I am a complete sucker for a good magazine headline.
I spotted this issue of Women’s Health at the airport on Sunday but stopped myself from grabbing it because I knew I had a subscription waiting at home. I was curious about the “8 Hour Diet” headline but figured it was just that you can only eat during a specific 8 hour time period. 
When I flipped through my issue yesterday I discovered I was kinda right. The “hook” of the diet is that you can eat anything you want within a set 8 hour time period and only have to workout for 8 minutes each morning. But, it does also encourages you to eat fiber, protein and healthy fats. I just think the “Protein, Fiber and Healthy Fat Diet” doesn’t have the same ring?
I personally think the more important 8 hour diet is one where you get 8 hours of sleep. At least for me – I know if I don’t get enough sleep I hit the snacks hard in the afternoon when I’m dragging.
WebMD on Sleep and Weight Gain
Study on Sleep Deprivation and Weight Loss
In other news… I had a great 8 mile run today!!!
and a great omelet too. Happy happy.
And because I love twitter and lalalove Will Ferrell, I have to share:
Question: How much sleep did you get last night?
I got 7 glorious hours, would have been 8 but I missed the Housewives of Miami and wanted to see lost footage. How sad for me.
{ 43 comments… read them below or add one }
If I don’t get 8 hours a night, then I am not a pleasant girl. I am much more productive and friendly on a full night’s sleep!
I only got about 5-6 hours last night and I am feeling it hard right now. Off to get a coffee!
I’m confused. I thought “Weight Loss Wednesday” was supposed to be about YOUR efforts/status in your weight loss journey. Recently though you’ve just been doing (half)reviews of fad diets.
I haven’t been focusing on my own weight loss for a while, but kept getting requests to keep WLW up. I’ll probably phase it out at some point, but when I see something like this I ‘save’ it for Wednesdays.
It’s amazing how important sleep is. I totally agree I definitely overeat when I’m tired.
Interesting though in the past two days, 3 people have mentioned diets where you only eat certain times of the day. Weird. Trend?
Interesting sounding diet. Have you heard of the new, ridiculous stomach pumping machine? http://abcnews.go.com/Health/stomach-pumping-machine-makes-calories-disappear/story?id=18164739
I really hope people don’t think it’s healthy! What happened to eating healthy and exercising?!
I function much better on eight hours but woke at 4am this morning. I’m already feeling snacky!
Ah! That sounds crazy.
Holy CRAP.
I had about 7 hours blocked out, but apparently started talking to the dog in my sleep at about 2am so I’m not sure that counts? Maybe it’s time the dog didn’t sleep in bed with me…
I couldn’t agree with you more – SLEEP is much more important. Unfortunately, I suck at sleeping and it’s always hard to come by.
Definitely feel very munchy and will eat anything for energy if I don’t get enough sleep!
Basically that “diet” sounds like Intermittent Fasting. I tired IF before and it didn’t work for me but some people who lift swear by it. I just can’t stand how magazines are always posting “quick” fixes that are things most normal people will maintain with for life.
I agree. I’m also really disappointed when I see a magazine like Women’s Health post stuff like this. Though I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. The end goal is to sell more magazines. Ugh.
On another note, great run, Monica!
I’m good with 7 hours, however I have cruddy cough that won’t go away and if i move in the slightest bit, I start coughing all over again…sigh.
Happy Day to You!!!!
I live to sleep. haha. I make sure that I get 8 hours almost every single night. People laugh because I am the only 25 year old in bed at 7:30 PM (I wake up at 4:30 weekdays) but it’s totally worth it to me.
If I have a high mileage week I may even get more!
Weekends I prefer 10-12 hours:-)
Totally agree that sleep plays a huge role in staying healthy and on-track with your meals every day. I’m a snacker when I’m sleep-deprived for sure!
I think sleep is soooooo important. I am much more likely to workout and eat right after a good eight hours of zzzzzzz’s.
SEVEN hours–unprecedented! I am really trying hard to get 7-8 each night this month. I have a horrible habit of doing stuff around the house after my kids go to bed (the only time they’re not in my BEEZ-WAX)
and then suddenly it’s 11:15!!! That is cutting my sleep to less than 6 hours which is no, no good.
With my big race on 2/3, I simply must make sleep a priority. Hopefully by the time race day comes it will be a new habit and I can do it more nights than not.
Happy Wednesday, Monica.
I’m a total “sleep baby”, if I don’t get at least 7 hours I suck at life! I got 8.5 last night. That diet sounds terrible, what if you’re hungry any of the other 16 hours of the day?!? Only working out for 8 mins. does not really sound like a good plan. Your 8 mile run does though!
if i don’t sleep 8 hours, i’m a monster.
