The Eating Windows

• 12-8-hour window.

• 12-hour window for general health and more muscle increase.

• 8-hour window most effective for fat loss.

The Timing of Meals

The great thing about time restricted eating is that there is numerous ways it can be executed. When helping clients design the right approach for them the main factors that we take into account are; fitness goals, eating preferences, their 24-hour body clock, time factors, schedules, and exercise.

Two universal rules no matter what timings are executed; avoid eating close to bed and snacking. Try your hardest to have finished your final meal 3 hours before bed. Believe me, I know this isn’t always possible but it’s the aim. In regard to snacking, remember every time you eat you pretty much block fat burning for 3 hours, so id prefer lager meals to snacking.

But here are a couple of examples of how you could approach it.

8-hour Window/Fat Loss/ Happy Not To Eat Breakfast

Breakfast is the easiest meal to skip for most people in my experience and there’s a physiological reason for this. When we sleep we have reduced levels of the hunger hormone (ghrelin) and increased levels of the hormone that releases energy (leptin). So theoretically in the morning we can take advantage of these hormones and extend our fat burning window from when we were sleeping without being too hungry. Remember we burn most fat in our sleep mostly due to leptin and not eating while sleeping.

A person who performs this time restricted eating window normally aims to eat lunch at about 12pm/1pm and dinner at about 6-8pm.

10-Hour Window/ Wishes Breakfast/ Does Plenty of Activity / Just a Little Bit of Weight to Lose

Example- Breakfast at 8am, lunch at 12pm-1pm an dinner at 6pm, and no snacking.

12-Hour Window, General Health, Increasing Muscle, Plenty of Activity/ Long Working Day.

Example- Breakfast 7am, lunch 12-1pm, dinner finished by 7pm, and no snacking.

Types of Food

• Lots of whole natural foods

• Aiming for 30 different plant sources a week.

• Outdoor bred, grass fed, foraging diet meats.

• Fish and seafood.

• Natural fats like; butter, coconut oil, olive oil, full fat yogurt, eggs, aavocado, nuts and seeds.

• Limit, processed carbs, refined sugar, sweet drinks.

• Aim to still consume adequate protein for muscles 1.6- 2grams per kg of body weight.

Treats

If you want the occasional treat its best added to the end of a proper meal rather than as a separate snack.

Liquids

During the fasting period stick to water, black coffee, teas with no milk or sugar.

Exercise

If you’ve fasted before your exercise session and don’t feel you have enough energy for a good workout consider having a banana. Try and eat one of your meals asap after exercise to help with the repair process.