Yesterday the Today show mentioned a new diet plan.

It is claimed that people can lose weight by eating anything they want, but only during a set eight-hour period. This is usually called the 8-Hour Diet. The authors of the plan feel that staying up late, and eating around the clock in our 24-hour culture is responsible for the country’s high rates of diabetes and obesity. According to an excerpt from the book, ‘Our bodies can’t process the food we eat [after hours], and those calories end up where they shouldn’t – around our bellies and butts.’

It’s suggested that you eat whatever you want during eight hours but fast for 16 hours. You can choose when you want the eating period to start. Fasting for 16 hours will shrink your stomach allowing you to feel full faster.

Obviously if you eat healthy, you’ll do better. They even have a “power foods” list which they suggest incorporating.

Exercise is encouraged (especially for a minimum of eight minutes at the end of the fasting period).

I’m going to try it. I’ll personalize the plan to fit our life style. Each day I’ll try to look ahead and will set my eight hour period to match our planned activities.

If something unforeseen causes me to eat later than anticipated, the next day I’ll start the plan later.

Example: Last night we had dinner later than usual because we went to line dance lesson. It was about 7:15 when we ate dinner. Since I’d had toast at 10:30 a.m. our evening meal was ready beyond my eight hour period which should have ended at 6:30. So I’ll hold off my first food today until after 11:30 and stop eating at 7:30.

Tomorrow we have plans to go to a birthday party which will include dinner and it starts at 5:30. I think I’ll have the eating period start at noon and end at 8:00.

Thank heavens I can drink non-caloric beverages (including coffee) during the fasting period. Lots of water is encouraged.

I’ll keep you posted on how it works.