of leptin resistance and obesity – PubMed. (2012, January 1). PubMed.
Mesarwi, O., Polak, J., Jun, J., & Polotsky, V. Y. (n.d.). Sleep disorders and the development of insulin resistance and obesity. PubMed Central (PMC).
Relationship of abdominal obesity with alcohol consumption at population scale – PubMed. (2007, October 1). PubMed.
Is the Hard Boiled Egg Diet the Weight Loss Breakthrough You’ve Been Looking For?
With the advent of social media, fad diets have taken on a life of their own, having the ability to go viral almost overnight. So, it’s no surprise that we’re seeing more and more fad diets gaining traction. Amongst the recent crop of diets, the hard-boiled egg diet has been heavily promoted as a way to lose weight fast.
Eggs are one of the most healthy foods. As a result, a diet built around the humble egg may sound like a good idea. Its advocates claim you can lose up to 20 pounds on the egg diet in two weeks. So, does it really work?
Read on for the most complete analysis of the hard-boiled egg diet you will ever need.
What is the Hard Boiled Egg Diet?
Hard Boiled Egg
The hard boiled egg diet is a short-term diet centered around consuming hard-boiled eggs. The diet has several variations:
Traditional:
The boiled egg diet’s traditional version is a variation of the Atkins diet. You do not have to limit yourself to eggs on this version, but most of your protein will come from this source. Carbohydrate intake is restricted. This version requires two or more eggs, a low-carb veggie, and fruit for breakfast. You may also consume lean protein in place of a low-carb veggie. Lunch might consist of a lean protein source or another serving of eggs.
Typically, chicken or fish are included. More eggs or lean proteins like fish or chicken will be served for dinner. You can have as many low-carb veggies and salads as you like on this diet. One or two portions of fruit are allowed daily, and carbohydrate intake is closely regulated, so you’ll eliminate foods like bread, pasta, and potatoes.
Read also: 14-Day Boiled Egg Diet: Should You Try It?
Egg and Grapefruit Diet:
The egg and grapefruit diet involves consuming half a grapefruit per meal. Apart from that, it is similar to the traditional boiled egg diet. Grapefruit is believed to accelerate weight loss. It is an extremely nutrient-dense fruit that is especially high in vitamins A and C, potassium, and folate. It is also very high in fiber and low in calories. Adding grapefruit will compensate for the low fiber content of the other versions of the boiled egg diet.
Egg Only Diet:
This is the most extreme version of the diet, requiring you to eat nothing but eggs and water (which may be infused with electrolytes). In this diet version, eggs may be boiled, scrambled, or poached. This diet does not represent a balanced form of eating, as it is very low in fiber. It is a very restrictive diet that can be maintained for a short period. Most people usually follow this diet for a week.
Egg Diet Pros
Here are the benefits of the egg diet:
Reduced Hunger: A high-protein, low-carb diet can suppress hunger, making you feel fuller even when dieting.
Faster Calorie Burn: You’ll burn calories more quickly due to the greater protein content.
Vitamins: Eggs are a rich source of vitamins in addition to being a wonderful source of protein.
Weight Loss: Eggs, particularly during breakfast, are proven to accelerate weight loss.
Egg Diet Cons
These are the disadvantages of adopting the egg diet:
Not a Balanced Diet: This is not a balanced way of eating because it cuts out whole food groups, including many vegetables.
Low Carbohydrate Intake: Lack of carbohydrates might make engaging in any intense activity challenging, especially at the beginning.
Nausea: Many dieters experience nausea and exhaustion for the first few days. This is because the body must adjust to reduced carbohydrate consumption.
Boring: Since you consume the same foods daily, you can easily become bored while on the diet, making it difficult to maintain.
Benefits of Eating Eggs
There are many health-related benefits of eating more eggs. Here are seven reasons to up your egg intake:
Eggs are Nutrient Rich
Vitamins A, D, B-6, and B-12 are some of the essential vitamins and minerals found in eggs. Iron, calcium, and magnesium are also present. 10% of the recommended daily intake of vitamins B-12, A, B-6, B-3, and D can be found in one boiled egg. It also has 2% of your daily iron and calcium requirements.
Eggs are a Superior Form of Protein
Chicken eggs contain more than six grams of protein per egg. The protein content of one egg is equal to around thirty grams of meat, making it a higher-quality protein option. Additionally, the protein content of eggs is considered greater than that of chicken or beef, and they are also considerably more affordable than those foods.
Eggs have one of the highest biological values of any protein source. That means they contain all the essential amino acids in the right proportions. This makes them more readily available for protein synthesis, leading to greater muscle gains and post-workout tissue repair.
The protein in eggs is easily digestible, so it can be quickly broken down and absorbed into the body. The body can use the amino acids more effectively thanks to this digestibility.
Improved Eyesight
Your eyesight will deteriorate with time, a condition known as macular degeneration. Lutein and zeaxanthin, two essential nutrients abundant in eggs, are present in the eyes and help protect them. If you’re concerned about your eyesight, eggs are a terrific addition to your diet as they can help to shield them from harmful light wavelengths.
Balanced Blood Sugar
Eggs’ combination of protein and fat will help maintain stable blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, this may help avoid problems because such issues raise blood sugar levels. Remember that eggs won’t boost your cholesterol if you’re following a low-carb diet. Eggs can help gradually lower your total cholesterol when you follow a low-carb diet. As a result, especially when considering the advantages of weight loss, this can aid in lowering the risk of heart disease.
Brain Health
A nutrient called choline, abundant in eggs, is crucial for your mental well-being. It promotes brain development as well as memory activation. It’s also vital for pregnant women because a growing child will cause a mother’s choline levels to drop dangerously low. According to estimates, as many as 90% of people have low choline levels. Therefore, you are doing your brain a huge favor by giving it a nutrient it sorely needs by eating eggs.
Promotes a Feeling of Fullness
Eggs do a great job of filling you up, helping control your caloric intake. As we’ve already discovered, eggs are a fantastic source of high-quality protein. Protein can aid in lowering appetite and boosting feelings of fullness because it is more satiating than carbohydrates or lipids. The amino acids in eggs promote the release of hormones that signal to the brain that you are full.
The essential amino acids in eggs promote a feeling of fullness. The rich supply of nutrients in eggs also helps control appetite and advance general health. Eggs take longer to digest since they include more protein and fat. This gradual digestive process enables you to feel satisfied for extended periods and can minimize blood sugar spikes, which can cause cravings and increased hunger.
Hair, Nail, and Bone Health
Eggs are great for the health of your hair, bones, and nails, especially if you cannot consume dairy products. That’s because eggs will boost your calcium and vitamin D levels. Eggs are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which also support your hair, nail, and bone health.
Is It Best To Eat Scrambled Eggs or Hard Boiled?
The name of this diet is the hard-boiled egg diet, which leads to the question, ‘Why hard-boiled?’ After all, one of the benefits of eggs is that there are so many ways to cook them, helping to prevent eating monotony. So, is there a reason why you should stick to hard-boiling your eggs on this diet?
To answer that question, let’s consider the best way to cook an egg to preserve its nutritional goodness. We first need to appreciate that fats oxidize when heat is applied. This can potentially turn good fats into bad fats. Eggs contain a lot of good fats, so we don’t want to do anything that will take away from that goodness. Excessive heat can also damage the micronutrients contained in the egg.
So, with these points in mind, let’s look at the various way you can cook eggs:
Hard-Boiled
Hard-boiled eggs are the winner in terms of convenience. They require minimal work to cook and provide a convenient snack you can take with you when you’re away from home. Hard boiling also lets you leave the shell and the protective membrane on as you cook the egg. This will help to protect the nutrients and the fats from the heat that is applied.
