Intermittent Fasting 19/5 vs 16/8
Written by Andrew Brewer. ⚕️Reviewed and fact checked by our medical team.
Intermittent fasting is a great way to lose weight, but its benefits extend far beyond. It’s a great tool for disease prevention, helping your cells regenerate to promote your overall health and wellbeing. With such powerhouse benefits, it can be challenging to know how to pick the right plan for you. The more you fast, the more benefits you can get, and often the threshold for most is 16/8. But what about 19/5?
Let’s explore the benefits of these intermittent fasts, any key differences between the two, and what you need to consider to make the best choice for you.
Key Takeaways
Intermittent fasting has a wide range of benefits beyond weight loss, including improved blood sugar, cholesterol, and sleep. It can also help prevent diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
The main difference between 19/5 and 16/8 intermittent fasting is the length of the fasting window. Longer fasts may offer more benefits, but may also be more challenging to sustain.
When choosing between different intermittent fasting plans, it's important to consider your goals and eating schedule. Experimenting with different fasting schedules can help you find the plan that works best for you.
Benefits of 19/5 Intermittent Fasting
19/5 is a flexible choice, a stepping stone until you get to 20/4 fasting, but for many, it’s a sweet spot. Your body will start to trigger autophagy, helping your body purge damaged cells and regenerate new ones for improved performance. You may even enter early ketosis, which is when your body converts fat to energy to help power its base function.
With this will come lower blood sugar, reduced cholesterol, and improved sleep. Some even say that intermittent fasting can help you live longer, reducing your risk of developing life-threatening diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and more.
Benefits of 16/8 Intermittent Fasting
16/8 is one of the most popular types of intermittent fasting. You can sleep for half of your fasting window, which helps the time go by. In addition to losing weight, you will improve your insulin level, rest your gut, lower your bad cholesterol, and more. This is where you start to see the most benefits. Though fasting for shorter periods of time will have similar impacts, they will just take longer to show up.
16/8 can help promote HGH growth, helping your cells to regenerate, especially those in your tissues. You may even notice a youthful glow in your skin.
What are the Differences?
The differences between 19/5 and 16/8 intermittent fasting are subtle but clear. The longer you fast, the more benefits you get. Here are a few.
Fasting Window
The biggest difference is the fasting window. In the beginning, you may struggle with intermittent fasting, but as you level up, you’ll get used to the times between eating. During 16/8, you’re fasting for 16 hours, some of which you can spread over sleeping times. The same goes for 19/5, but in this case, you’ll be fasting for 19 hours. The eating window is shorter but focuses on eating core nutrition like protein, fiber, and healthy fats during this time.
Improved Weight Loss
As you fast longer, your body burns more fat. You are allowing it more time to dig into the fat stores, which is what intermittent fasting does best. You’ll start to see results quicker if you fast longer, though the actual weight loss varies from person to person. Someone who is overweight may initially drop pounds sooner, while someone who is healthier may notice the fat distribution in their bodies changing.
Longevity
19/5 intermittent fasting boosts the disease-prevention benefits you get from 16/8 fasting. As you level out your blood sugar, you prevent diabetes. As your cells regenerate, you lessen the chance of developing devastating diseases like cancer. Your cholesterol levels will drop over time, preventing heart disease. When you don’t develop these harmful diseases, then you have the potential to live longer.
How to Choose?
Choosing between the two doesn’t need to be difficult. Identify your goals and map out your eating schedule. Ensuring proper timing can help you stick to your intermittent fasting plan. Once you’ve got a clear picture in your mind, move forward! Just make sure to level up to advanced fasting.
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FAQ
What is the 19/5 intermittent fasting method?
The 19/5 intermittent fasting method involves a 19-hour fasting window followed by a 5-hour eating window.
What is the 16/8 intermittent fasting method?
The 16/8 intermittent fasting method involves a 16-hour fasting window followed by an 8-hour eating window.
How does the 19/5 intermittent fasting method compare to the 16/8 intermittent fasting method?
The 19/5 intermittent fasting method involves a longer fasting window than the 16/8 method, which may lead to greater weight loss and other health benefits. However, the longer fasting window may also be more challenging for some people.
