I’m a big fan of fasting, for the right people. It can have some impressive results, but after extensive research on the topic, and experience with many of my health coaching clients, I’ve realized it’s not for everyone.
It’s important to first understand where you’re at, what your health concerns and goals are, and what level of intermittent fasting might be right for you at this stage in your life.
The principal of fasting has been around for centuries, really, and has become increasingly popular in the past 5-10 years, for good reason! Research has shown that Intermittent Fasting (spending some time food-free, for extended periods) can have amazing health benefits, including:
weight loss
improved blood sugar control (and may reduce risk of type2 diabetes)
reduced inflammation
decreased appetite
lower triglycerides
better digestion and gut health
improved brain function, memory and mood
and even improved levels of blood pressure
In my experience, Intermittent fasting can be an easier and more sustainable way to lose weight if it works for you and you're able to go for longer periods of time without feeling hungry (which can happen for most people after just a few weeks of adjusting to it). And I like it a lot more thatn calorie counting!
But it all comes with some caveats!
For optimal results when incorporating Intermittent Fasting, please take into consideration these 5 crucial elements in order to be successful:
1) FIND THE RIGHT FASTING WINDOW FOR YOUR BODY AND LIFESTYLE AT THIS MOMENT
There are many types of intermittent fasting, but what I mostly recommend based on my research and experience with clients is anything between a basic Circadian Fasting (not eating for 12-13 hours, so eating in an 11 hour window) and 16-8 fasting (not eating for 16 hours, and eating in an 8 hour window). As a maximum (for only some people) I may suggest to try up to 17-18 hour fasting for some days in the month.
I generally recommend a minimum of 12 hours between dinner and breakfast EVERYDAY; a 12 hour “circadian rhythm” fast is safe for almost everyone (even pregnant and breastfeeding women if/when it feels ok).
For anyone wanting to experiment with a little more Intermittent Fasting for health benefits, I recommend alternating between periods of fasting 13-14 hours (as more of a base) and periods of 14-17 hours. In the case of women, I suggest varying these windows depending on their stage of their cycle (read point #2!). For most people, I don’t push it past 18 hours, unless you’ve already achieved a level of excellent health.
Important note: Most health experts will agree that during your fasting window you should really only consume water and plain tea/coffee (no sugar/milk!), while some say you can be more flexible including some healthy fats, as long as you don’t have anything with more than 50 calories. So for example, you can have a small cup of bone broth, or add 1-2 tablespoons of unsweetened full fat coconut milk (or even almond milk) to your tea/coffee.
Summary: Some combination of these fasting windows (13-14 hours as base, extending to 14-17 hours) tends to work really well for most (taking into consideration my next point if you’re a woman!). What I like to stress is: it’s key to find something that is SUSTAINBLE for you long term, and that FEELS GOOD for you!
2) IF YOU’RE A WOMAN, BE CAREFUL! (AND MODIFY ACCORDING TO YOUR CYLCE)
Intermittent fasting can affect the female sex hormones progesterone and estrogen, and mess with ovulation, so if you’re still in your “fertile” years its important to be aware of this.
Remember fasting is a type of stress, and stressors like fasting can keep your body from sending the proper signals to produce sufficient estrogen and progesterone, and can even go as far as preventing ovulation. For some women, too much fasting can lead to irregular/missed periods, fatigue, low libido, hot flashes and night sweats, headaches, trouble sleeping, lower fertility, and MORE!
I’m generally cautious with recommending Intermittent Fasting to my female clients that are still in their reproductive phase, especially if they want to conceive.
*Note: I DO NOT recommend any fasting if: pregnant or breastfeeding, or for anyone with an eating disorder (or with history of eating disorders), or who are underweight. A window between dinner and breakfast of 12-13 hours, however, is generally safe.
If you do have a cycle (but are not pregnant nor in first 6-12 months of breastfeeding), and you’d like to lose some weight and/or boost your metabolic health, I may recommend a degree of fasting synced to your menstrual cycle. Generally, some fasting can be beneficial during days 4 to 10 of your cycle (ex. 14-17 hours days 4-10 of cycle), then I usually recommend lowering your fasting window during ovulation (days 11-14 back to just 12-13 hours), and then again some fasting on days 15-19 is generally ok (ex. back to 14-15 hours). But from day 20 until the end of your cycle, NO fasting (12 hours is fine). I highly recommend to AVOID fasting 7-10 days before your period, and the first 2-3 days of your cycle. That’s when your body is most vulnerable to stress. Estrogen drops during that time, which leads to cortisol (stress hormone) sensitivity. That’s why the week before your period you may experience mood swings, low energy and increased appetite or food cravings… and fasting can worsen these symptoms.
For post-menopausal women, I do recommend trying at least some degree of Intermittent Fasting given the huge benefits – always with precautions; we try it gradually and see how you feel. For the most part, I’ve seen great results and it’s sustainable.
3) DIET MATTERS! For optimal results, you NEED to be conscious of what you’re eating.
Even more important than how many hours of fasting you’re doing, is what you’re eating in your eating window, especially that first meal of your day. If you break your fast with a high-carb meal (and without sufficient protein or fat), you will NOT get the same benefits!
For optimal results, Intermittent Fasting needs to be accompanied by HEALTHY, NUTRIENT-DENSE eating, focused on BALACNED MEALS that help promote stable blood sugar and healthy digestion. Every meal should have tons of FIBER (mostly from vegetables and other plant-based foods), some PROTEIN and plenty HEALTHY FATS.
