As a weight loss expert, Michael Mosley is well known for helping people shed pounds and one of his recommended ways uses a simple fasting rule.
When trying to lose weight, one of the most important things to consider is how many calories you're eating and making sure you're getting all the nutrients you need.
This, paired with exercise, is an effective way to drop the pounds - but taking an extra step could make the weight-loss process much faster and easier for you.
This extra step is the 12:12 rule, which follows a process called time-restricted eating, or TRE.
It's a form of intermittent fasting, which means that all of the calories you plan on eating during the day are consumed within a certain amount of time.
For the best weight loss results, Michael recommends eating within a 12-hour period and then fasting for the other 12 - hence the '12:12' rule. You can do the fasting overnight, for example, eating your last meal of the day at 8pm and then having breakfast at 8am the following morning.
Then, once you get comfortable with doing that, you can extend the fasting time to 14 hours, with 8 hours of eating throughout the day. And if you feel like you can, the maximum amount of time Michael recommends for fasting is 16 hours.
How does the 12:12 rule work?
Fasting for a certain amount of hours throughout the day is claimed to have many benefits.
Most adults tend to eat for around 15 hours every day, which doesn't leave enough time for cells to repair and could lead to long-term health complications and physiological stress.
Time-restricted eating is essentially a way to reverse this - it can also help you to consume fewer calories, lose weight, be more alert during the day and generally have a better mood.
When carrying out the 12:12 rule, it's important to make sure you're eating nutritious and filling foods so that you won't be tempted to break your fast too soon. Consuming plenty of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals will also help to repair the pathways in your body that fasting triggers.
Can anyone do intermittent fasting?
Time-restricted eating, although it can be an effective weight loss tool, isn't for everyone.
Michael says that people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, on medication or under the age of 18 shouldn't be doing intermittent fasting.
If you do want to add it to your weight loss regime, it's recommended that you speak to your GP first and seek advice.
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