Use 16:8 Fasting with OMAD for Slow Metabolism Turnaround
Video | Why Fasting Helps | 16:8 Fasting | OMAD | Takeaway
If you have a slow metabolism that could use a boost, then you’ll want to give this intermittent fasting strategy a try. In this post, I’ll show you how to comfortably combine a one-meal-a-day fast with 16:8 fasting to jump start your slow metabolism.
Slow Metabolism Fasting Strategy At-A-Glance
- Practice 16 hours of fasting each day. If you are new to intermittent fasting, start with a 12-hour fast and then work of to 16 hours.
- Introduce one day of OMAD (one-meal-a-day) fasting per week
- The trick to managing a slow metabolism is to make your body deal with change. Throw it a curveball by introducing a longer fast into your regular fasting routine.
Use 16:8 Fasting with OMAD for Slow Metabolism [Video]
In this video, you’ll learn…
- How intermittent fasting affects the body.
- The intermittent fasting method that works best!
- How to boost weight loss with an additional step.
How Intermittent Fasting Helps Those with a Slow Metabolism
Regardless of whether you’ve always been a slow loser, or you are stuck on a weight loss plateau, it can help to throw your metabolism a curveball by altering the timing of your food intake with intermittent fasting.
Fasting is a universal dieting tool that can work with any diet preference. It is effective because it allows you to work with your body’s normal metabolic rhythm.
For instance, we are naturally better at digesting and absorbing nutrients when we start eating for the day. But, as the hours progress, our ability to utilize energy from food diminishes. Therefore, by eating in a shorter eating window, we consume food when our bodies are best able to use it.
16:8 Intermittent Fasting
There are many ways to fast, but one of the most popular methods is 16:8 fasting. This means that you fast for 16 hours of the day and then consume all of your daily calories within an eight-hour eating window. This method is one of the most studied forms of fasting.
It is effective because it gives you the best of both worlds. The 8-hour eating window is short enough to make you metabolically efficient, and the 16 hours away from food allows your body to rest from the demanding process of digestion.
This rest keeps insulin low, which encourages the release of fat from storage. It also enhances your metabolism by increasing the production of metabolic regulators like norepinephrine and growth hormone (1) (2).
Step 1: Get Comfortable with 16:8 Fasting
The first step for boosting your slow metabolism is to work up to 16 hours of fasting a day. If you do not currently practice intermittent fasting, but you’re in generally good health, it is fine to jump right into this fasting routine.
However, keep in mind that your body will not be fully prepared for the change. So, you might feel a bit under the weather and hungry if you make the switch too quickly.
If you are new to fasting, the alternative is to start with a 12-hour fast and then work your way up to 16 hours of fasting per day. When you reach that level, you may find that it is enough to get your weight loss on track. However, if your weight loss is still stalled, you can throw your body a curveball by introducing an OMAD fast.
Step 2: Boost Weight Loss with OMAD
OMAD is an acronym that stands for “one meal a day.” That meal is generally consumed over the course of an hour, so OMAD can also be thought of as a 23-hour fast.
You can eat a large meal during your eating window, but, as you can imagine, it is hard to consume a full day’s worth of calories within one hour. This has some advantages and disadvantages.
The main advantage is that the lower calorie intake will likely result in weight loss. However, if you string too many low-calorie days together, you can slow your metabolism even further.
To boost weight loss without negative consequences, practice 16:8 fasting six days of the week and then reduce your food intake to one meal for the remaining day.
This strategy will give you an overall calorie deficit for the week, but because you are eating a sufficient number of calories six days of the week, it keeps your metabolism active.
Takeaway
The trick to managing a slow metabolism is to make your body deal with change. Your body is a wonderfully adaptive machine. But, when it is comfortable with your routine, it doesn’t have to work hard, which means it gets to conserve energy.
You want your body to work and expend calories. This is what having a strong resting metabolic rate is all about. The stronger your resting metabolic rate, the more calories your body burns while at rest.
If you were not blessed with a fast metabolism or you are stuck on a weight loss plateau, you can put your body to work by throwing OMAD fasting into your regular 16:8 fasting routine.
If you want to learn more about fasting and how to avoid common fasting mistakes, you can download my free Fasting “How-to” Guide.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful week!
References:
(1) Zauner, Christian, et al. “Resting energy expenditure in short-term starvation is increased as a result of an increase in serum norepinephrine.” The American journal of clinical nutrition 71.6 (2000): 1511-1515.
(2) Ho, Klan Y., et al. “Fasting enhances growth hormone secretion and amplifies the complex rhythms of growth hormone secretion in man.” The Journal of clinical investigation 81.4 (1988): 968-975.
About the Author
Becky Gillaspy, DC graduated Summa Cum Laude with research honors from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1991.