While there is no need to be full blown Keto (I actually don’t recommend it for most people), it generally does help to limit carbs (especially refined carbs) when intermittent fasting. I recommend getting most of your carbs from vegetables (especially all leafy greens, cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussels sprouts, squashes and zucchini, green beans and asparagus, and colorful veggies), low-glycemic fruits (like berries, kiwis, plums, pears, peaches and apples), as well as small quantities of legumes (like beans, lentils, chickpeas) and occasionally some whole grains (like quinoa, millet, buckwheat, oats and wild or brown rice) if your gut tolerates them well.
*READ MORE HERE on how to eat carbs (without fear!) for optimal metabolic health.
If you’re trying fasting but still eating processed foods, or a ton of sugar, and/or drinking a lot of alcohol, you’re wasting your energy, as the amazing benefits of fasting will be partially cancelled out by your poor diet.
A HEALTHY DIET AND INTERMITTENT FASTING MUST GO HAND IN HAND. And it’s NOT about deprivation! The idea is to eat nourishing (nutrient-dense), blood-sugar stabilizing meals (that are delicious and you enjoy) at least 80% of the time, while enjoying your not-so-healthy treats once in a while, too. It’s what you do 80-90% of the time is what matters.
And of course, do not forget to hydrate constantly, at all times. You can drink water and clear, non-caloric beverages while fasting (most teas and coffee can help, even a small cup of broth is fine, though I recommend sticking to mostly water during your fasting window).
4) EXERCISE IS KEY. MOVING YOUR BODY CONSISTENTLY WILL ENHANCE YOUR SUCCESS!
For optimal benefits, you also need to exercise, ideally moving your body in some way every day. I’m a big fan of doing your workouts during your morning fasting window, which helps you extend that window. For ALMOST everyone, exercising while fasting is ideal, and then you break your fast with a healthy breakfast or lunch after your workout (ideally 30 minutes to 1 hour after). And again, don’t forget to hydrate before and after your workout!
How and when you workout ultimately depends on what feels best for you, and what is sustainable for your lifestyle. For many clients I suggest some combination of 1) weight training (this can be barre, too!) 2) gentle movement like yoga, pilates and stretching, and 3) cardio. How many days you spend on each really depends on what makes your body feel the best, and your own individual weight/fitness goals. And your routine should change depending on the stage in your life.
MY ROUTINE: For me, where I am now (with a toddler and baby on the way) I like to work out EVERYDAY in the morning, at least 25-30 mins, and I also try to squeeze in some additional afternoon movement (about 15-20 minutes) at least 3 days a week. In the mornings, I do (for average 30 mins) roughly 4 days a week barre, 3 days a week power yoga, and 1/week just power walking. In the afternoons, 2/week I teach barre for an hour, so that’s my workout, otherwise I do about 15-20 minutes of gentler pilates type workouts or just walking with my husband after dinner.
However, once I’m done with both pregnancy and breastfeeding, and no longer focused on fertility, I will definitely dive back into more cardio, maybe higher weight training, and experiment with more intense intermittent fasting.
5) YOU MIGHT NEED TO FIRST TACKLE ANY UNDERYLING HEALTH ISSUES
If you have trouble losing weight and/or aren’t feeling your best still even after trying Intermittent Fasting (with my above tips), you must looking into root cause. Sleep, Stress, Gut health, Hormonal health (and other potential underlying health issues) cannot be ignored!
Aim to get 7-9 hours of sleep daily, and to spend some time every day on some stress-management exercise such as meditating, it can be just sitting in silence and doing some version of deep breathing for 5 minutes, or whatever works for you. Also be sure to get your regular labs done every year and keep an eye out for symptoms of gut issues or hormone imbalances.
If you are trying Intermittent Fasting, yet you feel any degree of: increased stress or anxiety, mood swings, fatigue (getting tired more often) or unwelcome changes in your menstrual cycle, then I recommend pausing or at least pulling back.
Check in with these 5 points and ask yourself if you are doing the right things with your diet, exercise, sleep and stress management, and paying attention to your menstrual cycle if you’re a woman. If you have any potential health issue, you may have to address that first with a doctor.
MY PERSONAL ROUTINES
Now because so many have asked me, I’ll share my regular eating times. Please note: I have underlying hormonal issues (and in my “fertile” years) for the past 10 years, so I am NOT a case for extreme Intermittent Fasting. I learned the hard way! However, I do plan to bump it up once I’m done with my babies and breastfeeding (if and when it feels right, of course)!
My USUAL eating routing (when not pregnant/bf):
9am: matcha latte, 9:30am: breakfast (I already did my workout before, usually 7:45/8am to 8:45am)
1:30-2pm: lunch (and healthy dessert)
6-6:30pm: dinner (and healthy dessert)
(I finish eating by 7pm and resume eating around 9am, for an average of 14 hours fast, with some exceptions when I have events/dinners out that it may only be 12-13 hours, and some days such as weekends I’ll workout later and do a 15 hour fast. For me, with my history of amenorrhea, more that 15 hours doesn’t feel right, at least in this fertile stage in my life).
My CURRENT eating routine while pregnant (likely to continue while breastfeeding):
7:30-8am: matcha latte (with extra collagen) (then I do a 30-40 minute workout)
8:45am: breakfast (with extra protein)
11:45am-12pm: snack
1:45-2pm: lunch (and healthy dessert)
6-6:30pm: dinner (and healthy dessert)
(I finish eating by 7 tops 7:30pm and resume eating at 7:30am, for an average of 12 hours between meals, again with exceptions when I have dinners out. This is what feels good to ME while pregnant!)
What has worked for YOU? Have you tried do different degrees of Intermittent Fasting?
Remember, if you’re a woman, I implore you to pay special attention to my tips (especially my 2nd point) and cycle your fasting with your cycle!
For more support on this, or for support on your weight loss goals or health in general, schedule a FREE DISCOVERY CALL with me and/or CONTACT ME HERE.