Why Do Women Intermittent Fast?
Intermittent fasting is becoming pretty mainstream, and as someone who has been eating this way for over a year now, I can understand why! The best part of intermittent fasting is that it doesn’t focus on what not to eat, rather the focus is on when you should be eating. This simple shift in mindset is what makes this way of eating so easy to adopt. Intermittent fasting never feels like a diet.
So, why are women choosing to intermittent fast over dieting?
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Women are choosing to intermittent fast because of its many health benefits alongside weight loss. And again, there is no restricting what you can eat (although it should be healthy!). And knowing that you don’t have to give up your favorite foods makes this style of eating so doable. So what are some of the unknown benefits of intermittent fasting for women?
- reduce insulin resistance
- reduce body inflammation
- heart health benefits
- mental clarity
- help prevent some diseases
You can check out other great benefits of intermittent fasting on Healthline.com.
How Is Intermittent Fasting Different For Women?
Intermittent fasting does affect women differently than it does men. This is because calorie restriction can inhibit the production of female sex hormones. And lower production of these hormones can mean irregular periods, infertility and hormonal imbalances. Because of this, it is very important that women don’t focus on calorie reduction when intermittent fasting.
It is also important to remember that overly restricting calories can slow down your metabolism which is the last thing anyone ever wants. Make sure that when you are choosing to intermittent fast that you are doing so for health and wellness.
How Does Fasting Help With Weight Loss?
When your body is in a fasted state it is much easier for your body to do its job and burn calories. During a fasting period, the body’s insulin levels go down. When insulin levels are down our fat cells release stored sugar, which is then burned as energy. When we’re not fasting, the body continues to store sugar in our fat cells. In short, when our insulin levels go down, our body loses weight. You can read more about how the body uses insulin and intermittent fasting in this Harvard study.
Curious about my intermittent fasting results?
Different Fasting Styles
There are 6 styles of intermittent fasting but I’m only going to cover the ones I recommend. The styles that I don’t recommend involve calorie restriction, which in my opinion women shouldn’t do while fasting. But again, that’s just my opinion, you’re more than welcome to do whatever form of intermittent fasting you want.
The 16:8 Method
The 16:8 style of fasting is my preferred fasting style. With this method of eating, you eat during a specific time window. For example, I typically fast between the hours of 8 pm and 1 pm with the bulk of my fasting hours being while I’m asleep.
Overnight Fasting
Overnight fasting is the simplest form of fasting. This style of intermittent fasting involves fasting for a 12-hour window every day. For example, a person may stop eating at 6 pm and resume eating at 6 am the next morning. While this may be the simplest fasting style, it doesn’t completely maximize the benefits of fasting.
Full-Day Fasting
This style of intermittent fasting involved fasting for a full 24-hours with a single, huge meal in between fasting hours. For example, many people choose to only eat a large dinner each day. While this style is great for burning calories, it’s downside lies in the fact that it’s difficult to get a day’s worth of healthy calories in one meal. Therefore, I only recommend doing this style of fasting periodically and not as a regular form of eating.
Every-Other-Day Fasting
Alternating your fasting days is a great way to stick with intermittent fasting long-term. In this method of fasting, people fast (consume less than 500 calories) on one day and then eat normally on the following day. According to research, this style of fasting is very good for weight loss.
Exercising While Fasting
Exercising while fasting is nothing new. And it’s perfectly safe to do when done correctly. When you exercise while fasting, your stored carbohydrates are depleted and in turn, you end up burning more fat during your workout. Research suggests that this is especially true if exercise is done in the morning time.
However, you will not get any benefits of fasted exercise if you are not eating and fueling your body properly. If you’re not eating well, exercising while fasting can break down muscle which is counter-productive to a healthy active lifestyle. It is also important to make sure that you are able to eat shortly after your workout.
Looking for some post-workout recipe inspiration? Check out my post-workout recipe round-up!
How To Make Fasting Work With Your Lifestyle
The best way to make intermittent fasting work for your lifestyle is to give each method of fasting a try. This will give you a good idea of how you can fit it into your life and give you a chance to compare the methods. I recommend starting with the easiest form of fasting, overnight fasting, and seeing how that goes first.
Here are some of my go-to fasting tips:
- Prepare your meals ahead of time.
- Have coffee/tea on hand during your fasting hours.
- Exercise toward the end of your fasting window.
- Try to have the bulk of your fasting window be sleeping hours.
- If you want to eat before a workout, have a protein shake.
Are you completely new to intermittent fasting? Check out this post!
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