Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent Fasting
We take an in-depth look at Intermittent fasting.
What Is Intermittent Fasting?
What is Intermittent Fasting?
If you think diet is a four-letter word, you can relax. Intermittent fasting (IF) isn’t a traditional diet. It focuses on cycles of eating and fasting. If you feel traditional diets are too restrictive in what you can and cannot enjoy, IF can help you. I like to think of not eating less, just eating less often.
A quick list of the health benefits associated with IF, according to multiple studies, includes:
- Greater Cell health
- Improved brain function
- Greater metabolic health
- Lowering blood glucose and Insulin levels.
- Reducing Inflammation
If you’re keen to lose weight and feel sharper mentally while creating a platform for long-term health benefits, you may want to consider IF.
The Science Behind Intermittent Fasting
When you fast, your body experiences a range of physiological changes. Your insulin levels drop, which helps to burn fat. Many people find their human growth hormone (HGH) levels increase, which is helpful for fat loss as your body switches to burning fat to maintain energy. It also helps in gaining muscle.
Fasting is also said to trigger the “cellular repair process”, where your body cells remove damaged parts of your body. Let’s be honest: this sounds slightly scientific and beyond my comprehension level. However, it goes to show how much of a marvel the human body is, and how we possibly take it for granted.
As always with our posts, there will be resources at the end allowing you to read more about these aspects in greater detail. These links take you to trusted sources. It is good to have self-belief, but we’d never try and tell you we know about these aspects on a first-hand level!
The Health Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting
Two separate studies in America suggest that around 10% to 12% of adult Americans practice intermittent fasting (IF). With the adult population of America estimated at around 334.9 million people, that suggests over 33 million people in America followed IF principles. Taking that as a loose guideline for the UK, there could be more than five million people in the United Kingdom following IF.
When so many people do something, there must be benefits, and these are the most commonly cited benefits of IF:
Weight Loss: IF has been championed as a way to lose weight. IF can help reduce the number of calories a person consumes each day, and it boosts a person’s metabolic rate. A 2024 review published by Harvard Health states fasting leads to a drop in calories consumed, a crucial component of weight loss. I don’t see it as a weight loss tool, personally. For me, it’s more about the health benefits, but we’re all different!
Improved Metabolic Health: Again, a wealth of studies suggests IF improves insulin sensitivity while lowering blood sugar levels. The Salk Institute study from 2023 highlights how a time-restricted diet is of benefit to people looking to enhance their metabolic health.
A Healthier Heart: Returning to Harvard Health, they have a 2024 study which suggests IF lowers cholesterol and lowers a person’s risk of heart disease. If you are concerned about cardiovascular risk factors, following IF might help you take greater control of these elements.
A More Productive Brain: A 2024 study from the Cleveland Clinic suggests fasting is an effective way to improve brain health, as this produces brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This is important for cognitive function and it might reduce the risk of neurogenerative diseases.
So, you can hopefully see that while IF is a great strategy to consider for weight loss. The additional benefits mean it could be helpful to people who currently lead an active and healthy lifestyle.
Popular Methods Of Intermittent Fasting
Having discussed the benefits of IF, it’s helpful to consider intermittent fasting methods. There is more than one way to fast, and it might be that one method is a better fit for you. If you are starting with this process, trying a few methods to see what is most suitable for your needs will be worth your time.
The 16/8 method
This is a very popular method in which you fast for 16 hours a day and only consume food in an eight-hour window. If you get around eight hours of sleep, you’re technically splitting your day into a 16-hour shift, and you can eat for half of it.
A great thing about the 16/8 method is that you can tailor it to your preferences. If you don’t feel hungry in the morning, delay eating for as long as possible. If you start eating at midday, you can eat until 8 pm. Then, your fast runs from 8 pm until noon the following day.
If you like to eat when you wake up, eating at 7 am gives you a window to enjoy food until 3 pm. Then, your fast takes place between 3 pm and 7 am the following day.
The Time-Restricted Method
This process is similar to the 16/8 method, but the split between fasting and non-fasting is up to the person involved. Finding a level you are comfortable with and working with is helpful. If you find a 16-hour fast to be easy, increasing your fast time to 20 hours a day might be beneficial. If you find a 16 hour fast to be too challenging, reducing it to 12 or 14 hours a day fast might help.
The 5:2 Diet
This method gained considerable popularity in the UK in the 2010s, with many people finding it worked for them and their lifestyles. You would eat “normally” for five days, then restrict yourself to around 500 to 600 calories daily on two non-consecutive days of the week.
By limiting calories on a Tuesday and Friday, for example, people can meet the guidelines of the process while giving themselves the weekend to eat as normal.
The Eat-Stop-Eat method
This method is a bit more extreme. It involves not eating at all for a 24-hour period. It can be followed once or twice a week. If a person has their dinner at 6 p.m., following the Eat-Stop-Eat method, they would then avoid food until 6 p.m. the following evening. Although it’s a longer window, the evidence suggests that the longer you can go without food, the greater the fasting benefits, as long as it’s safe to do so.