Soft-Boiled
The difference between a soft-boiled and a hard-boiled egg comes down to timing. With a soft-boiled egg, you reduce the time under heat, so the yolk remains runny. As a result, you are applying less heat, which further protects the fats and micronutrients from damage. In fact, because you are not really cooking the yolk, its contents will not have a detrimental effect.
Poached
Poaching eggs well is a skill that takes time to acquire. It involves filling a saucepan with 2-3 inches of water and heating it to a gentle simmer. You then crack the egg into a small bowl and slide it into the simmering water. Cook the egg for 4-6 minutes for a soft yolk and 7-8 minutes for a hard yolk.
Poaching is an excellent way to cook your eggs, as it reduces the heat applied to the yolk.
Scrambled
Scrambling is probably the most popular way to eat eggs. However, from a nutrient point of view, it’s also the worst way. That’s because you are applying a lot of heat to the mixed-up egg from every angle. This can potentially destroy some micronutrients and convert good fats into bad.
Over Easy
Over-easy cooking involves putting the egg in a frying pan and cooking it on both sides. This method also applies a lot of heat to the egg, providing a greater chance of damaging the micronutrients within the yolk.
Sunny Side Up
Sunny side up involves only cooking the egg on one side. This is a healthier way to cook the egg as it means leaving the yolk in a close to raw state. Because you’re not applying a lot of heat to the yolk, you won’t destroy its micronutrients and fats.
Raw
Eating raw eggs ensures you’re not destroying any of the micronutrients or fats. However, you are missing out on the advantage of heat, which effectively eliminates bacteria such as salmonella. This risk, though, is minimal, especially if you store your eggs properly.
To summarize, we can list different ways of cooking eggs based on their nutritional value, ranking them from the most beneficial to the least.
Soft-boiled
Hard-boiled
Raw
Sunny side up
Over easy
Poached
Scrambled
When it comes to the hard-boiled egg diet, there is no particular benefit to hard boiling rather than soft boiling, apart from the convenience factor (it’s easier to eat a hard-boiled egg on the run than a soft-boiled one). Feel free to use either method to prepare your eggs.
Here’s how to boil an egg to ensure you end up with your preferred level of hardness:
Add enough water to a pot to cover an egg by about an inch
Place the egg in the pot and bring it to a boil
Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer
Cook for:
Four minutes if you want a runny yolk
Five minutes for a slightly firmer yolk
Six minutes for a yolk that is almost set
Transfer the eggs to a bowl of cold water until it is cool enough to handle
Why You Lose Weight on the Hard-Boiled Egg Diet
Proponents of the boiled egg diet do not claim that eggs have any magical weight loss properties. Still, many cases of extreme fat loss are reported online from following this diet. By extreme, I mean up to 20 pounds in two weeks.
Not all that weight loss, however, will be fat loss. Our bodies can store fats and carbohydrates. When we store carbohydrates, we also hold water. Those carbohydrates are used to fuel exercise and other daily activities. We can lose weight quickly when we cut back our carbohydrate intake. Much of that weight loss, though, will be water.
Here’s what a typical day of following the hard-boiled egg and diet might look like:
Meal One: Two hard-boiled eggs and a piece of fruit
Meal Two: Green vegetables and chicken salad
Meal Three: Chicken and salad
The first thing you’ll notice here is that this is not a lot of food. In fact, if you were to calculate the calorie content of the above three meals, it would come out at less than 1,000 calories for the entire day. That is an extremely low total, especially for active people.
The daily carbohydrate content is also extremely low on this diet. As a result, you will see quite a dramatic reduction in the amount of fluids held in your body if you follow this eating plan.
Most people following a weight loss diet will increase their activity levels. They may begin a workout program at the gym or simply start using the stairs rather than the elevator at work or parking their car a couple of blocks away from their work location. This will help with the calorie burn that ensures that they maintain a daily caloric deficit, which is the key to weight loss.
The hard-boiled egg diet’s effectiveness in quick weight loss is undeniable. However, the main reason for the weight loss is not that you’re eating eggs, even though they are extremely healthy, but that you are dramatically cutting back on your calorie intake. Most people require 2,000 or more calories daily to maintain functionality. The hard-boiled egg diet cuts that number in half. This creates a daily caloric deficit of over 1,000 calories, forcing your body to turn to stored body fat reserves to make up the energy difference.
The hard-boiled egg diet is meant to be a short-term intervention, with most people only sticking with it for a couple of weeks. And that is its biggest problem. It is not a sustainable diet because it involves such a dramatic calorie reduction. Most people will regain the lost weight, and then some, after going off the diet.
When you take in fewer calories and, at the same time, increase your energy levels, your metabolism adjusts so that it becomes more efficient at not burning calories. This is part of the body’s built-in survival mechanism. So, when you go on an ultra-low calorie diet, such as the hard-boiled egg diet, your metabolic rate will adapt, so you burn calories slower.
What do you think will happen when you go off the diet?
When you return to your pre-diet caloric intake, you will see rapid weight regain. Your slowed-down metabolism will not be able to cope with the high caloric intake that it is now experiencing. As a result, more and more calories will be stored as body fat, and you will end up heavier than when you began the diet.
Hard-Boiled Egg Diet vs. 36 Eggs a Day Diet
While the hard-boiled egg diet has gained traction over the past few years, another egg-based diet has been popular, especially among bodybuilders, for decades — the 36 eggs-a-day diet.
When I first heard of the hard-boiled egg diet, I thought it was a version of the 36 eggs-a-day diet. You may have thought the same thing. So, to avoid confusion, let’s see how the 36-eggs-a-day diet differs from the hard-boiled egg diet.
The 36 eggs-a-day diet was promoted in the 1970s by legendary bodybuilding trainer Vince Gironda. Known for his unconventional training methods (he banned squats from his gym) and nutrition advice, Vince reportedly said that eating 36 eggs daily was as beneficial in building muscle as going on a Dianabol cycle.
Vince referred to his diet as the hormone precursor diet. It was designed to do the following:
Get you in a state of positive nitrogen balance
Put 30-50 grams of protein into your body every three hours
Release the precursor hormones to put you in an anabolic state
Vince was aware that cholesterol, which eggs contain a lot of, is a precursor that is a building block for growth hormone and testosterone. The high-quality protein in eggs also helps put you in a positive nitrogen balance.
Vince believed that the best way to consume eggs was raw. So, rather than eating the eggs, he had his athletes drink them as a special shake. The shake contained 12 raw eggs and was consumed three times per day.
Here’s the full contents of the raw egg shake:
12 oz (360 ml) half-and-half milk
12 raw eggs
⅓ cup of milk and egg protein powder
1 banana
This shake is to be consumed for breakfast and then between your lunch and dinner meals. Lunch and dinner would consist of a palm-sized serving of meat and a salad.
Vince also advocated the use of the following supplements on this diet:
Zinc
Multivitamins
Kelp
HCL
Digestive enzymes
Liver tablets
Apart from the small amount in the banana and your lunch and dinner salads, this diet has no carbs.
There is some scientific backing for this diet. In a 1975 study, doctors put severe burn patients on a diet consisting of 35 eggs per day. None of the patients suffered negative side effects. They all experienced normal serum protein levels more quickly than patients in the control group. The researchers concluded that a high-protein diet is safe for treating severe burns. [1]
The 36-eggs-a-day diet should be followed for six to eight weeks. You then switch to a vegetarian detox diet for a week before resuming your normal eating pattern. While Vince advocated the diet for hard gainers, he also promoted it as a way for advanced bodybuilders to break out of a muscle plateau.