I need at least 7.5 hrs of sleep. I was reading about some study showing how sleep deprivation leads to insulin resistance. So sleep really is a key factor to weight loss/maintenance.
I actually got 8 hours, only because I slept through the alarm. If I don’t get 7-8 hrs a night I want to sugar and carb binge like crazy!
11 hours of sleep! (Thanks to my good friend NyQuil…double digit sleeps usually don’t exist in my life)
I’m planning my blog post tomorrow about intermittent fasting (the 8 hour diet). I got the same Women’s Health and I’ve seen it pop up online a couple of times, and it’s ridiculous.
I got my full 8 hours last night, thankfully! Necessary if I’m to be around people at any point!
Hahaha. I love Will Ferrell. That was awesome.
I got at least 8 hours last night, maybe more. But I’m on vacation so that’s why.
I usually only sleep about 5 or 6 hours a night (and I am usually dragging all day long!) but last night I went to bed at 7 and slept for 12 hours! I never do that! I guess I really needed it. I run later in the evening and shower so I think that wakes me up and makes it hard to go to sleep. It seems to be getting worse, the older I get. Good job on the 8 miles!
I love sleep!!! I take it when I can get it, as much as I can get. I work at a coffee shop so I have to be up early to get the rest of the people up! It’s got it’s perks, hellllooo free java
They talked about the 8 hour diet on the today show … but if you take the idea that you can eat anything for 8 hours seriously, then I know there would be a serious problem. I would be eating ice cream all day long… I know there are other guidelines but seems too open to interpretation. Also, you have to include your alcohol in the 8 hours. Then I would be drunk by noon.
Drunk by noon made me smile
My daughter has started teething, so I got 8 hours but it was interrupted. Frequently. Oh we’ll, she’s worth it.
I’ve been sleeping 8-9 hours a night since I’m still on winter break. When I go back to work next week and am clamoring for 7 I’ll be very, very sad (sucks for my students).
I think I got like 7 ish. I know I need more sleep….I am a working mom of a toddler and I get up at the butt crack of dawn to exercise, otherwise I don’t do it. But unfortunately my sleep sometimes suffers for it. I will find the balance some day…hopefully.
Dont even want to admit how much sleep I got but it was between two and three hours of broken sleep due to my unsure if he is teething or just running me for my money seven month old.
I hate how magazines trick you like that! When I see those headlines, I’m ALWAYS tempted to pick it up and buy it! But then I have to remind myself, that the only true way to get results and look healthy and fit, is with time. The whole idea of losing inches in a day or two isn’t realistic…as much as we all wish it could be!
Glad you shared your 8 mile run! That’s great. It’s awesome to find other bloggers who share the same fitness craze like I do.
Thanks for sharing!
I got close to 6 hours of sleep last night. I would love to get 8 but my body never cooperates. I usually go to bed at a time where I could get 7-8 but that never happens – hello 2-4AM!!!
I try and get 8-9 hours every night. I’ve been busy this week and have been averaging about 6 and that is defintely not enough!!!!!
5 and it has been more or less the same for the week. And it’s affecting my entire life. Ok, that sounds too dramatic but it’s true. I can hardly keep my eyes opened during work and I’m so tired and exhausted and have zero motivation to run/workout (though I’m forcing myself to do it…which naturally compounds the problem).
Diets are so weird to me. I once lost 20 lbs in 8 weeks on a Honeycomb cereal and jelly beans diet. There was a specific reason I lost that weight, and as soon as the reason was over I resumed eating like a semi-normal person. I like that idea of the 8 hours of sleep diet!
I have that magazine too – I thought it was interesting about the 8 hour diet. If I eat breakfast at 8am then I would need to be done eating by 4pm – I don’t think I could handle that!
I think I usually get between 7-8 hours of sleep a night, but I wake up a lot at night too.
I am guessing about 7 since I started watching Monday’s Biggest Loser on the DVR. But at least I still got up on time, which has been a challenge for me.
The Kidless Kronicles
I usually get 6-7 hours. I would love to get more but I get up really early for work and would have to go to bed at 8pm to get a full 8 in.
Just found your blog. Super fantastic. Omelets are my go to breakfast post workout…. soooo goood
http://www.alyssaduhe.blogspot.com
You might take a look at my amazon.com ebook, The 4-Hour Diet is better than The 8-Hour Diet. It shows and analyzes daily weight variation over a 2-year case study that demonstrates an exponential decay of excess body fat, even if you pig-out during the 4-hour unrestricted eating interval.