** Please consult your physician before adjusting your nutritional diet **
Before I dive into WTF IF is and why I’m such a proponent of it, let’s get something out in the open: I AM NOT A DOCTOR ( surprised? I know ). But seriously — what I’m about to share with you in regards to intermittent fasting is knowledge I’ve picked up from doctors and specialists throughout my own journey. If you have a history of eating disorders, blood sugar issues, or live a lifestyle that always keeps you hungry, IF is more than likely NOT for you. Always consult your doctor or specialist before changing your diet.
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s dive in.
INTERMITTENT FASTING | a specific eating pattern that structures the time of day you eat and the time of day you are in a fasting mode. This is not a diet.
What does it do?
♡ increases human growth hormone which aids fat loss
♡ lowers insulin levels which increases access to stored body fat
♡ cell repairs in the body due to not being preoccupied w/ digesting food
♡ increases release of the fat-burning hormone noradrenaline
♡ help with inflammation in the body
For more detailed researched, read THIS article.
PERSONAL FASTING SCHEDULE |
This was actually a question I have been asked on my stories and is something I tried last year. Fasting has made a huge difference in not only my bodies appearance but also my sleep and my mental health. This does NOT mean I don’t eat, it just means I intake my calories for the day between 2 pm and 10 pm and fast the morning and night after these times where I have water, herbal tea, and black coffee. There is a lot of science that goes behind this that I don’t completely understand but I encourage you to research it for yourself before you start.
Intermittent Fasting shortens the time frame in which you’re eating throughout a given day. For example, instead of eating between 8am—10pm, you’d choose an 8-hour timeframe to consume all your food for the day— like 12pm-8pm, 10am-6pm, etc. While practicing intermittent fasting, most people fast for 16 hours of the day, while some prefer 14 hours or 18 hours. It’s totally up to you to find a time frame that works for your body, mindset, and schedule. Some people practice IF every day, and others keep it to 3-4 days a week. That’s why it’s called a “practice.”
PRO’S |
Done for a short time it can boost your fat loss, get you concentrated on your goals, give you a schedule to abide by to diminish the chances of excess eating, speed up the fat loss, give you mental clarity, lower sugar cravings. This is why I have started it again but only for 4 weeks. Sharing about this 4 week reset below.
♡ Promotes weight loss
♡ Increases longevity
♡ Acts as an anti-aging catalyst
♡ Regulates insulin levels
♡ Enhances hormone stability
♡ Decrease meal planning stress
♡ Clears the mind
Of course, IF isn’t a “magic pill” that will fix all your problems, but it is a very realistic and effective step that will more than likely make a positive impact on your overall health and who doesn’t want that! Might as well try it, right?
CON’S |
This way of life should not be continued long term due to the damage it can have on your metabolism, muscle maturity, and energy levels. I made the mistake of doing this rigid schedule for 5 months and started to really see the negative consequences of it. I was ALWAYS tired, my muscles were weak, and I plateaued in my workouts/fat loss.
MYTHS |
♡ Skipping breakfast makes you gain weight.
♡ Eating more frequently burns more calories (it ALL depends on the thermic effect of the specific food NOT the frequency).
♡ You need to eat often for brain function (our bodies can burn the glucose storage in our bodies for brain function w/o extra food).
♡ Fasts put your body into starvation mode, this is more or less a mindset. You can easily go from not eating to eating everything in sight if you have no self-control.
♡ You will lose too much muscle during fasting, this is ONLY true if you are not consuming the needed nutrients the rest of the day including your protein intake.
4 WEEK RESET |
♡ Intermittent Fasting 8 – 10-hour window
♡ Calorie deficit (gradually lowering not extreme)
♡ 3 days of 1 hr long cardio
♡ 3 days of lifting and 30 minutes cardio
♡ 21 Day Detox by Flattummyco
♡ 96 oz of lemon water a day
♡ 5 high-fat calorie days, 2 high carb calorie days
What other questions do you have about IF? Comment below!