Key Differences Between the 36-eggs-a-day and Hard-Boiled Egg Diets
Here are the differences between the two egg diets:
36 eggs a day is primarily for muscle gain
The hard-boiled egg diet is mainly for weight loss
36 eggs a day diet has you drink raw eggs
The hard-boiled egg diet has you cook the eggs
The hard-boiled egg diet is shorter, usually lasting no longer than two weeks, compared with six to eights weeks on the 36 eggs-a-day diet
How to Succeed on the Hard-Boiled Egg Diet
As we’ve seen, the major problem with the hard-boiled egg diet is not the fact that you’re eating eggs but that your total daily caloric intake is simply too low. But it doesn’t have to be that way. By increasing your daily food intake, while still focusing on eggs, citrus fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins, you will be able to find success on this diet. While your weight loss will not be as dramatic as it would be if you were eating less than 1,000 calories a day, your weight loss will be far healthier and more sustainable.
You need to make the following two key adjustments for the hard-boiled diet to be successful:
Track your Calories
Your first step in planning a healthy hard-boiled egg diet should be calculating your current caloric maintenance level. This figure, also known as your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), tells you how many calories you must consume daily to meet your energy needs. There are several formulae that you can use to work this out. However, the easiest way is to use an online calculator such as this one.
Once you know your total daily energy expenditure, you should reduce that figure by 500 calories. This will ensure that you end each day with a caloric deficit. To meet your daily energy demands, your body will have to call on its stored fat energy reserves. Reducing your daily food intake by 500 calories is safe and sustainable.
Now that you know how many calories you need to consume each day, it is up to you to track those calories. Don’t just leave it to chance. You can use online food tracking apps like MyFitnessPal to track your calories and protein, carbohydrate, and fat intake.
Rebuild Your Caloric Intake
By reducing your daily caloric intake less dramatically, you can sustain the hard-boiled diet for longer. While most people only stay on this diet for 14 days, you should be able to do so for at least six to eight weeks when you reduce your intake by 500 calories per day.
Even though you are only reducing your daily caloric intake by 500 calories, your metabolism will still slow down. If you suddenly return to your maintenance calorie level when you finish the diet, you risk unwanted weight gain. That is why you should slowly return to your pre-diet calorie intake.
For example, if your daily maintenance caloric intake is 2,500, you should consume 2,000 calories daily on the hard-boiled egg diet. Rather than going straight back up to 2,500 calories, you should increase by 50-100 calories per day for the first week. Then, continue adding another 50 calories daily for each passing week. By doing this, after 10 weeks, you will have returned to your maintenance level. Slowly transitioning back up in this manner will give your body the time needed to readjust your metabolism. This strategy will help you avoid the rebound weight gain that plagues so many dieters.
What Type of Egg To Use on a Hard-Boiled Egg Diet
While most people use chicken eggs for the hard-boiled egg diet, other options exist. Here’s an overview of the various types of eggs available and their benefits:
Brown Chicken Eggs
You’ve probably seen brown eggs on the supermarket shelf. You may have also noticed that brown eggs are considerably more expensive than white ones. The difference between the two comes down to the breed of chicken producing the egg.
Brown eggs as produced by the Marans, Reds, Sussex, and Plymouth Rock breeds. All of these breeds have brown feathers and produce eggs with brown shells. White eggs are laid by chickens with white feathers, such as White Rocks and Leghorns.
Despite the price difference, Brown and white chicken eggs have no major nutrition differences. The macro and micro nutrient content does not change depending on the color of the eggshell.
Omega-3 Enriched Chicken Eggs
Eggs promoted as omega-3 enhanced have been laid by chickens fed a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are a type of polyunsaturated fatty acids that provide a wide range of health benefits, including controlling inflammation, improving brain power, and enhancing heart health.
Omega-3-enriched chickens are fed with foods like flaxseed, algae, and fish oil. This increases the omega-3 content of the eggs they lay. The eggs will be especially high in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
The amount of omega-3 fatty acids in these eggs can change according to how the chickens are fed. Check the nutritional label to identify the exact omega-3 content.
Vegetarian Chicken Eggs
If you notice the vegetarian label on an egg carton, it signifies that no animal protein was given to the hens who laid the eggs. This may sound good for you, but it’s not. A hen is naturally not vegetarian because its diet typically includes insects and worms.
Duck Eggs
Duck eggs tend to be bigger than chicken eggs in size. Compared to chicken eggs, their shells are a bit thicker and harder, which might make them stronger but harder to shatter.
Here is a comparison of the nutritional content of chicken and duck eggs:
Chicken Egg:
Calories: 71
Total Fat: 5 Grams
Cholesterol: 211 mg
Carbs: 0 Grams
Sodium: 70 mg
Protein: 6 Grams
Duck Eggs:
Calories: 130
Fat: 10 Grams
Cholesterol: 619 Grams
Carbs: 1 Gram
Sodium: 102 mg
Protein: 9 grams
Duck eggs typically have larger yolks than chicken eggs. They also have around double the fat content and a third more protein. In addition, their levels of micronutrients like selenium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12 are higher. The cholesterol level in duck eggs is often higher than that of chicken eggs.
Although there are notable differences between chicken and duck eggs, they have comparable nutritional profiles.
Duck eggs have a distinctive flavor that is richer and creamier than chicken eggs. Duck eggs’ yolks have a deeper flavor and a slightly different texture since they are bigger and contain more fat. While some people prefer the taste of duck eggs, it may be too strong for others.
Duck and chicken eggs can be substituted in many dishes, but there are several key distinctions to remember. Duck eggs are frequently preferred in baking and pastry preparation because of their bigger size and higher fat content. Some baked foods can contribute to a richer texture and help produce a higher rise. Custards, puddings, and other desserts frequently use duck eggs as an ingredient. However, the availability and adaptability of chicken eggs make them more popular in regular cooking.
Some people may find that duck eggs are more tolerable for them than chicken eggs. Duck eggs can trigger allergies in some people, so those with egg allergies should proceed cautiously. Duck eggs are more expensive than chicken eggs because of limited supply and greater production costs.
You should give duck eggs another one to two minutes in hot water when boiling because they naturally have a thicker shell and are larger.
Organic Eggs
Organic eggs are promoted as being healthier than standard eggs. As a result, they command a significantly higher price. However, there are variations among organic labeling. You can’t just assume that since something is labeled organic, it is healthy. A few labels the USDA allows to describe an organic product are ‘one hundred percent organic,’ ‘ninety-five percent organic,’ and ‘created with organic ingredients.’
If a carton of eggs is marked organic, you know it was produced in an environment free of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers. However, “organic” won’t tell you anything about your hen’s living conditions or nutritional worth. In other words, just because you buy organic eggs doesn’t guarantee they are more nutrient-dense. All you can be sure of is that they won’t have any pesticide traces.
What is the Grade of an Egg?
Grading systems, which may differ between countries, are used to rate the appearance and quality of eggs. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) established the USA’s grading system. It is based on the following grades:
Grade AA:
Grade AA eggs are the best in terms of look and quality. The shell must be unscratched, intact, and without leaks or cracks. The air cell, or pocket of air, should be small and not deeper than 1/8 inch at the wide end of the egg. The egg white has to be crystal clear, solid, and barely spread. The yolk should be solid, spherical, and either slightly off-center. The egg should be neat and appealing in terms of aesthetics overall.
Grade A:
While Grade A eggs are still of great quality, they might not seem quite as flawless as Grade AA eggs. The shell must be undamaged and clean. Small imperfections or stains are acceptable but should be kept to a minimum. The air cell may be slightly bigger than in Grade AA eggs, but it shouldn’t be deeper than 3/16 inches. The egg white should be moderately distributed, transparent, and firm. The yolk should be solid and spherical, but it can be slightly off-center or flattened. The egg should have a respectably tidy and decent appearance overall.
