Go Fast Yourself! Part 3
What are some of the top advantages of intermittent fasting (IF)? How can you get started or how do you do it? Let’s talk in this final post of the series!
Some of the top advantages of IF are discussed below!
It’s easy! LCHF (low carb, high fat) diets are not always easy to follow or understand. Many lack the education to understand the differences between fats, carbs, & proteins. It can be downright difficult for anyone to adopt a strict LCHF diet! With IF, it is simple and when you hit your feeding window the food tastes even better!
Saves money! Yep, with IF you spend less money because you eat less quantity of food. Let me explain. In a fed all day state many people eat more frequently and snack often, mostly unhealthy or packaged snacks. With IF, you eat only during your feeding window and most often that means only 1 expensive protein. You can fill up in that feeding window with healthy fruits, veggies, nuts, fats and feel fuller!
It’s convenient believe it or not! So many folks these days simply do not have the time in this 24/7 work day to cook every meal prepared-from-scratch - no matter how much you may want to! Fasting saves time because there is less time spent buying food all the time, preparing, cooking, and cleaning up.
Cheat days - yes oh yes! It is not feasible to ask everyone to give up everything forever. What about at family gatherings or celebrations? With fasting, you have the ability to enjoy those treats on occasion because you do not eat dessert most days. Cheat days are so very important to your mental well-being! Especially for those who struggle with an all-or-nothing approach, cheat days help you find balance in healthy living without guilt or self-reprimand.
You are the POWER! Being healthy and living a healthy lifestyle can be hard and losing weight can be even harder right!? The first question you always ask before beginning a diet is “will this actually work?” Sadly, the answer is usually no. Fasting is pretty darn close to being universally effective since it is one of the more safer ways to lower insulin. IF contains all the power and that power lies in you. With fasting there is no set rules to follow 24/7. You can fast for 10 hours one day or 3 days another week.
Flexibility baby! Fasting can be done anywhere, any time, any place! If you are feeling crappy, you can simply stop - the process is reversible. There is no set duration - you fast for as long as your body feels comfortable. It can ebb and flow with your life because life is unpredictable!
Add to any program! The best part of all is that fasting can be incorporated or added into any other diet! What do we mean? You have a nut allergy? You can still fast. You are travelling all the time? You can still fast. You don’t eat wheat or meat? You can still fast. You cannot cook? You can still fast. The list goes on…
So how do you intermittent fast? There are several options and ideas but again this should be bio-individual. Try a few methods out and you will know very quickly what your body hates, loves, or wants more of.
Short fasts <24 hrs:
16:8 - this involves fasting daily for 16 hours. This is also commonly referred to as an 8-hr eating or feeding window. This means you eat all of your meals within an 8-hr time period and fast for the other 16 hours. Most often this is done daily or almost daily.
20:4 - This has a 4-hr feeding window and a 20-hr fast window. This could involve eating a large lengthy meal or two smaller meals within that 4-hr window.
Longer fasts >24 hrs:
5:2 - this is a version of IF that has some of the most scientific support as most research studies & clinical trials focused on this approach. This involves eating regularly for 5 days, and then fasting for 2 days. It must be noted, on the 2 fasting days, you are allowed to eat 500 calories on each day. Those 500 calories can be consumed at any time during the day; as a single meal or spread throughout the day. Do not panic - remember that most vegetables do not contain calories! You could eat a ton of salad and not hit that 500 calorie mark.
Alternate-day fasting:
36-hr - this of course involves fasting for the entire day. An example would be having your dinner and then not eating the entire next day with your next meal being breakfast. This can provide more powerful weight-loss benefits and can help avoid the temptation to overeat dinner on day 2. Again that should be taken as a bio-individual approach.
Extended fasting: always check with your doctor or alternative health care provider before starting extended fasts to ensure you are in proper health to sustain the fast duration. For fasts longer than 48 hours, make sure that you are getting trace minerals, electrolytes, and take multivitamins since you will not be getting those from the intake of food nutrients.
FAQs:
Is there anyone who should not fast? It is not generally recommended to fast if you are:
Underweight or have an eating disorder like anorexia.
A child under 18 years of age - you need that nutrition to grow properly and get hormonal support during puberty!
