Full
disclosure: I get so many inquiries from clients and people in general
asking, “what is intermittent fasting, and what’s your opinion on
it,” that I have been wanting to write this article for a long, long
time! But here is the thing: I typically try to actually do a diet at least a
couple times before writing about it. That way I’m able to also share my
personal experience with the protocol. But with my busy client schedule and
athletic training routine, I couldn’t find a compelling enough reason to
impose intermittent fasting and time restricted eating into my day to day
life. So, I’m sharing this article purely from research and observation in my
field of nutrition coaching work. So let’s dive in!
What is intermittent fasting? It’s a popular eating pattern that
has gained a lot of attention in recent years for its purported health
benefits. It involves alternating periods of fasting and eating, with the
goal of improving overall health and weight management. In this article,
we’ll take an in-depth look at intermittent fasting, its benefit claims, it’s
potential drawbacks, and whether I think you really need to do
it.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting (IF) is an eating
pattern that involves cycling between periods of fasting and eating. There
are several different approaches to intermittent fasting, but the most common
include:
- Time-restricted eating: This involves
eating all your meals within a set time frame, typically between 8-10 hours
each day, and fasting for the remaining 14-16 hours. - Alternate-day fasting: This involves eating
normally one day and then fasting for the entire next day. - 5:2 fasting: This involves eating normally
for five days of the week and then restricting calories to 500-600 on two
non-consecutive days.
Intermittent fasting is not a diet in the
traditional sense, but rather an eating pattern that can be combined with any
type of healthy diet. It does not restrict the types of foods you can eat,
but rather when you can eat them.
Some Useful Perspective on Whether You Need to Intermittent Fast
Keep in mind that our bodies do a daily ‘fast’ automatically,
every time we go to bed. And, humans have been doing all sorts of awesome
physiological change and transformative stuff with their bodies, for a long
time, before we started asking, “what is intermittent fasting” in
the first place. And if it never surfaced as a health and fitness trend, we
would all carry on doing what we do best– adapting and figuring things
out.
Any time you think you need to follow someone else’s eating or
diet theory in order to achieve your goals, just try to remember that you
were born with the ability to take perfect care of your body with what you
have– access to healthy food and the ability to move, sleep, and manage
life’s curveballs. So a good question to ask yourself might be: “Would
time restricting my meals make my process harder or easier? Can I do this and
sustain it in the long term? Would this process be rewarding or unpleasant?”
The idea that we need to suffer or be hungry in order to achieve a wellness
objective is not only scientifically false, it is also not a very productive
or healthy mindset.
Take me for example. So far, at age 56, I’ve pretty much been able
to achieve any health, fitness, and body composition goal I have set for
myself without the need to intermittent fast. In fact, when I thought about
doing it, I couldn’t find enough good reasons to mess up my eating schedule,
which currently supports a very active lifestyle.
I’d recommend really practicing being a “curious
student” when evaluating an eating style like intermittent fasting.
Don’t be afraid to put it under some scrutiny, and truly decide for yourself
whether it would be a fit for you.
What I’ve Observed in Clients Who Have Done Intermittent
Fasting
My direct professional experience with intermittent fasting is
mostly when I am onboarding a new client. In the initial consultation, an
occasional client will share that they have consistently carried out or tried
an intermittent fasting program. Every single one of theses clients were
unable to sustain the eating style over time. And the majority of clients
reported feelings of deprivation, awkwardness at social dinners that were
outside of their “feeding window,” and an eventual rebound where
they lost whatever gains they made (gaining lost weight back), in addition to
other concerns and constraints.
I have had a handful of clients organically stumble upon an
intermittent fasting approach that worked for them, but only after we had
coached together for a while. Once these clients were able to get a better
handle on their own eating habits and behaviors, and design a lifestyle that
worked for their goals, it worked out that eating in a smaller window was
actually a great fit for them. In these cases, the clients had already laid a
solid foundation of healthy habits, knew how to manage their intake of food
in a way that supported their needs and goals, and knew how to listen to
their body for feedback– in order to know that the intermittent fasting
schedule was in fact a fit for them.