Grade B:
Grade B eggs are generally not offered as table eggs in stores because of their poor quality. They are frequently employed in processed egg goods or industrial settings. The shell may be rough, have little fissures, or both. The air cell may be larger than Grade AA or Grade A eggs. The egg white may be more evenly distributed and thinner, and the yolk may be more delicate and flatter. Compared to Grade AA or Grade A eggs, Grade B eggs are less aesthetically pleasing.
It’s important to remember that the grading standards primarily evaluate the outside quality and do not point out variations in nutritional value or flavor. Eggs of all grades can be equally nutrient-dense and safe for ingestion. Check the carton when buying eggs for the grade, usually marked on the box. Before choosing, look for any indications of damage or abnormalities in each egg.
Freshness is another important factor to consider when buying eggs. Check the carton for the Julian date, which is the date the eggs were packed. The closer it is to that date, the fresher the eggs.
Where to Store Eggs
Should eggs be kept on the kitchen counter or in the refrigerator? While most individuals worldwide keep their eggs in their pantry or on the counter, most Americans keep them in the refrigerator. The main distinction is that Americans often wash their eggs and store them in refrigerators to prevent salmonella.
Salmonella can be transferred to eggs in one of two ways:
From a contaminated hen
From poop
To ensure there are no feces on their eggs, Americans have a habit of washing them after returning from the shop. By doing so, however, they unintentionally reduce the egg’s safety. The cuticle is a coating of proteins and other substances that protects eggs. Salmonella cannot enter the egg through the permeable shell because of this built-in defense mechanism. This barrier is removed by washing the egg.
In Europe, egg washing is avoided to prevent cuticle loss. In contrast to the USA, many European nations also immunize their hens against salmonella. Salmonella contamination in American eggs is, therefore, more likely.
Bacterial growth is slowed by refrigerating the eggs. According to research, eggs with salmonella contamination, whether on the outside or inside, will become dangerously contaminated after three weeks of storage at room temperature. However, even after six weeks of storage in the fridge, there won’t be much bacterial development. [2]
So, let’s return to our original query — should eggs be refrigerated?
Store eggs at room temperature if they have not been washed and have received a salmonella vaccination. Condensation may accumulate on the shell of an egg when you retrieve it from the refrigerator. The resulting wetness promotes the growth of bacteria, which may penetrate the porous shell.
You should keep your eggs in the refrigerator if you live in the United States or another country where you buy them from the grocery store’s refrigerated section.
Hard-Boiled Egg Diet Tips
I have personally tried the hard-boiled egg diet, both in its strictest form and in the more traditional version. This has given me insight into the practicalities of the diet and how it can be modified to make it more user-friendly. Here are half a dozen tips that I’ve come up with:
Don’t limit yourself to hard-boiled eggs. Include soft-boiled, poached, and raw eggs if you can handle them.
Only reduce your calories by 500 calories below your maintenance level.
Add vegetables to the diet, including cucumbers, tomatoes, and leafy greens. This will ensure that you’re getting a sufficient amount of fiber.
Count your calories with the help of an app like MyFitnessPal; don’t leave it to guesswork.
Use hard-boiled eggs as a snack when you are away from home.
Add chopped-up hard-boiled eggs to your salads
FAQs
Is the hard-boiled egg diet expensive?
No, the hard-boiled egg diet is not considered an expensive diet compared to other diet options. The bulk of your protein will come from eggs, which are relatively inexpensive. If you follow the eggs-only diet version, you will probably find that your shopping bill will be dramatically reduced. Yet, even the traditional version will reduce your food bill as the other foods you eat are relatively inexpensive (such as fruits and vegetables).
Should you eat fats on the boiled egg diet?
Yes, you should consume fats on the hard-boiled egg diet. Fortunately, eggs themselves are a healthy source of fat, especially omega-3 fatty acids. This source of fatty acids has been shown to positively impact heart health, reduce triglyceride levels, and lower blood pressure. They also have cognitive benefits. A type of omega-3 fatty acid called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a component of brain tissue and is vital for brain function and memory.
You can buy eggs that are omega-3 enriched. These are more expensive than standard eggs but will provide a higher amount of essential fatty acids.
If you are following the traditional version of the boiled egg diet, you can get extra fats by consuming avocados, nuts, olive oil, and fatty fish. You can also consume grass-fed butter and sugar-free mayonnaise.
Can I have any sweeteners on the hard-boiled egg diet?
No, you should not add sweeteners to any version of the hard-boiled egg diet. However, if you follow the traditional version, you will get natural sweeteners in the form of fructose in the fruits you consume. You should, though, limit your fruit intake to control fructose content. I recommend limiting your intake to three pieces of fruit per day.
Will I get constipation or diarrhea on the hard-boiled egg diet?
You might experience some digestive discomfort on the hard-boiled egg diet, including constipation or diarrhea. This is due to the diet’s high protein, low carbohydrate nature.
You increase the likelihood of constipation when you restrict your fiber intake and increase your protein intake, as you do on the hard-boiled egg diet. Fiber, which is abundant in whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, plays a big part in controlling your bowel movements. To avoid this, you should make sure that you are getting an adequate amount of fiber. You can do this by adding citrus fruits, vegetables, and nuts to your diet. You should also stay well hydrated, drinking at least half a gallon (around two liters) of water daily.
When you drastically change your food intake, especially one that involves increasing your protein intake, you may experience diarrhea. This should only last a day or two as your body adjusts to your new diet.
How long does the hard-boiled egg diet last?
The length of the hard-boiled egg diet will depend on the version of the diet you follow. If you follow the strict egg-only version, you should not go beyond one week on the diet. That’s because this version is nutritionally unbalanced, and doing it for longer than a week may be dangerous. The traditional version of the diet is usually followed for two weeks.
Summary
The hard-boiled egg diet can help you lose weight and keep it off, but only if you follow it smartly. By reducing your caloric intake by no more than 500 calories, adding leafy green vegetables to get the needed fiber, and gradually rebuilding your caloric intake as you come off the diet, you can avoid the metabolic reset that leads to weight regain.
Why not try the hard-boiled egg diet — you’ve got nothing to lose but those unwanted pounds!
Research
Hirshowitz B, Brook JG, Kaufman T, Titelman U, Mahler D. 35 eggs per day in the treatment of severe burns. Br J Plast Surg. 1975 Jul;28(3):185-8. doi: 10.1016/0007-1226(75)90127-7. PMID: 1191862.
Khan S, McWhorter AR, Moyle TS, Chousalkar KK. Refrigeration of eggs influences the virulence of Salmonella Typhimurium. Sci Rep. 2021 Sep 9;11(1):18026. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-97135-4. PMID: 34504138; PMCID: PMC8429434.
Intermittent Fasting Blueprint For Women Over 50
As people age, it becomes tough for them to maintain a healthy weight and a slender body. This is especially true for women over 50 experiencing menopause. During menopause, they encounter a sudden dip in estrogen levels and other hormonal imbalances that lead to increased abdominal fat, mood swings, rapid muscle loss, osteoporosis, a slow metabolism, sleep disturbances, depression, anxiety, and stress.[1]
Insulin resistance and loss of body and bone mass are the root causes of various health issues associated with aging in women over 50. Plus, a sedentary lifestyle is a major contributor to weight gain in women over 50.
In such a scenario, maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes eating nutritious food, sleeping well, being active, and managing stress is essential to combating age-related issues. Time-restricted feeding or intermittent fasting has been shown to benefit seniors by improving insulin resistance and reducing body weight and inflammation.[2]
In this article, we will delve more deeply into what intermittent fasting is, its benefits, and how it works to retain muscle mass, improve metabolism, and keep weight in check in women over 50.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting involves cycling between voluntary fasting and non-fasting over a given period. However, it does not focus on restricting calories; rather, it emphasizes how much time you abstain from eating. It encourages eating only in a specific time window, and you consume no calories for the rest of the day.
