The Warrior Diet or the 20/4 diet is a form of intermittent fasting that involves consuming little to no food during fasting hours, and short periods of feasting hours. It is an effective way to lose weight and improve your energy levels and mental clarity.
What is the Warrior Diet?
The Warrior Diet is one of the many variations of intermittent fasting where you fast for 20 hours and eat as much food as you can during the 4-hour eating window. The Warrior Diet was created in 2001 by Ori Hofmekler, a former member of the Israeli forces. The diet is supposedly based on ancient Roman and Spartan warriors who eat very little during active days, then eat as much as they can at night.
How does it work?
This approach to intermittent fasting is also known as the 20:4 diet. Like the popular 16/8 diet, the Warrior Diet consists of daily feasting and eating window. However, the eating window of this type of diet is shorter and limited; therefore, you’ll have to eat as much as you can during the eating period.
You are free to eat whatever you want during the feasting period as long as you eat nothing during the fasting period. Compared to the 16/8 diet, it’s easier to fit your daily calorie intake for 8 hours rather than 4. Additionally, it’s more challenging to fast during the day in a Warrior Diet than it is to fast overnight in a 16/8 diet.
What are the benefits of the Warrior Diet?
Because you eat fewer calories than you normally would during the day by eating only during window hours, your weight will decrease at a faster rate compared to restricting calorie intake. When you shrink your eating window, you’ll benefit from decrease inflammation, manageable blood sugar, and decrease the risk of chronic diseases. But not everyone can benefit from this diet. What works for you might not work for others.
What are the side effects of the Warrior Diet?
The Warrior Diet is a restrictive and extreme form of intermittent fasting. It could lead to disordered eating if not done properly.
The diet also promotes binge eating during the feasting hours; therefore, it can lead to stomach distention or even heartburn. Some may become obsessive about the feasting hours, which can cause a person to develop harmful behaviors.
Getting 20 hours without food changes how your body uses fuel, and it can lead to decreased metabolism. This means if you stop the diet, you are likely to gain more weight.
If you experience fatigue and hunger during your fasting period, this type of fasting may probably not be a good fit for you.
Who isn’t fit for the Warrior Diet
The Warrior Diet may be difficult to apply for a long period of time, so cannot work for everyone. People who take medications which should be taken with food aren’t fit for this type of diet. Diabetic people should consult their doctor first because this type of diet can mess with your blood sugar levels.
Additionally, pregnant women, children or people who have been diagnosed with eating disorders shouldn’t try this diet.