Figuring it out through your own process of coaching and personal
development is a lot different than just doing it because everyone else is,
or because the Instagram algorithms keep feeding you intermittent fasting
content.
Now that I’ve shared some of my personal and professional views
about “what is intermittent fasting,” let’s dive into the
science!
Purported Benefits of Intermittent
Fasting
Intermittent fasting has been studied for its
potential health benefits, which include:
- Weight loss: Intermittent fasting can help
reduce calorie intake, leading to weight loss. Studies have shown that it can
be as effective as calorie-restricted diets for weight loss. - Improved insulin sensitivity: Intermittent
fasting may improve insulin sensitivity, which can reduce the risk of type 2
diabetes. - Reduced inflammation: Studies have shown
that intermittent fasting can reduce inflammation in the body, which is a key
contributor to many chronic diseases. - Improved heart health: Intermittent fasting
can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which can reduce the risk of
heart disease. - Improved brain function: Intermittent
fasting has been shown to increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF),
a protein that is important for brain function and may protect against
neurodegenerative diseases. - Increased lifespan: Studies in animals have
shown that intermittent fasting can increase lifespan, although more research
is needed to confirm if this is true in humans.
There is not a lot of human research on intermittent fasting. Most
of the data we have to rely on today comes from animal
research.
I am aware of some clinical experiences shared by functional
doctors who use fasting to help treat their patients. But this kind of
fasting is not necessarily intermittent. This would be more of a 3 day fast
to induce cell
autophagy for particular treatments and health
objectives. And it wouldn’t be a regular way of eating.
Potential Risks of Intermittent
Fasting
Despite the many positive claims about
intermittent fasting, there are some potential drawbacks to
consider.
- Hunger and cravings: Fasting can be
difficult, especially at the beginning, and may lead to increased hunger and
cravings. This can make it difficult to stick to the diet
long-term. - Nutrient deficiencies: Depending on the type
of intermittent fasting you choose, it may be difficult to get all the
nutrients your body needs to function properly. For example, if you are not
eating for an entire day, you may not be getting enough protein, vitamins,
and minerals. - Disordered eating: For some people,
intermittent fasting can trigger disordered eating behaviors, such as binge
eating or restriction. - Difficult to manage in a normal, happy life: Social dinners,
pancakes with your kids, vacation, or just a brutally busy schedule can all
make it extremely difficult to comply with intermittent
fasting. - Difficulty maintaining: While intermittent
fasting can be effective for weight loss and improving health markers, it may
be difficult to maintain long-term. Once you stop fasting, you may regain the
weight you lost if you don’t continue to eat a healthy diet and exercise
regularly. - Metabolic adaptation: If you are eating less as a result of
intermittent fasting, but not making sure you are supporting your basal
metabolic activity levels through exercise, your body’s metabolic activity
could diminish. This is not ideal for long term weight management, health,
vitality, and longevity.
So What is Wrong With Hunger and
Cravings?
Nothing really. But it’s important to have an informed
understanding of hunger and cravings before we just start imposing them on
ourselves.
Hunger: Is a signal that it’s time to
eat. That doesn’t necessarily mean we should rush to eat as soon as we feel
hungry. If you know what real hunger feels like, you can manage it and you’ll
know when and how much to eat. If you don’t know what real hunger feels like,
you may have a harder time managing your hunger pangs. In this case, doing a
fast can actually be extremely helpful in helping to learn that being hungry
is okay, and that you won’t die if you’re hungry for a day, or maybe even
two. This would be more of a mental reset than anything. And you shouldn’t
need to do it day in and day out.
In fact, any time a client tells me they are afraid to feel
hungry, I actually recommend a one day (modified) fast, to help them overcome
the fear of hunger.