However, keeping yourself hydrated during the fasting period is crucial. So you must drink water and zero-calorie beverages like black coffee or tea (of course, without sugar or cream) throughout the fasting period.
You can eat normally at the end of the fasting window. A balanced diet consisting of healthful foods is always encouraged. It is recommended for women over 50 to eat a balanced diet, as it helps boost your metabolism, reduces insulin resistance, and alleviates other hormonal issues.
However, you must keep yourself away from inflammatory foods such as sugary and carbonated drinks, refined sugar and grains, fried food, processed meat, etc., as these can exacerbate the adverse effects of menopause, such as hot flashes.
There are several types of intermittent fasting, of which some of the most popular are:
Time-restricted eating (TRE): It involves alternating between periods of restricting calories and eating normally.[3] An example of TRE is the 16/8 method, which includes calorie restriction for 16 consecutive hours and consuming food within the rest of the eight-hour window. It is a popular method as it is the most doable and least restrictive, which can suit the schedule of most people.
The 5:2 method: This method includes eating normally for five days and restricting your calorie intake to 500 calories for two non-consecutive days of the week.
Alternate day fasting: It involves fasting on every alternate day and eating. However, you can consume a maximum of 500 calories on fasting days. Research says this method is beneficial for shedding weight, improving heart conditions, and lowering oxidative stress and inflammation.[4]
Benefits of Intermittent Fasting For Women Over 50
According to research, intermittent fasting can benefit women over 50 in various ways, including:
Improved metabolic and heart health [5][6]
Better weight loss [7]
Type 2 diabetes management [8]
Increased insulin sensitivity [9]
Preventing metabolic syndrome, which generally leads to neurological disorders [10]
Enhanced circadian rhythm [11]
Improved conditions such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia [12]
Improved fitness levels and athletic performance [13]
Reduced inflammation and improved liver and gut health [14][15][16][17]
Enhanced cognitive function [18]
Does Intermittent Fasting Work for Women over 50?
Yes, it does. Intermittent fasting has shown promising results in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women. A 2020 study indicated that intermittent fasting reduces fat mass, insulin levels, insulin resistance, and blood pressure, regardless of sex or menopausal status. It also reduces LDL cholesterol levels, a potential risk factor for heart disease in post-menopausal women [19].
Another study revealed that time-restricted feeding, or TRF, is beneficial in reducing fasting insulin, insulin resistance, fat mass, and oxidative stress in both pre and postmenopausal women. It also helps improve their metabolism. [5]
Since estrogen levels in women over 50 decline naturally, pre and postmenopausal women are at a higher risk of gaining weight, developing cardiovascular disease, and having problems with blood sugar regulation. Intermittent fasting helps alleviate these issues. [20]
Intermittent Fasting and Diet Quality
Although intermittent fasting is beneficial for overall metabolic health, you should exercise caution while choosing your food. Additionally, you must carefully watch your activity schedule, sleep quality, and stress management.
Your diet must include whole foods such as grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits. Since women over 50 are at a greater risk of losing muscle mass and developing fat mass, your diet should also have enough protein (Paleo or Mediterranean diets are good options).
As people grow older, they naturally lose muscle mass. This problem increases if you don’t remain physically active or do not consume enough protein in your diet. Losing muscle mass causes metabolic dysfunction and fat gain.
Since intermittent fasting involves calorie restriction, it may lead to a lower protein intake. If women over 50 do not consume their goal protein within the eating window, they may lose muscle mass. Thus, you must carry out strength training and optimize your protein consumption to overcome this issue.
How Much Protein Do You Require?
Animal Protein Sources
The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight to maximize muscle health. However, your body does not efficiently use dietary protein as you age. Hence, you need more protein to maintain muscle health. [21]
Experts recommend elderly adults consume 1.2 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. [22]
For example, if you are over 50 and weigh 55 kilograms (121.25 pounds), you must consume at least 66 to 110 grams of protein daily, or possibly more.
Optimizing Protein Intake When Fasting
Women over 50 that are intermittent fasting are more likely to fall short of their protein intake goal than women eating a normal diet. In such a scenario, you may maintain your muscle mass by engaging in strength training and optimizing your dietary protein intake.
Here is a list of some protein-rich foods and the amount of protein per serving.[23]
Protein Source
Serving Size
Amount of Protein (gm)
Whey protein
3 scoops
50
Chicken gizzard
1.0 cup chopped or diced
44
Yellowtail fish
0.5 fillets
43
Black beans
1 cup
42
Chicken breast
3 ounces
28
Turkey breast
3 ounces
25
Pork
3 ounces
23
Salmon
3 ounces
22
Tuna
3 ounces
22
Shrimp
3 ounces
20
Greek yogurt
6 ounces
18
Cottage cheese
4 ounces
14
Soy nuts
1 ounce
12
Lentils
½ cup
9
Pumpkin seeds
1 ounce
9
Milk
1 cup
8
Soy milk
1 cup
8
Almonds
1 ounce
7
Egg
1 large
6
Quinoa
½ cup
4
Chia seeds
1 ounce
5
It is evident from the above list that animal-based foods are packed with protein. But that does not mean you should only consume animal proteins. You must incorporate various foods into your diet to reach your protein target.
Is Intermittent Fasting Right For You?
Intermittent fasting not only benefits overweight people or folks with metabolic disorders, but it also benefits people who are of normal weight and are healthy. When you consider intermittent fasting, you must know whether it is right for you.
Intermittent fasting is good for you if you:
Feel good when eating a restricted diet
Don’t have a negative relationship with food
You feel better when you do short-term liquid-only fast
Intermittent fasting is not for you if you:
Feel dizzy, exhausted, irritable, and hungry upon skipping a meal
Always are constantly hungry
Feel uncomfortable during a fast
Fasting Tips for Women Over 50
Women over 50 can follow the following fasting tips when considering intermittent fasting.
Start Small
If you are new to intermittent fasting, keeping the fasting windows short is always recommended. You can start with overnight fasting, which is fasting from dinner to breakfast. If you feel comfortable with it, then increase your fasting hours gradually.
Don’t Restrict Your Calories Too Much
Intermittent fasting allows you to consume the required calories within the eating window. But most people restrict themselves and end up in a calorie deficit. Cutting down too many calories can impair your metabolism, and you will begin to lose muscle mass instead of gaining it. Your blood pressure may rapidly decrease, and you may encounter an electrolyte imbalance. Instead, you can maintain a minor calorie deficit to avoid these issues and obtain better results.
Prioritize Your Protein Intake
Insufficient protein can lead to sarcopenia, which is age-induced muscle loss. Insufficient protein can also impair your immunity and make you fall ill very often. It may also decrease your overall strength.
Focus on Strength Training
Complement intermittent fasting with strength training. It can help you retain muscle mass and strength.[24]
Retaining muscle mass as we age is difficult, eventually resulting in muscle loss and weight gain. However, regular strength training exercises and consuming sufficient protein can help overcome this issue.
Keep a Check on Electrolyte Imbalances
Extended intermittent fasting can lead to electrolyte imbalances by drastically dropping your sodium and potassium levels. This can lead to muscle cramps, headaches, and fatigue. Drinking electrolyte water, coconut water, and eating electrolyte-rich foods such as spinach can boost your electrolyte levels.
Always Focus on a Nutrient-Dense Diet
Although intermittent fasting focuses on when to eat only, what to eat is equally crucial to sustain fasting in the long run and maintain good health. Your diet should comprise whole grains, complex carbs, lean proteins, healthy fats, and enough fiber. Additionally, your water intake should also be intact. Eating a healthy and balanced diet can help combat many chronic diseases and keep you healthy. Skipping refined, deep-fried, excessively salty, sugary, and packed foods is highly recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many hours should a woman over 50 do intermittent fasting?