The Alternative-Day Fasting Method
This approach involves people eating their standard amount one day and then fasting (or consuming a low number of calories) the next day.
The Warrior Diet
This method’s name appeals to many people. It involves fasting (or, again, consuming few calories) during the day and then having a four-hour window to consume a large meal in the evening.
The OMAD Method
OMAD, or One Meal A Day, is a simple method that involves eating only one meal a day.
A key outcome of fasting is consuming fewer calories, so you must be mindful of what you eat. Even if you only eat for one hour a day, if you consume more calories than you use up over the course of a day, you won’t lose weight. Putting that aside, you don’t want to break this fast (or any fast really) with a high glucose meal as the sugar spike (and subsequent crash) can do more harm than good, so think a balanced meal of protein, fibre and some carbs.
Weight loss is a complicated issue for many people, but enough studies state the importance of a calorie deficit to make it an underlying factor. Fasting works for many people because it’s the most effective way for them to control their calories.
Tips For Succesful Intermittent Fasting
We’re not saying fasting is easy, and you should never undertake a fast, thinking it will be a walk in the park. But think about this: in a recent interview with Prof. Thomas Seyfried (Prof of biology at Boston College) stated that our ancestors, hunter/gatherer types, were permanently in a state of ketosis (when the body uses fat as its energy source, instead of glucose) as there were not enough readily available carbohydrates to eat. This state kept them incredibly healthy as the body was continually repairing itself. He also went on to say that he believes that many types of cancer have come about from modern societies’ abundance of highly processed carbs.
Back in the real world, you should pay attention to how you feel; if you feel unwell, that type of fast might not be for you. The following tips will hopefully help you carry out a successful intermittent fast:
Build up your comfort with fasting—For your first fast, don’t follow an extreme fast. This is likely to be quite challenging or uncomfortable. Instead, start with a manageable fasting period as you get used to not eating for this longer time. Over time, you can increase the length of your fast and you may even begin to enjoy it!
Plan your fast and meals—Knowing your windows and planning them around events or activities will help you stay on track. You should also plan to eat nutrient-dense foods, ensuring you feel full when you do eat. You need to eat meals that you enjoy and are happy to eat every day, but try to include proteins, healthy fats, fruit, and vegetables.
Be consistent—You’ll find consistency crucial to succeeding with fasting. No matter how tempting an extreme fast might be to reach weight loss goals, this approach can make it harder for you to reach your goals. Think about the long term and build towards creating a lifestyle where IF fits naturally. Over time, the benefits of IF will accrue to give you a far healthier body and mind.
Be mindful of incorporating physical activity. Whether you are focusing on weight loss, improved mental focus, or a healthier body, physical activity has a role to play. Cardio and strength training are helpful in these goals, but consider your energy levels when fasting. Try to create a schedule that lets you take energy around a workout.
The Downsides To Intermittent Fasting
It would be lovely to say there were no negative aspects of IF to consider, but that wouldn’t be accurate. For some people, IF won’t work, and there will be challenges you need to consider.
Fasting might not provide sufficient nutrients– You cannot starve yourself while fasting. You still need to take on sufficient calories and nutrients to fuel your body, so please consider what you need to consume and pay attention to how your body reacts.
Be mindful of disordered eating – In some cases, people who fast can develop unhealthy eating habits. Please be mindful of the dangers of fasting when it comes to not providing your body with what it needs to be at its best.
Many medical professionals warn against fasting for certain people – While fasting isn’t for everyone and certain people will not enjoy the process, there are people who shouldn’t fast. Medical advice suggests pregnant women, or breastfeeding women, shouldn’t fast.
If you have a history of eating disorders, a fast isn’t recommended. If you have an existing health condition, you should always speak with your doctor before significantly changing your lifestyle, with fasting being an obvious example.
At Ready Sweat Go, we always look for ways to lead the life that motivates us. Intermittent fasting is a topic we have considerable interest in, and we believe it chimes well with a large part of our outlook. Join us as we expand our intermittent fasting hub in line with our aims, and your fitness goals.
Additional Resources
Resources
For further reading and references on intermittent fasting, check out the following sources:
International Food Information Council: https://foodinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IFIC-2023-Food-Health-Report.pdf
BBC Horizon: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01lxyzc/horizon-20122013-3-eat-fast-and-live-longer
American Heart Association: https://www.heart.org/en/news/2024/03/18/time-restricted-eating-may-raise-cardiovascular-death-risk-in-the-long-term
Harvard Health Publishing: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/should-you-try-intermittent-fasting-for-weight-loss-202207282790
Cleveland Clinic: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/intermittent-fasting-4-different-types-explained
Salk Institute: https://www.salk.edu/news-release/time-restricted-eating-reshapes-gene-expression-throughout-the-body/
WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/diet/is-eating-one-meal-a-day-safe.