Cravings: Another physiological
signal, cravings are your body essentially nudging you to eat something
particular because it is trying to achieve homeostasis. This gets a little
complicated, because this unbalance can be coming from stress, emotions,
association, or a nutritionally unbalanced diet. What we teach in nutrition
coaching is to first: be okay with cravings and identify what they are really
all about, and second: give the body what it is actually asking for (like a
healthy meal, a walk in fresh air, a cuddle with the dog, or a
hug).
As you can see, when you simply restrict and “overcome”
hunger and cravings through an intermittent fasting protocol, you may be
missing an opportunity to develop powerful awareness and behavior change
around how and why…and when you eat.
What is Intermittent Fasting- The Bottom Line
In my experience, the majority of people who think they are
intermittent fasting are actually just restricting calories. By reducing
their eating window, they end up cutting a meal (essentially) and from those
reduced daily calories, they experience weight loss.
So, if all you’re going to do is restrict calories, do you really
need intermittent fasting? It’s a fair question.
If you want to do intermittent fasting right, it would be most
advantageous to make it a part of a more broadened approach to your nutrition
and wellness practices. Making sure your basic health and wellness skills
like knowing how to eyeball your portions, how to eat slowly and mindfully,
how to eat the amount of food that supports your needs and goals, and how to
manage your daily life with a simple strategy for getting enough protein,
vegetables and other key nutrients, should be a prerequisite before trying
intermittent fasting.
But, if you do decide to give it a try, here are some
tips:
- It’s a good idea to run the idea by your primary care provider
before diving in. With their knowledge of your medical history, they’ll be
able to advise you. - Choose an intermittent fasting method that
works for you: There are several different approaches to intermittent
fasting, so choose one that suits your lifestyle and preferences. If you are
new to fasting, it may be helpful to start with time-restricted feeding
(daily). - Plan your meals: If you are doing
time-restricted feeding, plan your meals for your eating window ahead of
time. This can help ensure that you are getting all the nutrients you need
and prevent overeating, or worse- undereating. - Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water as
this will contribute to overall health and balance as you introduce your body
to something new. - Start slow: If you are new to fasting,
start with a shorter fasting period and gradually increase it over time. This
can help your body adjust to the new eating pattern. - Listen to your body: If you feel
lightheaded, dizzy, or weak during fasting periods, listen to your body and
break your fast. It is important to prioritize your health and
safety. - Stay nourished: Intermittent fasting should
NOT be about deprivation, but about simply shortening the time you eat, and
filling that shortened time with the right amount of nutrient-dense calories
to support your body over the long haul. - Break your fast with a nutritious meal:
When you break your fast, make sure to eat a nutritious meal that includes
protein, healthy fats, and fiber. This can help keep you feeling full and
prevent any possible overeating trigger after the extended window of fasting.
It is also helpful to eat slowly when you break your fast for the same
reasons. - Don’t try intermittent fasting if you have a lot of anxiety
around dieting, have experienced disordered eating in the past, struggle with
negative body image, or in general feel you don’t have a healthy, happy, calm
relationship with food. Intermittent fasting can make you vulnerable to
developing unhealthy thoughts and behaviors around eating, and that wouldn’t
be a very good outcome.
Intermittent fasting is definitely not for everyone! I have a
questionnaire that I offer to clients who want to try intermittent fasting,
that is designed to help determine whether the eating style would be a good
fit. This demonstrates that jumping into time restricted eating or extended
fasting should be well thought out and planned before moving
forward.
I hope my experienced point of view has provided some fresh
perspective on the intermittent fasting trend. I have helped hundreds of
people in my nutrition coaching practice in Pasadena. So all my viewpoints
here come from observation and real evidence presented by my
clients.
If you think you might like to join my family of clients and
explore nutrition coaching for yourself, you are welcome to book
a complimentary coaching call
here! I’d love
to hop on the phone and find out where you are with your health and fitness,
where you would like to be, and how I can help you get there! Thanks for
reading!
Learn more about nutrition
& health coaching
here!
Other Sources:
Effects of intermittent
fasting on health, aging, and disease.
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