If you are new to intermittent fasting, keeping the duration of fasting short is always recommended. You can start with an overnight fast of 12 hours. This refers to fasting from dinner to breakfast. If you feel comfortable with it, then increase your fasting hours gradually.
2. Is intermittent fasting safe for women over 50?
According to research, intermittent fasting is safe for women over 50 [25]. However, you must consult your healthcare provider if you encounter conditions like hypoglycemia, dizziness, weakness, fatigue, or muscle loss.
3. What is the best intermittent fasting method for menopausal women?
16:8 Intermittent fasting is believed to be the most convenient method for menopausal women, as it is much more flexible to follow.
Bottom Line
Women over 50 undergo several bodily changes, such as weight gain, increased blood glucose levels, insulin resistance, rapid muscle loss, a slow metabolism, mood swings, anxiety, etc., during menopause. These occur due to the decrease in estrogen levels and hormonal imbalances.
Although research is limited, some studies indicate that intermittent fasting can benefit women over 50 with weight loss, reduced insulin resistance, blood glucose, and LDL cholesterol. It may improve heart and metabolic health as well. Before starting any intermittent fasting plan, consult your healthcare provider, especially if you have any pre-existing health conditions.
References
Peacock, K., & Ketvertis, K. M. (2022, August 11). Menopause – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. Menopause – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507826/
Lin, S., Oliveira, M. L., Gabel, K., Kalam, F., Cienfuegos, S., Ezpeleta, M., Bhutani, S., & Varady, K. A. (2020, October 31). Does the weight loss efficacy of alternate-day fasting differ according to sex and menopausal status? PubMed Central (PMC). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2020.10.018
Soliman, G. A. (2022, October 28). Intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating role in dietary interventions and precision nutrition. PubMed Central (PMC). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1017254
Johnson, J. B., Summer, W., Cutler, R. G., Martin, B., Hyun, D. H., Dixit, V. D., Pearson, M., Nassar, M., Maudsley, S., Carlson, O., John, S., Laub, D. R., & Mattson, M. P. (2006, December 14). Alternate Day Calorie Restriction Improves Clinical Findings and Reduces Markers of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Overweight Adults with Moderate Asthma. PubMed Central (PMC). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2006.12.005
Changes in body weight and metabolic risk during time-restricted feeding in premenopausal versus postmenopausal women – PubMed. (2021, October 15). PubMed. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2021.111545
Intermittent fasting for the prevention of cardiovascular disease – PubMed. (2021, January 29). PubMed. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013496.pub2
Effects of Intermittent Fasting in Human Compared to a Non-intervention Diet and Caloric Restriction: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials – PubMed. (2022, May 2). PubMed. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.871682
Effect of Intermittent Compared With Continuous Energy Restricted Diet on Glycemic Control in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Noninferiority Trial – PubMed. (2018, July 6). PubMed. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.0756
Clinical Implications for Women of a Low-Carbohydrate or Ketogenic Diet With Intermittent Fasting – PubMed. (2021, April 1). PubMed. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nwh.2021.01.009
Fasting as a Therapy in Neurological Disease – PubMed. (2019, October 17). PubMed. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11102501
Longo, V. D., & Panda, S. (n.d.). Fasting, circadian rhythms, and time-restricted feeding in a healthy lifespan. PubMed Central (PMC). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2016.06.001
Berthelot, E., Etchecopar-Etchart, D., Thellier, D., Lancon, C., Boyer, L., & Fond, G. (2021, November 5). Fasting Interventions for Stress, Anxiety, and Depressive Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PubMed Central (PMC). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13113947
Effects of fasted vs fed-state exercise on performance and post-exercise metabolism: A systematic review and meta-analysis – PubMed. (2018, May 1). PubMed. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13054
Effects of intermittent fasting diets on plasma concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials – PubMed. (2020, December 1). PubMed. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2020.110974
The effects of Ramadan intermittent fasting on liver function in healthy adults: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression – PubMed. (2021, August 1). PubMed. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diabres.2021.108951
Repercussions of intermittent fasting on the intestinal microbiota community and body composition: a systematic review – PubMed. (2022, February 10). PubMed. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuab108
Changes in human gut microbiota composition are linked to the energy metabolic switch during 10 d of Buchinger fasting – PubMed. (2019, November 12). PubMed. https://doi.org/10.1017/jns.2019.33
Gudden, J., Vasquez, A. A., & Bloemendaal, M. (2021, September 10). The Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Brain and Cognitive Function. PubMed Central (PMC). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13093166
Does the weight loss efficacy of alternate day fasting differ according to sex and menopausal status? – PubMed. (2021, February 8). PubMed. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2020.10.018
Menopause, but not age, is an independent risk factor for fasting plasma glucose levels in nondiabetic women – PubMed. (2007, June 1). PubMed. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.gme.0000247014.56254.12
Protein Consumption and the Elderly: What Is the Optimal Level of Intake? – PubMed. (2016, June 8). PubMed. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8060359
Baum, J. I., Kim, I. Y., & Wolfe, R. R. (2016, June 8). Protein Consumption and the Elderly: What Is the Optimal Level of Intake? PubMed Central (PMC). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8060359
Nutrient Lists from Standard Reference Legacy (2018) | National Agricultural Library. (n.d.). Nutrient Lists From Standard Reference Legacy (2018) | National Agricultural Library. https://www.nal.usda.gov/human-nutrition-and-food-safety/nutrient-lists-standard-reference-legacy-2018
Keenan, S., Cooke, M. B., & Belski, R. (2020, August 6). The Effects of Intermittent Fasting Combined with Resistance Training on Lean Body Mass: A Systematic Review of Human Studies. PubMed Central (PMC). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082349
Domaszewski, P., Konieczny, M., Pakosz, P., Bączkowicz, D., & Sadowska-Krępa, E. (2020, June 10). Effect of a Six-Week Intermittent Fasting Intervention Program on the Composition of the Human Body in Women over 60 Years of Age. PubMed Central (PMC). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17114138
Finding Your Perfect Calorie Count for 16/8 Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is an age-old practice that has gained popularity over the past two decades. Intermittent fasting has several health advantages, such as weight loss, reduced inflammation, improved insulin sensitivity, growth hormone production, and controlled diabetes levels.
Several popular fasting plans come under intermittent fasting, including 16/8, 5:2, eat-stop-eat, alternate-day fasting, etc. However, the 16/8 method has become extremely popular among all these plans because it is one of the most flexible fasting plans you can practice daily.
What is a 16/8 Intermittent Fasting Plan?
The 16/8 IF diet is a fasting plan in which you can eat within an eight-hour window and fast for the remaining 16 hours. Your eating window can be from 7 am to 3 pm or 9 am to 5 pm, or any other period you choose. This plan is convenient and effective due to its longer fasting window.
Most of our body functions change according to our sleep-wake cycle. For example, our digestive system actively functions during the daytime and rests at night. It means that when you sleep, your digestive system takes a break too.
But when the circadian rhythm gets disturbed, it automatically impacts your digestion. As a result, you increase your risk of developing hypertriglyceridemia, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and obesity.
Munching throughout the day puts a lot of pressure on your body’s circadian clock. This is why when you eat late at night, you wake up feeling tired, demotivated, or maybe a little sick the next morning.
Staying on a fast for about 16 long hours helps your digestive system rest and detoxify. This, in turn, makes you feel fresh and energetic the next morning.
When you fast for an extended period, your body burns through your readily available energy stores and then turns to the stored fat, leading to weight loss. During this process, your body also repairs the cells on a molecular level.
What are the Benefits of a 16:8 Diet?
The advantages of the 16:8 plan include:
It is convenient due to its flexibility. You can choose any of the eating windows at your convenience.
