Want to lose weight without counting calories? According to a recent study, weight loss occurs easily in people only eating during a time-restricted time (a limited time each day). Eat all you want, but only during a 4 or 6 hour time period, and then no food the rest of the day. Drink plenty of water, and during fasting hours can also drink zero calorie beverages (black coffee, tea, diet soda).
The study found that two groups of obese adults who only ate within a 4 or 6 hour period each day had a similar weight loss over a 2 month period, similar reductions in insulin resistance and oxidative stress, and resulted in similar body fat loss. Eating within this short time (either 4 or 6 hours) actually resulted in consuming about 550 fewer calories per day.
On average, participants were 47 years old, weighed about 220 pounds (100 kg) and with a body mass index (BMI) of 37 at the start of the study. Most were women (90%) and about 66% were Black. After 8 weeks, persons in both the 4 and 6 hour eating period lost about 3.2% of their initial weight, while those in the control group (who continued eating normally) lost 0.1% of their starting weight.
Can you do it? One example - only eat lunch and dinner every day, say between noon and 6 pm, and watch those pounds melt off! It'll be tough to not eat at other times, but hey! - it's eat what you want (even though you'll ultimately eat less each day), no calorie counting, and still lose weight!
Excerpts from Medscape: Time-Restricted Feeding a 'Viable Option' to Lose Weight
Adults with obesity had similar weight loss and improvements in some cardiometabolic markers after restricting their eating to 4 or 6 hours a day for 2 months, in a new study.
"These findings suggest that this form of severe [time-restricted feeding] is achievable and can help adults with obesity lose weight, without having to count calories," according to Sofia Cienfuegos, a PhD student at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and colleagues, whose work was published online July 15 in Cell Metabolism.
However, participants in both time-restricted feeding groups consumed about 550 fewer calories per day than participants in the control group, and at 2 months they had similar weight loss and other outcomes.
Three types of intermittent-fasting regimens have become popular in recent years, which can "produce clinically significant weight loss and confer protection against metabolic diseases," the authors write by way of background. Alternate day fasting consists of eating ad libitum (as much as desired) on "feast days" and then fasting the following day and repeating this, they explain. The 5:2 diet involves fasting 2 days a week and eating normally for 5 days.
The current study compared two types of another type of intermittent fasting, time-restricted feeding, which entails only eating during 4 hours (the warrior diet) or 6 hours (the 18:6 diet) and fasting the rest of the day. ... Therefore, they compared afternoon/early evening restricted feeding from 1 to 7 PM (6 hours) or from 3 to 7 PM (4 hours).
Participants in the time-restricted feeding groups were allowed to eat any foods, in any amounts, without counting calories during feeding hours, and were encouraged to drink lots of water. Black tea, coffee, or diet soda were also allowed during fasting hours. Participants in the control group did not receive dietary advice but were instructed to keep the same eating and physical activity habits to stay the same weight.
At 8 weeks, participants in the time-restricted feeding groups lost on average 3.2% of their initial weight while those in the control group lost 0.1% of their starting weight. Participants in the two time-restricted feeding regimens had similar reductions in fasting insulin, insulin resistance, and the oxidative stress marker 8-isoprostane, but adopting these two regimens did not have any effect on blood pressure, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, or triglycerides.
No serious adverse events were reported. Participants in the restricted feeding groups had mild adverse events (dizziness, nausea, headaches, and diarrhea) that peaked at week 2 and then disappeared by week 3 and did not recur.