01 Aug Is Time-Restricted Eating the Best Weight Loss Plan? Thoughts on Intermittent Fasting from an Online Dietitian Nutrition Coach
Is breakfast really the most important meal of the day? With the latest information about the benefits of intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating, has breakfast gone out of vogue? It seems that the world has become divided now — the breakfasters and non-breakfasters. Who is correct?
That depends.
It would be a lot easier if every bit of diet advice could apply to everyone, but that’s not how our bodies work. Let’s talk about intermittent fasting (particularly time-restricted eating), why people are doing it, and who shouldn’t be doing it.
Intermittent fasting simply means you don’t eat for a specific period of time each day or week. This includes popular fasts like the 5:2 (five days of normal eating, two non-consecutive days of fasting — or reduced-calorie diet), alternate-day fasting (eating normally one day, and a reduced-calorie diet the next — 500 calories), and time-restricted eating. Much of the intermittent fasting boom might come from the studies of the Nobel Laureate Yoshirnori Osumi of Japan. For whatever reason fasting is on our minds, there’s one that’s getting a lot of hype: time-restricted eating.
Time-restricted eating focuses not so much on what but on when you eat, reducing your window of eating to an 8 – 12-hour period, ideally the smaller the window, the better. This has become pretty popular over the last few years, as people are touting it as the holy grail of weight loss. Before we consider IF as a weight loss strategy, we need to mention that time-restricted eating has been shown to increase the possibility for patients to go into remission for Type 2 Diabetes. Likewise, time-restricted eating has been shown to reduce inflammation. So time-restricted eating is a powerful tool to help alleviate some chronic diseases.
Can time-restricted eating (or feeding) help with weight loss? Not necessarily. This diet trend, though founded in science, still is just that … a trend. And there have been few long-term studies about time-restricted eating and weight loss.
What we do know is that diet quality — remember not all calories are the same — is a key piece of healthy, sustainable weight loss. That, along with creating a diet plan that works for your individual needs, is pivotal to reaching those wellness goals. For some people, time-restricted eating works. But it’s not for everyone. And some people simply should not try IF or time-restricted eating:
- Children under 18 years.
- Women who are pregnant
- Women who are breastfeeding
- People with Type I Diabetes
- Those who are underweight
- People who have a history of disordered eating
That said, discuss this diet plan with your health practitioner or clinical nutritionist. It could be another option for you to try to reach a healthy weight. Sustaining weight loss, though, depends on implementing meaningful, achievable lifestyle changes and nutrition plans you can stick to. If you can do that by eating a good breakfast, then go for it.
Here’s a recipe for a favorite, healthy breakfast omelet (for any time of day!)
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped spinach
- 1/4 cup chopped kale
- 1/4 cup chopped broccoli
- 1/4 cup diced bell pepper
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, ground flaxseed, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chopped spinach, kale, broccoli, bell pepper, and onion to the skillet and cook until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 3-5 minutes.
- Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and let it cook until the edges start to set, about 2-3 minutes.
- Use a spatula to carefully flip the omelet and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until the eggs are fully cooked.
- Top with crumbled feta and enjoy!