Which intermittent fasting method is the most effective?

Intermittent fasting is all about setting the eating window and fasting window. The duration of that window would explain how long we can eat of our choice and where we have to stop eating.

Intermittent fasting also known as IF is followed by a lot of people who find it suitable. To make it more convenient, it can be planned in many ways.

Method of IF

The list of seven IF methods is as follows

1. Beginners plan (12:12)
2. Leangains diet (16:8)
3. Fast diet (2:5)
4. Alternative day fasting (1:0:1)
5. Weekly 24 hours fasting  (1:7)
6. Skipping meals
7. The warrior diet

The chosen method should help you achieve your goals!

Beginners plan (12:12)

This is also called 12:12. This diet plan is best for beginners. It has 12 hours window for eating and the fasting window is also 12 hours long. This is supposed to be the simplest form of diet schedule. Most of the fasting time is covered during sleep hours. (For example, you can stop eating at 9 pm and then eat at 9 am.)

When a person stops eating for 12 hours, metabolic switching is activated. Then stored glucose is converted to usable energy units. Stored glycogen and fats are decreased and ketones are released in the bloodstream.

Benefits achieved

This simplest diet schedule is meant for beginners and it is easy to follow for weight loss.

When a person stops eating, his body starts working on breaking up the stored calories. the result is that the person gets, benefits from weight loss without doing any extra effort.

Leangains diet (16:8)

This type of IF is one step ahead of the beginners’ plans. It involves a fasting window of 16 hours and that person can eat for the rest of 8 hours.

It is also not tough and can be followed conveniently.

This is a good option for those who have tried 12:12 and didn’t get much weight loss. In this plan, 8 hours are enough for calorie compensation.

Moreover, it can be modified for males and females.

If someone finds 16 hours of fasting hard, he can have an off-feed phase of 14 hours.

Possible cons

A sudden change in eating patterns can affect hormones which can affect menstruation and the reproductive system.

Physical tiredness

It may lead to uncontrolled overeating during the eating window

Benefits achieved

Leangains diet is particularly useful for health care. People who have arthritis or are facing some Inflammation can use this IF method to decrease Inflammation and ease symptoms.

It also controls blood pressure.

People with Rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, and diabetes type 2 can get better results from this method.

Moreover, it is useful for weight loss as well.

A little compromise in eating can significantly save you.

Fast diet (2:5)

This method is a bit harder and resembles a calorie control method.

In this schedule, the follower goes for a calorie control window of two days a week and eats normally during the rest of the week.

To make it simple, people select two days in a week, i.e. Tuesday and Friday, and during these days, they eat food with low calories. Their total calorie intake is about 500-600 per day. They take liquid mostly and avoid sweet and fried food items.

During the remaining 5 days, they can eat as per their body needs and taste buds’ choices (However they must not eat too much).

Benefits achieved

As per studies, this IF method is useful for increasing insulin sensitivity for diabetic patients and this reduces the insulin in their blood.

It is particularly useful for lowering high levels of blood lipids. It also affects the inflammatory marker CRP which is considered a key factor in inducing inflammation.

In addition, it works well for the reduction of total body fats without causing muscle loss and weakness.

To achieve optimal results, alternative days for fasting should be followed (specific days should be assigned, like Monday and Thursday/ Tuesday, and Friday).

Alternate day fasting (1:0:1)

This is a step ahead of the diet schedule. As its name indicates, it requires alternate-day fasting. It can be followed in a way that one day a person avoids solid and high-calorie good items and drinks more water and zero-calorie liquids and the other day he eats normally.

Zero or low-calorie meals are always welcome.

Possible cons

This IF method has many benefits but it is also difficult for those who are beginners or have certain health complications. It involves a fasting window for more than three days a week.

Moreover, it is a bit difficult to follow in the long term.

Benefits achieved

As per multiple studies conducted, this type of IF is particularly useful for heart health and prevents cardiovascular diseases by lowering bad cholesterol LDL, and blood triglycerides levels.

