Intermittent Fasting 101

What is Intermittent Fasting (IF)?

Many confuse intermittent fasting as a diet, but it’s actually really a way of eating. 

Essentially, intermittent fasting (IF) is about restricting how many hours in a day you consume food; rather than eating your meals throughout the day, you’ll confine your meals to a time frame, usually about 3 to 8 hours, depending on strictly you’re following the guidelines. 

Actually, fasting has been quite common for humans throughout history. During the hunter-gatherer times, humans were accustomed to not having food always readily available, so we evolved to be able to withstand these climates.

Additionally, fasting is also done for religious reasons and is observed in religions like Judaism, Christianity, and Buddhism. 

IF specifically, however, has become more popular because of its potential results in weight loss.

The Different Types of IF:

Not everyone has to fast for 20 hours per day. In fact, you don’t even have to fast for 18 hours, if it doesn’t suit your needs. 

There are several different types of IF that can match your personal lifestyle, goals, and dietary needs:

  1. 16/8 Method: or 19/5 or 20/4! Basically, this is the most common form of IF. You fast for 16-20 hours per day and consume your meals within a 4-8 hour timeframe. For example, if you’re following the 16/8 method, you might eat from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM and fast from 7:00 PM to 11:00 AM.
  2. 24 Hr Fast: some people prefer to not fast every single day; instead, they might choose one or two days a week to completely fast and only drink water.
  3. The 5:2 Method: this method is another form of IF, and involves restricting your caloric intake to 500-600 calories on 2 non-consecutive days, and eating completely normally (and healthily according to your needs!) the other 5 days.

What are some of the benefits of IF?

There are many benefits to following an IF lifestyle, the main one being the potential for weight loss. While it is not the result for everyone, it has been noted that IF can promote healthy weight loss for those who are trying to lose weight while not following a more traditional meal plan.

The other potential benefits include:

It should be noted that many studies on IF have only been done on animals or have only been conducted for short periods of time. More studies and data need to be taken to compile the effects of long-term intermittent fasting. 

For now, IF can potentially be beneficial to those who successfully follow the lifestyle. 

And the side effects and precautions?

While there are definitely benefits to IF, there are also some downsides and precautions that people need to consider before beginning a fast.

First, there is always an adjustment to every new lifestyle change, especially fasting. You might notice that you feel slightly weaker at first- this is your body adjusting to this new time frame of receiving fuel and nutrients.

Of course, hunger is also a side effect; at first! Most people adjust to fasting and their bodies retrain to signal new hunger cues when it’s ready to eat. 

Because there is also less food being consumed, you might also experience constipation at first and headaches. 

However, there are certain people who should not be on intermittent fasting, especially not without consulting their own physician. Those who:

Additionally, women should take precautions, as IF can potentially cause dysregulation in glucose levels and disrupt hormone regulation.  

Remember to always consult your doctor when deciding whether or not intermittent fasting is right for you.

FAQs about Intermittent Fasting:

  1. Who should fast? Again, starting IF must be discussed with a healthcare professional. It is not recommended that children participate in fasting, and women should take caution and make sure it fits their own body type. 
  2. Can I have liquids? Short answer: yes! But stick with water, coffee, and tea (for the coffee and tea, keep it black!). Avoid sugary drinks altogether when doing IF.
  3. Will fasting slow down my metabolism? Contrary to popular belief, it might actually improve your metabolic rate. However, this is only for short-term fasts. If fasting for extended periods of time, your body will go into starvation mode and slow down the metabolism.
  4. Can I work out fast? Yes, but at first you might notice a change in your performance. If you’re used to pre-fueling and refueling after a workout, you’ve trained your body to expect that food before enduring vigorous exercise. It will be an adjustment period at first, but eventually, your body eventually starts to pull fuel from the body’s reserves (i.e. fat). It should be noticed that while lifting and weight training, there might be an energy increase, aerobic exercises, especially endurance, do tend to perform better with fuel. 
  5. What about starvation mode? Won’t IF trigger that? If you haven’t crash diet-ed before or have struggled with an eating disorder, studies have shown that IF can potentially improve body composition and increase basal metabolic rate. 

Final thoughts on IF

Intermittent fasting can be a very successful way to lose weight and retrain your body, however, it is not for everyone. 

Some of our best tips include: