12 Hour Eating Window
Hello phase 3, hello 12 hour eating window.
During this phase, we suggest you consume your 3 meals and 2 snacks within a 12 hour ‘eating window’.
So, your breakfast may be at 7am which means that your final meal or snack will be consumed by 7pm.
Your daily routine may suit 6am - 6pm or 8am – 8pm, it’s completely up to you! The key here is to have that fasted period when you’re sleeping overnight and don’t require a lot of energy.
This gentle form of intermittent fasting will give your digestive system a break from converting food into energy. It will allow insulin levels to stabilise and appetite hormones to reset. A 12-hour eating window also reduces incidental night-time snacking. The types of food we often choose to eat late at night are often not that nutritious. If you’re truly, physically hungry throughout the 12-hour fast, then it’s important to eat something.
Intermittent fasting enhances hormone function that assists with weight loss. Lower insulin levels,
higher human growth hormone levels, and increased amounts of norepinephrine all increase the
breakdown of body fat and enable its use for energy. During a fasting period, the body kick-starts
important cellular repair processes, such as removing waste material from cells. There are beneficial changes in several genes and molecules related to longevity and protection against disease.
However, there can sometimes be implications from fasting.
Longer fasting times are typical of stricter forms of intermittent fasting. However, women should not fast for longer than 14 hours as it can disrupt hormone levels.
Breastfeeding and pregnant women should not strictly fast either. Breastfeeding mums with an established milk supply may be able to introduce the 12-hour eating window, but this should not be at the detriment of milk supply or ignoring appetite cues. Overnight shift workers will still need to include meals or snacks based on their work routine.
Please note: You should not commit to fasting if you have diabetes, a history of disordered eating, take medication requiring food or are prone to dizziness and fainting.
In Phase 3, we challenge you to eat your meals and snacks without the distraction of a screen (phone, computer, tablet or TV). This is the first step to more mindful eating - being present and focused during the act of eating.
Many of us are sitting down to meals with a fork in one hand and a phone in the other. Research has shown that a distracted eater not only ate more during the distracted meal but also had a greater food intake later in the day. If you often find yourself so distracted during a meal that you look down at your plate and wonder what happened to all that food, you should prioritise mindful eating.
During this phase, we suggest you consume your 3 meals and 2 snacks within a 12 hour ‘eating window’. So, your breakfast may be at 7am which means that your final meal or snack will be consumed by 7pm.
Your daily routine may suit 6am - 6pm or 8am – 8pm, it’s completely up to you! The key here is to have that fasted period when you’re sleeping overnight and don’t require a lot of energy.
You may be surprised just how easy it is to fast during these times! A lot of the time, we eat at certain times of the day purely based on habit from when we were younger, not necessarily based off a hunger for food.
Here is Liz, our resident dietician explaining the Eating Window in further detail:
Give it a try and let us know what you think!
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