Intermittent Fasting is not a diet, it is an eating schedule, and it can be safely used to help you lose weight, balance hormones, and burn fat.
Balance hormones with intermittent fasting
What does this eating schedule look like?
It can be 12 hours of fasting, 12 hours of feeding. 14 hours of fasting, 10 hours of feeding. The most popular eating schedule is called 16:8. This means that for 16 hours of the day, you fast, and for 8 hours, you feed. As you can see, this naturally takes away excess calories from late night snacking. It also pushes your breakfast later in the morning. But wait…isn’t breakfast supposed to be the most important meal of the day? Well that depends. If you are a farmer, then yes, getting a good hearty and balanced meal first thing in the morning is a good thing. You will be working the fields, and expending energy through the day. A well balanced meal will give you energy, to work harder and become stronger. But what if you have a desk job, and you are in front of the computer all day? In this case, you can benefit with delaying your first meal.
Why is Intermittent Fasting beneficial?
The simple answer is that it regulates insulin levels (hormones). You see, every time you put food (mainly carbs and glucose AKA sugar) into your mouth, you will spike insulin. And when insulin resistance occurs (which is common in North American diets, and obesity), then the insulin tells the body to store the glucose as fat. That means everytime you put something in your mouth, your body goes into fat storage mode. Intermittent fasting will allow insulin to regulate, and fat burning to occur after a certain amount of time.
How can I start?
Before you start, you should always check with your health practitioner if this is for you. If you are diabetic, this can be beneficial to you, but under medical supervision. This would be a great time to get some baseline lab work to see if you are “pre-diabetic” or insulin resistant. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not fast.
Warning: there are ways to do Intermittent Fasting safely.
- Be sure to eat enough calories in your feeding window.
- Do not restrict too much. If I lost weight with a 10 hour window, and 8 hour window, maybe I should move to a 7 hour feeding window? NO! Eventually your body will adapt, and you will gain weight.
- Pair Intermittent Fasting with a Whole Food Diet, and efficient workouts. As a FASTer Way Certified Coach, I can guide you through the 6 Week New Client Experience.
Which Intermittent Fasting protocol is best for you? Try this quiz now!
In health,
Natalie
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