Confining the eating window to specific hours helps limit your calorie intake, which may result in weight loss. [1][2]
This time-restricted eating also helps reduce insulin and blood sugar levels, decreasing the risk of developing diabetes. Research suggests that if you have type 2 diabetes, then intermittent fasting can help improve your health markers. [3][4]
It can also help prevent diseases like high blood pressure, cardiovascular conditions, specific types of cancer, and neurodegenerative conditions. [5][6][7]
Sample 16:8 Meal Plan
Intermittent fasting, including the 16:8 plan, does not dictate your food choices. However, you need to take care of the quality of the food. The food needs to be low in calories if you want to lose weight. Ensure that you eat a balanced diet filled with fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains to meet your daily macro and micronutrient needs.
You can follow the format below for your fasting meal plan.
Morning is the time when you break the fast. During this time, you should eat foods rich in fiber and low in calories. Choosing high-fiber foods in the morning can satisfy your hunger quickly.
Some breakfast options are whole grain bread, oatmeal, almonds, fruit like bananas and apples, plantain cereals made from whole grains, rolled oats or bran, a whole grain bagel, etc.
During the mid-day meal, you can opt for meat, beans, rice, quinoa, buckwheat, broccoli, leafy greens, Brussels sprouts, poultry, eggs, fish, etc.
The last meal of the day during the eating window should be less caloric. Some meals, like fruits, vegetables, or oats, are recommended during this time.
Avoid deep-fried food, packaged foods, sugary drinks, and frozen meals during a 16:8 fasting regime. Drink enough water and unsweetened coffee or tea to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day.
How Many Calories Should I Eat During Intermittent Fasting?
Some people think that after a 16-hour fasting period, they can consume as many calories as they want. To lose weight, you should be mindful of your food. You cannot eat whatever you want in your eating window and still expect to lose weight.
The calorie needs differ from person to person depending on their starting weight, desired weight, gender, frame size, and level of activity. The required calories to lose weight can be calculated by finding out your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) and the total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) using the Harris-Benedict formula. Here is the Harris-Benedict formula for calculating BMR and TDEE.
BMR for men = 66.5 + (13.75 x weight in kg) + (5.003 x height in cm) – (6.75 x age in years)
BMR for women = 655.1 + (9.56 x weight in kg) + (1.85 x height in cm) – (4.676 x age in years) [8]
For example, for a 35-year-old woman who is 5-foot-6 and weighs 70 kilograms, her BMR would be:
655.1 + (9.56 x 70) + (1.85 x 167.6) – (4.676 x 35) = (655.1 + 669.2 + 310.06) – 163.66 = approx. 1,471 calories daily
To calculate how many calories you burn in a day, you need to calculate your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). The calculation chart for TDEE is as follows.
Activity Level
TDEE
Sedentary
BMR x 1.2
Lightly Active
BMR x 1.375
Moderately Active
BMR x 1.55
Very Active
BMR x 1.725
Extra Active
BMR x 1.9
For example, if you are a 5-foot-10, 40-year-old male who weighs 85 kilograms and leads a moderately active lifestyle, then your required calorie intake to lose weight would be:
BMR = 66.5 + (13.75 x 85) + (5.003 x 178) – (6.75 x 40) = (66.5 + 1168.75 + 890.534) – 270 = approx. 1,856 calories
TDEE = 1,856 x 1.55 = approx. 2,877 calories
This is the number of calories your body burns in a day. Furthermore, to lose weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit.
Determine your exact daily calorie intake goal using the Intermittent Fasting Calculator.
How to Calculate the Calories to Lose Weight?
If you want to lose one pound per week, you must reduce your daily calorie intake by 500 calories. According to the above calculation, you must consume 2,377 calories daily (2,877–500 = 2,377) within your eating window.
However, this formula is just a recommendation. Before getting into any weight loss regime, consult your dietician or healthcare provider to know your exact caloric needs.
You must limit your calorie cut to 1,000 calories per day. This is because staying in a caloric deficit for an extended period may have certain adverse effects on your health, like a slow metabolism, nutrient deficiency, weekend bones, low energy levels, and fatigue. It may even lead to muscle loss. Since building muscle can boost your metabolic rate, losing muscle mass would result in burning fewer calories daily.
Additionally, when you are in a calorie deficit for a long time, your body becomes accustomed to it. Hence, it starts burning fewer calories every day and conserves more energy. When this occurs, your body reaches a plateau, and weight loss becomes challenging. It is often observed that people who cut down on calories struggle to lose weight. [9]
A 2017 study suggests that losing weight is possible by keeping muscle mass intact even if you do not reduce your calorie intake on a 16:8 diet. It is because fasting for 16 long hours helps your body use its stored body fat for energy instead of stored glucose. [10]
How Long Does it Take for 16:8 Intermittent Fasting to Work?
If you follow the guideline of 16:8 intermittent fasting religiously, you will see the result within a few weeks. However, it may take longer for some people to see the outcome depending on their age, gender, genetics, existing health conditions, and medications can impact your results.
Best Foods to Eat on 16:8 Intermittent Fasting
You must eat healthy to lose weight on a 16:8 intermittent fasting plan. Merely selecting an eight-hour time frame and consuming any food without consideration is insufficient to achieve your objectives. What you include in your diet will dictate your results.
Some of the superfoods to include in your regimen while on an intermittent fasting diet include:
Whole Grains
Whole grains are considered a superfood because they contain many nutrients such as complex carbs, dietary fibers, several B vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, and phytochemicals that can prevent and fight diseases. The high fiber content and complex carbohydrate in whole grains help manage hunger during fasting by making you feel full and satiated. Some examples of whole grains are oats, quinoa, barley, buckwheat, rye, bulgur wheat, brown rice, etc.
Fruit and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and fiber, which can help reduce the risk of high blood pressure, cardiac disease, and stroke. Consuming fruits and vegetables may also prevent certain cancers. They also improve the digestion process and control appetite. Some recommended fruits and vegetables are strawberries, apples, lemons, kiwi, kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, spinach, cucumber, and carrots.
Lean Protein
Replacing carbs and fats with proteins is an effective way to lose weight. Protein has fewer calories than other nutrients and takes longer to digest than fats or carbs. Hence, you do not feel hungry faster. It also lessens the production of hunger hormones.
Protein is also crucial for overall immunity. It helps maintain muscle mass, which is important in boosting metabolism and managing blood sugar. Without protein, your body encounters weakness and exhaustion, increased blood sugar levels, and, eventually, weight gain. Proteins such as lean meat, poultry, eggs, fish, nuts, and low-fat dairy products are great while on a 16:8 intermittent fast.
Fats
You cannot ignore the role of healthy fats in an intermittent fasting plan. Healthy fats help you absorb essential nutrients, restore energy, and feel satiated. Some healthy fats include avocado, olive oil, and fatty fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, and nuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you count calories on 16:8 intermittent fasting?
On a 16:8 intermittent fast, you can eat as you desire within the eating window. However, you should focus on foods low in calories and high in protein and fiber content.
How much should I eat during 16:8 intermittent fasting?
The calorie needs differ from person to person depending on their starting weight, desired weight, gender, frame size, and level of activity. The required calories to lose weight can be calculated by measuring the BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) and the total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). However, it is always better to consult your doctor or dietician to know your exact caloric requirements.
What are the benefits of 16:8 intermittent fasting?
Benefits of 16:8 intermittent fasting include weight loss, better cardiovascular health, reduced inflammation, improved insulin sensitivity and growth hormone levels, and decreased insulin levels.
Bottom Line
Following a 16:8 intermittent fasting diet plan has many health advantages, including weight loss, blood sugar management, improved heart health, and longevity. Eating healthy during the eating window is crucial to attaining most of IF’s benefits.
Due to the uniqueness of our body types, the effectiveness of this approach varies among individuals. It is always prudent to consult your dietician or a doctor before starting any new diet, specifically if you have any underlying medical conditions.
