Discover the power of 20-hour intermittent fasting for rapid weight loss. Learn strategies that really work and start shedding pounds today.
If you’ve been searching for an effective and sustainable way to shed those extra pounds, intermittent fasting may be the answer you’ve been looking for. I know it was for me.
As a woman, way over 40, intermittent fasting, specifically 20 hour intermittent fasting, helped me to STOP DIETING and easily lose 46 pounds in 4 months.
In this post, I will share the benefits of 20 hours of intermittent fasting, as well as the best strategies for achieving the most weight loss.
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What is Intermittent Fasting?
Contrary to the beliefs of many, Intermittent fasting is actually NOT A DIET that dictates what foods you SHOULD or SHOULD NOT eat. Simply put – Intermittent Fasting, or time-restricted eating, is a LIFESTYLE that offers FLEXIBILITY, SIMPLICITY and REAL HEALTH & WEIGHT LOSS RESULTS!
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that alternates between periods of fasting and eating. Rather than focusing on what you eat, it emphasizes when you eat. During the fasting periods, your body taps into stored fat for energy, promoting weight loss.
And, OMG! Can I just say that intermittent fasting has COMPLETELY changed my life! After reading two life-changing intermittent fasting books, DELAY, DON’T DENY: Living an Intermittent Fasting Lifestyle and FAST. FEAST. REPEAT, I was sold. I jumped into fasting right away and within 4 months I had lost 46 pounds. You can read all about my Weight Loss Journey RIGHT HERE!
Different Intermittent Fasting Methods
There are several different intermittent fasting methods to choose from, allowing flexibility to find the intermittent fasting protocol that suits you best.
The 16:8 method involves fasting for 16 hours and having an 8-hour feeding window each day.
For those looking for a slightly longer fasting period, the 18:6 and 20:4 methods provide fasting periods of 18 and 20 hours, respectively, with corresponding shorter eating windows.
Another popular method is the 5:2 approach. This is where you eat normally for five days of the week and restrict calorie and food intake on two non-consecutive fasting days.
Lastly, alternate-day fasting requires complete calorie restriction for a full 24 hours. Then, followed by a 24-hour regular eating period, done every other day. These diverse intermittent fasting protocols offer flexibility, allowing you to choose the type of fasting that best fits your schedule, preferences, and lifestyle.
Overall Health & Weight Loss Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting has quickly gained popularity, for its incredible weight loss and health benefits.
First and foremost, it promotes fat burning and decreases body weight. It does this by triggering the body’s metabolic processes to utilize stored fat as an energy source. This leads to gradual and sustainable long term weight loss.
Additionally, intermittent fasting has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity. This helps with blood sugar control and may help to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
It also supports cardiovascular health by helping to fight against heart disease and reducing blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and inflammation.
Furthermore, intermittent fasting promotes autophagy, a cellular repair process that may help delay aging, reduce oxidative stress and protect against certain diseases.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the amazing benefits of living an intermittent fasting lifestyle.
How “exactly” does Intermittent Fasting help with weight loss?
So, how does intermittent fasting work and why does it work so well? An intermittent fasting plan helps with weight loss by controlling when you eat. When you give your body specific times to eat and fast, it’s like flipping a switch that tells it to burn fat for energy.
How to Lose Weight Fast with 20 Hour Intermittent Fasting
Why the 20 Hour Fast is Awesome for Weight Loss
The 20 hour intermittent fast is often referred to by a few different names. Some of the most popular names include 20:4, OMAD (One Meal a Day) and the Warrior Diet.
When it comes to weight loss, the 20 hour intermittent fast has gained attention as an extremely effective approach. This eating pattern follows a 20:4 fasting schedule, where you fast for 20 hours and have a 4-hour window of eating. This intermittent fasting method emphasizes a “feast and fast” concept, with a focus on nutrient-dense foods during the 4-hour window.
The 20 hour intermittent fast, was first made popular by the book The Warrior Diet written by Ori Hofmekler. The strict version, requires you to limit yourself to water and other calorie-free beverages during your fasting window. This is the preferred method that I use and have found the most success with.
This approach also taps into the body’s natural fat-burning mechanisms. Fat burning typically begins after approximately 12 hours of fasting, however, fat-burning really escalates between 16 and 24 hours.