This IF the pattern is recommended by nutritionists and dietitians to control chronic diseases like cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and autoimmune conditions. This type stimulates autophagy and removes defective cells in the body and aids in living a longer life.

Alternative days fasting method also helps in fast reduction of weight. It can be followed for weight loss in urgent conditions (functions, competitions, gatherings etc.)

Weekly 24 hours fasting (1:7)

This type of IF is also called eat stop eat method. It is followed by 24 hours eating break from solid foods. Liquid intake with zero or very few calories is allowed on a fasting day.

A person following this pattern comes to his normal eating routine on eating days. He can eat any food item while in the eating window.

Possible cons

Not everyone can follow this routine as it takes 24 hours of a complete break from solid foods. It can lead to mood swings, headaches, and unknown fatigue due to hunger stress.

So it must be followed after being convenient to 16 hours fasting window.

Benefits achieved

This type of IF is particularly useful for human health. It gives out organs a break i.e. stomach, liver, gall bladder.

It triggers metabolic switching faster than other IF methods.

Moreover, it helps the body to rest for 24 hours a week (just like we need a day off on Sunday).

Skipping meals

This method can suit most people who don’t want to follow a specific diet pattern. It is related to skipping a meal every day or whenever they feel like it. This is not a rigid approach.

The calorie deficit created while skipping meals can be fulfilled by the intake of energy-rich food items while the eating window is open. It becomes an easier method when we learn to control our hunger during one time a day, it can be breakfast or lunchtime. Most appropriately lunchtime can be skipped.

Possible cons

Some followers can find it easy to skip breakfast which can affect their health instead of providing benefits. Breakfast should be considered an essential part of the meals of the day. 

Benefits achieved

This is the most convenient form of IF and it is particularly useful for brain health. A person following this pattern listens to his brain and body and eats accordingly. Skipping meals pattern is good for boosting memory and focusing ability.

The extreme diet

As its name indicates, this method is extreme. While following this pattern, in only a few hours, which is not more than four hours, a person can eat. For the rest of the day, only water, veggies, and fruits can be taken. It involves 20 hours of fasting and low energy diet.

This type of IF is not everyone’s cup of tea and can be followed by those who gained no benefit from other methods.

Possible cons

People following this method become nutrient-deprived. This can cause this nutritional deficiency and they can suffer from some chronic diseases due to not taking up of balanced diet.

Benefits achieved

This method is useful for those who have eating disorders and are nocturnal eaters (they love to eat before sleeping time). They can set the eating window at night time and can compensate for their calories as well as their cravings. This pattern would help them prevent overeating and resultant obesity.

Take-home message

Fasting has been a part of many traditions and it is used as a way of detoxifying the body and soul. Now it is more like a lifestyle than a diet. However, there is no one size fits all method of IF and it has different patterns for different kinds of people.

It is advised to start with the simplest method. Later upgrades the window to get optimal results. Pain relief, Low inflammation, weight loss, low blood pressure, high insulin sensitivity, and overall good health are a few of the key benefits achieved by IF.

However, every method has its set of difficulties. First address the problems, make your body used to it and then practice the IF patterns further.

Eating healthy is never an old-school idea!

Candid dialogue

Weight gain and weight loss are the most discussed problems in this modern age. Obesity is not only responsible for shaking our confidence, and making us conscious of our appearance, rather it is a risk factor for many chronic and stubborn diseases. (WHO and CDC are so worked up over increasing cases of NCDs)

You can follow any of the above-mentioned methods and start losing weight. In addition, you would get other health benefits as well.

I would personally recommend the 16:8 method as it is easy to follow and doesn’t cause any considerable disturbance in our daily life.

Let us know which kind of method you find most appropriate and convenient.

Your opinion is cordially invited to our writing panel.

You can read out the episodes related to this topic by clicking on the tag Intermittent fasting and Health refinement.