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Why I Don’t Do Intermittent Fasting

One of the biggest diet trends STILL going on now is Intermittent Fasting.

If you don’t know what it is, Intermittent Fasting is an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting. And no, skipping meals does not slow down your metabolism (that’s just another myth)…

So here’s how it works:

You skip meals for X number of hours (each protocol is different, but it can be 16 hours, all the way up to 24-36 hours at a time), then you only eat fewer, larger meals during the “feeding” window. (sounds like an animal in the zoo, right?!)

The benefits?

- You get to eat larger meals

- Less meal prep and cleaning up required

- Saving money on food (yep that sounds sick but it’s true. If you don’t eat for 24 hours, guess how much you spend on food? Nada!)

But is Intermittent Fasting all that it’s cracked up to be?

Research shows Intermittent Fasting (when done properly) boasts a huge range of health benefits from weight loss, reducing the risk of Type 2 diabetes to improving heart health. And it may even help prevent cancer, boost brain health and prevent Alzheimer’s.

It’s also a popular strategy people use to break a weight loss plateau.

With all these benefits, what’s not to love about Intermittent Fasting?

Well, a few things.

Problem is, too many people do it all wrong. Or use Intermittent Fasting as an excuse to binge eat a ton of junk food after a fasting period. Especially around the holidays.

If that’s you, Intermittent Fasting is not a good idea.

Now, I’ve tried a couple of different protocols on a number of occasions… because you know me… I can’t judge anything before I try it.

And my verdict is…

I am not a fan. 

Especially for women. I strongly believe it’s counterproductive to your goals.

Before I get to my reasons why, let’s be clear…

It DOES work.

And I’m not surprised!

If you don’t eat for 16+ hours, you will create a significant calorie deficit, plus a chemical shift in your hormones, giving your body no choice but to burn fat.

But for some reason, Intermittent Fasting affects women’s hormones differently to men’s. And hey, I’m not entirely sure why. I’ll share what I’ve discovered in just a sec.

Why I Don’t Do Intermittent Fasting

Let me start by saying my opinion comes from my personal experience. If you’re a huge fan of IF, please keep that in mind before you get your knickers in a knot…

I don’t do Intermittent Fasting anymore because I noticed diminishing returns. And by that I mean, the first time I tried fasting with a proper 16/8 protocol – I easily lost 7 pounds in a week… That’s no typo, either. I was completely shocked!

Even though I got off to a rough start and was starving the first few days, my body quickly adapted, drastically changed and I thought, “Geez, I’m onto something here”…

However…

After that first time… on every occasion I did IF, I couldn’t lose a pound. And at one point I was even gaining weight!

That’s why I did extensive research, to try and figure out why this was happening.

Here are 3 reasons why I don’t do Intermittent Fasting anymore:

1) It Welcomes a Binge Eating Habit

Overeating makes you feel guilty, right?

Of course.

Even if you haven’t eaten for 16-24 hours.

I noticed when it came time to eat at 2pm each day, I was ready to finish anything and everything in arms length. Fortunately, the house was filled with healthy food. But I still knew I was eating far too many calories in one sitting (even if they were good calories) and I felt really guilty about it.

I was stress eating, and developing OCD habits and behaviors… and I didn’t like it.

And here’s the worst part…

When you binge eat, you skip meals and fast again.

Yes, it becomes a vicious cycle.

Even though I knew I was physically full, my mind would “rationalize” that it was OK to eat large quantities because I’d be fasting for the next 16-18 hours.

And that’s not healthy.

2) You Can Murder Your Adrenals

Are you feeling stressed out? I’ll take a wild guess, and say yes.

The problem…?

Intermittent Fasting causes even MORE stress on your body and you can mess up your hormones, especially cortisol – which slows fat loss.

When I first tried Intermittent Fasting, I did not know this.

Here’s what happened…

Last Summer, I was super stressed about my bootcamp and online business. Turns out adding intermittent Fasting to the mix to lose a few pounds before a beach holiday was one of the worst things I could possibly do.

Why?

You see, in order to kill my appetite, I was consuming large amounts of strong black coffee on an empty stomach. Mixed with a tough workout schedule, less than 5 hours sleep a night and an extremely busy personal training roster of clients – I was literally murdering my adrenal glands.

YIKES!

Fasting increases your cortisol levels which increases your blood sugar levels.

And in case you didn’t know… A lot of thyroid and hormonal issues are all thanks to an unhealthy cortisol rhythm.

That’s why breakfast is now a very important part of my day.

3) Energy Balance Can Affect Your Reproductive system

Alright, this reason is for women only. Fellas feel free to skip this section. Like I said before, men tend to handle Intermittent Fasting better than woman from a hormonal point of view…

So ladies.

I’ve been doing research on fasting and I found this particularly interesting so I thought I’d share it with you…

Turns out, the hormones regulating key functions like ovulation are incredibly sensitive to energy intake.

The main hormone released at the start of ovulation, gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) pulses must be very precisely timed – or it will send everything out of whack.

And here’s the thing…

GnRH pulses seem to be very sensitive to environmental factors, and may be thrown off by fasting in some women. Even short-term fasting (like 3 days) can change hormonal pulses.

Overall, Intermittent Fasting can affect women in a negative way, if your body views it as a significant stressor.

So that might explain why some women get fantastic results doing Intermittent Fasting, while others report lost menstrual periods and early onset of menopause (like women in their 20’s!)

Another interesting fact to note here…

Women tend to consume less protein than men. And if you’re a fasting woman, that means you’re getting even less. Overall, you’re getting less essential amino acids.

Now here’s why this matters.

You need amino acids to activate estrogen receptors and produce insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) in your liver. IGF-1 triggers the progression of the reproductive cycle.

See how it’s interlinked?

“But what if I don’t want to get pregnant, or those days are gone?”

Great question.

Here’s the thing…

The female reproductive system and metabolism are deeply intertwined. You can bet if you’re missing a period, that your other hormones are messed up too – not just the ones that help you get pregnant.

So, what should YOU do?

The way I see it, a nutrition plan should make your life EASIER, so you feel more energy and reach your physique and performance goals. Not be suffering… or stressing… or starving.

Everyone is unique.

That’s why I believe it’s so important that you personally experiment, and figure out what works for YOU.

Keep tweaking your meals until you find your own personal system that helps you feel healthy, strong and energized without the stress and drama of endless dieting.

Here’s what works for me, KV.

=> I eat when I’m hungry.

=> And I don’t eat when I’m not hungry.

Usually I do 4 small meals a day. I fast overnight for 12 hours, which works perfectly fine for me.

When I’m training hard for an event or race, I eat more since I’m hungry. And when I sit at the computer for too long, I eat less simply because I’m not hungry.

That one change alone has made a huge difference to my body comp, my health – and my life.

No more waiting until the “feeding” window was open.

The Bottom Line

Intermittent Fasting does work. It’s just not for everyone. Just like there’s no one strength training program right for every single person.

You are unique.

And you need a unique nutrition plan. One that keeps you sane and energized.

If you’re planning on using Intermittent Fasting as an excuse to binge eat at Holiday parties this season, please reconsider.

There’s no need to punish yourself.

IF is not a magic bullet for weight loss. It might seem like a great short term fix to get the weight off, but in the long run, you’ll be far better off following a smart, solid nutritional plan, like the one I teach in my program here.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments box below the post…

Your Coach,

 

Kate Vidulich

Exercise Physiologist

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