The 20 hour intermittent fasting mark truly is the “sweet spot” because after 20 hours, your body generally goes into ketosis. This is a metabolic state where your body starts to tap into stored fat for energy. A daily fasting routine that incorporates 20 hours of fasting can really ramp up weight loss and fat-burning.
5 Benefits of 20 Hours of Intermittent Fasting
There are numerous benefits when it comes to prolonged extended fasting. Let’s take a look at five of them.
- One very exciting key benefit of fasting for 20 hours each day is accelerated weight loss. With a prolonged fasting period, the body relies on stored fat as the primary source of energy. Additionally, this extended fasting window helps to regulate blood sugar levels. It also reduces the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
- Intermittent fasting for 20 hours also supports cellular repair processes such as autophagy. Autophagy is a natural cleaning out process. This process allows your body to break down and reuse old cell parts so your cells can operate more efficiently. Autophagy can promote longevity and protect against certain diseases.
- In addition, intermittent fasting for 20 hours has been shown to reduce inflammation in the body.
- Prolonged fasting also increases (HGH) human growth hormone. Increased HGH levels can support fat loss and preserve muscle mass. Dr. Jason Fung, does an excellent job of explaining the connection between fasting and increased HGH levels in his Best-Selling book, The Obesity Code.
- Finally, a 20-hour fasting window provides simplified meal planning. It reduces the number of meals, making meal planning and preparation more manageable and potentially leading to healthier food choices.
5 Strategies for Best 20:4 Weight Loss Results
If you should decide that the 20 hour intermittent fasting method is right for you, implementing a few key strategies may be helpful. These simple strategies may help to significantly boost your weight loss and give you the best results.
Strategy #1: Use a Meal Delivery Service
Since your entire daily calorie intake will be consumed within a 4-hour window, fueling your body with high quality, “window worthy” foods is an absolute necessity! A meal delivery service, such as GREEN CHEF, may be a perfect option for you. I know it was for me.
Meal delivery services are HEALTHY, AFFORDABLE, CONVENIENT, DELICIOUS and they help support SUSTAINABLE WEIGHT LOSS. I have been using a meal delivery service since I started my weight loss journey three years ago. It has been nothing short of life-changing in so many ways and I couldn’t love it more.
CLICK HERE to learn about the 10 Best Reasons to Use a Meal Delivery Service.
Strategy #2: Reduce your Carb Intake
If you really want to expedite your weight loss and get the best results, you must try combining 20 hour intermittent fasting with low-carb eating!
Why does combining these two principles work so well for so many people? Simply put – they are SYNERGISTIC and DOING ONE MAKES THE OTHER WORK BETTER!
We know that being in the fasted state, helps to promote fat adaptation and reduces our blood sugar and insulin levels. So, when we eat a low-carb or Keto diet, it makes us even better at burning fat. In addition, our sugar cravings are greatly reduced and because of this, it allows us to fast easier and longer!
CLICK HERE to learn more about how I personally combined these two strategies to lose 46 pounds in 4 months.
Strategy #3: Drink Plain Sparking Mineral Water
Completing a 20 hour fast can seem pretty daunting at times. However, I have found a strategy that has helped make fasting all day, not only manageable, but enjoyable.
Okay! Can you say GAME CHANGER? Oh my Goodness! Once I started drinking plain sparkling mineral water, fasting for 20 hours straight became a breeze.
I don’t exactly know what it is but the bubbles and the carbonation does something truly magical inside your tummy. It not only curbs your appetite and gets rid of those nagging hunger pangs, it legit, makes you feel like you are having a fancy soda (or “pop” as we like to call it here in the mid-west!)
My favorite sparkling water brands are: LaCroix “Innocent” and “PurAqua Italian Sparkling Water.” The LaCroix can be found at most grocery stores. The PurAqua Italian Sparkling Water” can only be found at Aldi Grocery Stores.
I love them both because they are super yummy and super cheap! Just make sure it is plain so it DOES NOT BREAK YOUR FAST!
Strategy #4: Use an Electrolyte Supplement like LMNT
We normally get a steady supply of electrolytes when we eat and drink. However, when we “fast” we have to do some dipping into our body’s limited stored supply of electrolytes. These stored electrolytes deplete pretty quickly when fasting and can cause us to feel a bit crappy!