Pregnant - you need double the nutrients for mom and baby - now is not the time to be scared of pregnancy weight gain! IF will help you lose it after you are done breast feeding!
Breastfeeding - you need at least 600 extra calories a day to have ample breast milk production. Fasting will decrease this and your baby loses the immune boosting properties of the foods you eat and pass along!
If you have type 1 or 2 diabetes. Again consult your doctor or functional medicine doctor as some with diabetes might benefit from IF sporadically.
If you have gout or high uric acid - get this under control first! Heal/repair before exercising those muscles.
If you have any serious medical conditions, including but not limited to: heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease.
If you take certain prescription medications. Check with your NTP or nutritionist for the contraindications and nutrient depletions.
Won’t I basically begin starvation mode during IF?
This is one of the most common myths about IF and most often times, it is not true! Some studies even suggest that IF can increase the basal metabolic rate and improve overall body composition.
Can I exercise during fasting?
Yes you can! One key thing here is going to be proper electrolyte and mineral balance and extra hydration to give some h2O to those cells! Your body will burn your stored energy AKA fat (can you say yes!) for fuel.
Why did my blood sugar actually go up during fasting?
While this does not happen to everyone, it can occur due to hormonal changes. As long as your blood sugars are not elevated the rest of the day than this is generally not a concern.
What are some of the side effects?
Hunger - yep you might get hungry.
Headaches - these are common in the beginning and often times disappear after the first few times fasting. Taking extra salts or minerals can be helpful here.
Constipation - after all you have less food so less poop! This is an absolutely normal response to eating less. When you begin to experience excessive bloating or abdominal pain/discomfort then make sure to seek medical treatment.
Dizziness, heartburn, muscle cramps, stomach gurgle - again this is going to be related to low electrolyte or mineral balance. Easy fixes are mineral drops, mineral water, ACV/lemon water, salt water.
Will IF burn muscle?
That depends on the duration of the fast and of course the person (bio-individuality). During fasting, the body breaks down glycogen into glucose for energy. After that, the body increases body fat breakdown to provide energy. Excess amount of the building blocks of proteins (amino acids) are also used for energy. However, the body does not burn its own muscle for fuel unless it has to.
How do I manage my hangry - I mean hunger?
Hunger will pass, almost like the waves of the ocean. Hunger does not continue to build or grow until it is unbearable. You can often ignore it by drinking water or a cup of tea or meditating. During extended fasts hunger can increase into the second day. Fret not, after that it tends to subside and eventually a complete loss of hunger sensations go away by days 3 or 4 for extended fasts.
You must have breakfast every day right? I was raised to believe that it helps your metabolism get a jump start!
When this theory has been tested against IF it has been proven false. Skipping breakfast can give your body more time to burn fat for energy! Since hunger is lower in the morning, it might be easiest to skip it and break your fast later in the day.
I’m a woman so I shouldn’t fast right?
No! Fast away girl - but of course there are exceptions like we discussed earlier: significantly underweight, pregnant, or breast feeding. Women trying to conceive have often been discouraged from IF since you may not be able to predict the exact day you get pregnant to make sure you start eating regularly!
So fasting is the same thing as reducing calories?
Not really. Fasting reduces the time you spend eating and focuses on the question of when to eat. Fasts might reduce calories but its benefits are more far reaching than that. Calorie reduction specifically deals with the question of what and how much to eat. These are two very separate issues!
Please tell me - will I lose weight?
Guess what? Yes, most likely. If you have weight to lose, it is very likely that you will lose weight if you do not eat. In theory, it is possible to eat more after fasting, cancelling out the weight lost. However, studies show that most people tend to eat significantly less overall.
Getting Started
Now that you know a little bit more about IF, how do you get started? We suggest following these steps:
Pick what type of fast you want to do.
Determine the length of time for your fast.
Start fasting! If you do not feel well, if you have any concerns, or adverse reactions, then stop.
Continue all your usual activities. Stay busy and live your life normally.
Break your fast gently.
Rinse and repeat.
Some quick IF tips:
Drink plenty of water.
Mix it up with coffee or tea.
Stay busy.
Surf through the hunger waves.
Please do not binge eat after fasting.
Give yourself one month to see if intermittent fasting is a good fit for you. You will know - your body will tell you loud and clear!
