Ooh, the $60m question! If I had a pound (money, not weight, thanks!) for every time I have been asked that question, I would indeed be very rich. A recent study looks like it has finally provided us with the answer:
…if you are wanting to modify visceral fat, control blood sugar and improve muscle-to -fat ratio and do it quickly then you will be comforted to learn of a successful trial published in the well-known Cell Metabolism Journal[1].
Michael Ash, Nutri-Link
The randomised trial demonstrated that utilising the principles of time-restricted eating (TRE) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in combination is remarkably effective at reducing fat.
The trial confirms that by following the strategy in as little as seven weeks, you will shift weight, lose body fat and belly fat, and shed inches from your waistline faster than with many diet regimens and at double the rate you would by employing either of these approaches alone. [Wow!, Ed]
The authors state in conclusion, that their findings suggest that combining TRE with HIIT can rapidly induce several health benefits and decrease metabolic disease risk in women with overweight/obesity.
The high rates of compliance and adherence highlight the potential of these diet-exercise protocols to be implemented in clinical practice for treatment and primary prevention of overweight/obesity.
The study suggests a time restricted eating window of 10 hours or fewer per day combined with high intensity interval training exercises of 3 x 35 minutes a day is the about the right combo to achieve the above. VERY useful to know.
TRE (time restricted eating) was the key – and the researchers allowed people to eat as much or as often as necessary or desired during that window ie. no actual calorie restriction. So, it was the time restriction that worked. Obviously, if you also eat healthily (see the Low GL Belly fat food lists here), the effect is going to be even better on blood sugar etc – which is the main cause of belly fat.
The 10 hours could be something like 8am-6pm or 10am-8pm, whatever suits your lifestyle. I struggle with it personally because my nocturnal blood sugar drop (due to PCOS and now menopause) keeps me awake. But I try to do it when I can and I am getting better over time!
I note, actually, that Tim Spector from the wonderful Zoe app that we were all relying on throughout Covid for sensible information, are doing a huge study on intermittent fasting using the 10 hour window approach. They are looking for participants so why not join the community science project and help out. They’ve also done a very interesting intro video here:
There’s also another good sciency video discussing the 10 hour approach here:
Ok, next: HIIT. What is that all about? It’s effectively getting out of puff. Doing what I call quick burst activity (which incidentally is good for brain function too!) and following it with a short recovery time, then repeating. So: warm up, then quick, slow, quick, slow etc, cool down. You get the gist. Examples might be
- Using a stationary bike, pedalling as hard and fast as possible for 30 seconds. Then, pedalling at a slower, easy pace for 2–4 minutes.
- After warming up, sprint as fast as you can for 15 seconds. Then, walk or jog at a slow pace for 1–2 minutes. You could do that outside or on a treadmill.
- Perform squat jumps or jumping jacks as quickly as possible for 30–90 seconds, then resting and repeating.
I tend to try and do burst activity by running up the stairs as fast as I can to go to the upstairs loo, lol. To do true HIIT, you would need to keep repeating run up, walk down, walk on the spot for a bit, then run up again etc etc. You get the point.
The study suggests 3 x 35 minutes a week of HIIT. You can find plenty of workouts on Youtube, apps etc. You may need to build up from 5-10 minutes as a beginner. I particularly liked the easing into it advice in this walking HIIT workout.
Here, too, is a useful video for you – a low impact beginners one (although I’d like to be as fit as her!)
OK, so some really useful info there. Do read the full study here. Maybe I should build a weight loss programme around it and attack this obesity epidemic we seem to be developing in the UK? It is sorely needed: research now strongly suggests that most people who suffered more severely from Covid were obese or had disordered blood sugar control. That should wake us up to the need to do something about is as a population. I love that Zoe have recognised that and have started working on it as their next campaign!
Do you already do HIIT or TRE? Please give us your tips so we can all learn how to do it effectively!