Taking an electrolyte supplement while fasting is a great way to help fuel your body with the nutrients it needs.
There are so many benefits to using an electrolyte supplement while intermittent fasting. Some of these benefits include increased energy, improved focus, less body cramping, fewer headaches and much better sleep. The best benefit of all may be the reduction of “hangry” feelings while fasting.
Minerals don’t have any energy value, so they, alone, won’t break your fast. However, many electrolyte supplements on the market are enhanced with junk, and this “added junk” will indeed break your fast.
It can be VERY HARD to find a good quality, clean electrolyte supplement that will not break your fast. My favorite is the LMNT RAW UNFLAVORED ELECTROLYTE PACKETS. They are super easy to use. I just add one packet to about 16 ounces of water.
I really struggled the first few weeks of my IF weight loss journey. Some days felt nearly impossible. Many days, I didn’t know if I would be able to complete a 20 hour intermittent fast. My body was struggling to adapt to fewer calories and living on black coffee while trying to become fat-adapted. I experienced dizziness, headaches and VERY LOW energy!
Once I incorporated the electrolyte supplement, however, it really helped to alleviate those symptoms. LMNT Electrolyte Packets are both Sugar-Free and Gluten-Free. They contain NO FILLERS, NO ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS and they are the perfect ratio of Sodium, Potassium and Magnesium.
Strategy #5: End your Eating Window with a Healthy Fat
Alright, here’s the deal! Certain foods spike your insulin levels and disrupt your blood sugar levels much more than other foods do. This sometimes causes your body to have a crash and burn feeling and a drop in energy levels after eating them. However, foods that contain healthy fats create an extremely low (if any) insulin/blood sugar spike when consumed.
Ending your eating window with a healthy fat food is an excellent strategy that can help you fast easier and longer and ultimately, lose more body fat.
Closing your eating window with a “healthy fat” food helps stabilize your blood sugar and ramp up your energy levels. Additionally, munching on healthy fats at the end of your eating window, promotes satiety and feelings of fullness lasting well into your next fast. And this, my fasting friends… is a very BEAUTIFUL THING! Why, you ask? Because it will give you the extra push needed to easily reach your fasting, weight loss and health goals!
I think the MOST PERFECT FOOD to eat before closing your eating window is an AVOCADO. It is an absolute SUPERFOOD and contains tons of antioxidants, as well as 10 grams of filling fiber per cup! AND… Avocados even help fight heart disease too!
If you don’t care for avocados, other great “healthy fat” food choices to end your 20 hour intermittent fast with include: SALMON, COCONUT OIL, GOOD QUALITY CHEESE, HARD-BOILED EGGS, NUTS (especially macadamia nuts, almonds & walnuts) and CHIA SEEDS!
That’s a Wrap
In conclusion, incorporating 20-hour intermittent fasting into your weight loss journey can be an effective strategy to achieve fast and sustainable long term results. By embracing this approach, you tap into your body’s natural fat-burning capabilities and optimize insulin sensitivity. Intermittent fasting is not a one-size-fits-all solution, so it’s important to listen to your body and experiment with finding the fasting pattern that works best for you and your overall health.
CLICK HERE, to listen to my PODCAST INTERVIEW with Gin Stephens where I spill all the juicy details of how I successfully lost 46 pounds in 4 months with intermittent fasting.
And… if you’re ready to go ALL IN and finally lose weight and get healthy FOR GOOD, I’m totally here for YOU! In my INTERMITTENT FASTING and WEIGHT LOSS MASTERCLASS: 6 Weeks to Sexy, I will teach you step-by-step, week-by-week, exactly HOW I lost 46 Pounds in 4 Months with Intermittent Fasting! I’ll share with you every single TIP, TRICK, RECIPE & STRATEGY that I used to reach my goal weight and maintain for over two years now! CLICK HERE if you’re ready to do this TOGETHER!
SECRET BONUS FOR YOU: If you have read this far – THANK YOU – Please use the following discount code: if25 at checkout as a personal thank you from me and receive $25 off of my intermittent fasting weight loss video course.
Love and Many Blessings to You!
