Just adjusting the meal time burns fat, what is the true nature of the 8 to 2 diet?

What is circadian rhythm?

It's a well-known fact that late-night snacking is harmful to your health. Even if you eat the same amount of food, the food you eat during the day is beneficial to your body, while the food you eat at night can cause problems. But why is there a difference between day and night?

There is a circadian rhythm in the human body. Circadian rhythms are when our behavioral and physiological phenomena form a specific pattern on a 24-hour cycle, and this rhythm repeats itself continuously every day.

The circadian rhythm is divided on the basis of day and night. This is because it is sunlight that has a decisive influence on the formation of circadian rhythms. Depending on sunlight, the body secretes hormones to optimize activity and digest, absorb, and store food during the day, and to optimize sleep and the breakdown of stored nutrients at night.

8 to 2 diet tailored to circadian rhythms

The 8 to 2 diet is based on the idea that you can maintain optimal health by sleeping and fasting at night instead of eating during the day in line with this circadian rhythm.

The 8 to 2 diet limits the time of three meals a day between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Similarly, intermittent fasting, which emphasizes time-of-eating, allows you to set your own fasting time and eat at your own free time, while the 8 to 2 diet requires you to limit your food intake time to daylight hours between 8 a.m. and 2 a.m.

There is a lot of research to support the effectiveness of the 8 to 2 diet in aligning with circadian rhythms. In fact, in 2016, Dr. Courtney Peterson and his team at Alabama State University conducted an application study that showed that adjusting the timing of eating to match circadian rhythms can help control appetite and weight. Overweight or obese men and women around the age of 30 were given the same total calories, with one group eating three meals between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., and the other eating three meals between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. and then fasting. Limiting the amount of time they ate during the day between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. increased fat burning rates and helped control hunger.

Although this study has limitations due to its small sample size and short-term study, it is significant as evidence that eating during the day can help with weight control, even if you don't reduce your calorie intake.

For a long time, humans have been active and fed mainly during the day, and rested and starved at night. This long-standing circadian rhythm is still an important factor in determining our health. If possible, it is recommended to eat during the day and fast at night.