References
Intermittent energy restriction improves weight loss efficiency in obese men: the MATADOR study – PubMed. (2018, February 1). PubMed. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2017.206
Moro, T., Tinsley, G., Bianco, A., Marcolin, G., Pacelli, Q. F., Battaglia, G., Palma, A., Gentil, P., Neri, M., & Paoli, A. (2016, October 13). Effects of eight weeks of time-restricted feeding (16/8) on basal metabolism, maximal strength, body composition, inflammation, and cardiovascular risk factors in resistance-trained males – Journal of Translational Medicine. BioMed Central. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-016-1044-0
Intermittent fasting: is there a role in the treatment of diabetes? A review of the literature and guide for primary care physicians – PubMed. (2021, February 3). PubMed. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40842-020-00116-1
Arnason, T. G., Bowen, M. W., & Mansell, K. D. (2017, April 15). Effects of intermittent fasting on health markers in those with type 2 diabetes: A pilot study. PubMed Central (PMC). https://doi.org/10.4239/wjd.v8.i4.154
Gabel, K., Hoddy, K. K., Haggerty, N., Song, J., Kroeger, C. M., Trepanowski, J. F., Panda, S., & Varady, K. A. (2018, June 15). Effects of 8-hour time restricted feeding on body weight and metabolic disease risk factors in obese adults: A pilot study – IOS Press. Effects of 8-hour Time Restricted Feeding on Body Weight and Metabolic Disease Risk Factors in Obese Adults: A Pilot Study – IOS Press. https://doi.org/10.3233/NHA-170036
https://www.cmaj.ca/content/185/9/E363
https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev-nutr-071816-064634
Luy, S. C., & Dampil, O. A. (2018, September 10). Comparison of the Harris-Benedict Equation, Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, and Indirect Calorimetry for Measurement of Basal Metabolic Rate among Adult Obese Filipino Patients with Prediabetes or Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. PubMed Central (PMC). https://doi.org/10.15605/jafes.033.02.07
How dieting makes some fatter: from a perspective of human body composition autoregulation – PubMed. (2012, August 1). PubMed. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0029665112000225
Anton, S. D., Moehl, K., Donahoo, W. T., Marosi, K., Lee, S., G. Mainous, I. A., Leeuwenburgh, C., & Mattson, M. P. (2017, October 31). Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Understanding and Applying Health Benefits of Fasting. PubMed Central (PMC). https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.22065
Derek Lunsford Shares Full Day of Eating + Supplements 4 Months from 2023 Mr. Olympia
Derek Lunsford, a former 212 Olympia champion, is turning up the intensity with 17 weeks until his next competition. In a YouTube video, Lunsford shared a full day of eating and discussed the cardio training strategies he recently implemented from his coach Hany Rambod.
“The cleaner the diet, the better. Mentally, I don’t think it helps mentally, if anything you’re going to be craving more sweet stuff or more food, or you’re just going to want to fall off the plan,” Lunsford explained.
If anyone has learned the importance of capturing a moment on stage, it’s Derek Lunsford. Last May, he single-handedly asserted himself in the Open class discussion with an explosive guest posing appearance. He posed alongside top-tier talent at the 2022 Pittsburgh Pro such as Nick Walker, former Olympia Brandon Curry, Hunter Labrada, and Quinton Eriya.
Instead of residing in the 212 to collect titles as Flex Lewis did, Lunsford accepted a special invite to compete in the Open Mr. Olympia last year. Lunsford’s arrival in the category was a big moment for the sport. When he first stepped on stage, the crowd watching gasped as Lunsford hit an iconic front relaxed pose.
In a turn of events, the former champion, Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay was removed from his throne. Lunsford fought Nick Walker and Hadi Choopan in the finals. And while the contest was considered very close, his teammate, Choopan, secured the win. With a sterling debut in the Open class, fans, and even Lunsford’s rivals, believe it’s only a matter of time before he claims a Mr. Olympia title.
Lunsford opted to forgo March’s Arnold Classic in favor of making improvements to his physique. His last appearance was at this year’s 2023 Pittsburgh Pro guest posing event, where he stood alongside a crop of title contenders such as Samson Dauda, Walker, Big Ramy, Shaun Clarida, and Labrada. Now, with less than four months until the biggest show of the year, Lunsford is sharing his latest prep diet/supplementation.
Derek Lunsford Sticks to 5 Whole Food Meals and Protein Shakes to Fuel His 2023 Mr. Olympia Prep
Below, you can find the common food plan Lunsford sticks to on a daily basis.
“I don’t just eat like for your body, for your mind. I feel it’s obvious that adding extra condiments and sweeteners is not necessary to result in a better physique. That’s pretty obvious, people can argue it but I just don’t believe it.”
Meal 1
250 grams egg whites
3 oz of chicken
100 grams of oats
EVOGEN Greens
Meal 2
steak
white rice
EVOGEN shake
Meal 3
chicken
white rice (cup and a half)
hot sauce
EVOGEN GDA (for digestion)
Post-workout
Smores post-workout protein shake
EVOGEN Carnigex
Meal 4
chicken
white rice (cup and a half)
hot sauce
EVOGEN GDA (for digestion)
Meal 5
steak or preferably salmon (for Omega 3 fatty acids)
white rice
Cardio Update, Derek says Hany Rambod Wants Him Walking 5x Per Week for 20-25 min
Before wrapping up his meals for the day, Lunsford opened up about his cardio and possible workout collaborations with Samson Dauda and Nick Walker.
“Yeah, the cardio that we’re doing. We talked a couple days ago. The cardio he wants me doing right now is five days a week basically. Just go for a walk, 20-25 minutes. I figure, you know what, if I’m not going to be on a treadmill or machine cardio, my pace probably won’t be quite as fast. I’m not trying to slow down or anything like that.
But when you’re on the machine you can make sure you’re going at a certain speed and keeping a certain heart rate when you’re walking freely like this, unless you have a Fitbit or an Apple Watch tracking your heart rate, it’s a little harder to gauge exactly what your heart rate is. As long as you’re going at a fairly decent pace and you can feel your heart rate coming up,” Derek Lunsford said.
Since Lunsford has shared training sessions with ‘The Mutant’ and Dauda in the past, he figures he may run it back with them soon.
“That’s a good idea [I should reach out and train with Nick Walker]. I haven’t trained with him in a while actually. Then, we just did the Olympia battle with Samson so, I don’t know, maybe if he’s available I’ll hit him up.”
Oftentimes, fans see their favorite bodybuilders on stage but forget about the daily sacrifices they endured along the way to step on stage. Lunsford has been open about some of those obstacles. In a deep interview with his coach Hany Rambod on The Truth Podcast, Lunsford touched on how he’s been dealing with anxiety and depression throughout his latest season. He emphasized that balancing his personal and professional duties has been the biggest challenge.
With eyes shifting to the 2023 Mr. Olympia show taking place in November, bodybuilding veterans are beginning to talk about possible favorites. If you asked eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman who the next champion will be, he’d say Derek Lunsford. Not only that but ‘The King’ has stated that his favorite bodybuilder of this generation is Lunsford.
As for Nick Walker, he’s not sold on Hadi Choopan’s dominance. He recently said that the next title will be decided following a battle between himself and Lunsford. Another former Arnold Classic champion, William Bonac, disagrees with Walker. He says Hadi Choopan will likely retain his title later this year.
With Lunsford’s commitment and discipline to his craft, it’s hard to imagine he won’t bring an improved look to the upcoming show. There is still plenty of time for other athletes to qualify, but many are in agreement that Lunsford is one of the biggest threats heading into Florida in Nov.
READ MORE:
Watch the full video on Derek Lunsford’s YouTube channel below:
Published: 10 July, 2023 | 12:03 PM EDT