The Truth About Intermittent Fasting
Losing fat is tougher than wrestling a greased pig. In the dark. With your hands tied behind your back.
Between battling hunger, fighting off low energy, and dealing with cravings that seem to strike at the worst times, it's no wonder so many people struggle to stick with their diets.
Most people start with the best intentions, only to find themselves back at square one after a few weeks. Enter intermittent fasting (IF), a dieting approach that promises to make fat loss easier by tapping into some kind of hormonal magic.
But does it really work, or is it just another fad? Let’s dive in.
The Purported Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting has been touted as a game-changer for several reasons. Here’s a quick rundown of the supposed benefits:
Fat Loss: By reducing the eating window, IF supposedly makes it easier to cut calories and burn fat.
Hormone Optimization: Fasting is said to boost growth hormone levels, which helps with fat loss and muscle gain.
Autophagy: This is the process where your body cleans out damaged cells, potentially leading to improved cellular health and longevity.
Longevity: Some studies suggest that fasting could help you live longer by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress.
Lower Inflammation: Fasting might reduce chronic inflammation, which is linked to various health problems.
Improved Metabolic Health: By giving your digestive system a break, IF might improve insulin sensitivity and overall metabolic health.
Some pretty enticing benefits, huh? Let’s see if the research backs up these claims.
What the Research Says About Intermittent Fasting
Let’s take a closer look at these claims and see what the research actually says.
Fat Loss: The primary reason people lose weight with IF is that they eat fewer calories overall.
When you restrict your eating window, you often end up eating less, but this can be achieved without any specific timing. The key to fat loss remains a caloric deficit—burning more calories than you consume.
If this wasn’t clear before, a new study recently came out that drove the final nail into the coffin. The researchers equated calories, and found no unique fat loss benefits to intermittent fasting. Here’s the study, and here’s a breakdown, if you’d like to take a deeper dive.
Hormone Optimization: While it’s true that growth hormone levels spike during fasting, these increases are temporary and don’t necessarily translate to significant changes in body composition.
The transient rise in growth hormone is more about maintaining blood sugar levels and energy balance than supercharging fat loss.
Autophagy: Autophagy is natural process that allows cells to break down and recycle old or damaged parts. It’s your body’s way of spring cleaning, so it can regenerate new, healthier cells.
It increases during fasting, but exercise has been shown to be a more potent stimulator of this process. Regular physical activity can induce autophagy more effectively than fasting alone.
Longevity and Lower Inflammation: The longevity benefits of IF are still largely speculative. Most studies have been conducted on animals, and the results don’t always translate to humans. While there is some evidence suggesting that fasting can reduce markers of inflammation, the long-term benefits for humans are not yet conclusive.
If you have food allergies or intolerances, you may notice a huge benefit from fasting and may mistakenly attribute it to the fasting itself rather than the removal of the allergen. For instance, if you’re gluten intolerant but don’t know it, and don’t eat gluten for 24 hours because you’re fasting, you’re probably going to feel pretty good and become a proponent of fasting.
Improved Metabolic Health: Some people experience better insulin sensitivity and metabolic health with IF, but these benefits can also be achieved through regular exercise and a balanced diet.
It’s not the fasting per se, but the overall calorie reduction and lifestyle changes that matter most (are you noticing a common theme?)
How You Can Use Intermittent Fasting
Despite the hype and the myths, intermittent fasting can still be a useful tool for some people. Emphasis on the “some”.
Some of my clients find that fasting is a great way for them to eat fewer calories, simplify their diet efforts, and reduce hunger. For these folks, limiting their eating window to 8-10 hours allows them to feel more satisfied with fewer calories.
For other clients, it’s a nightmare.
During their fasting window, they’re starving and all they can think about is food. During their feeding window, they’re too full - trying to cram every last calorie in before the clock runs out - and all they can think about is food. This can quickly lead to frustration and an unhealthy relationship with food.
With that said - If you’re interested in trying intermittent fasting, here are a few reasons why it may work for you:
Calorie Control: If you find it easier to control your calorie intake by limiting your eating window, then IF can be a helpful strategy. It might simplify your eating schedule and help you avoid late-night snacking.
Fat Loss: For those who are overweight, losing fat through a structured eating pattern like IF can improve health markers significantly. Just remember, the key is the calorie deficit.
Healthy Relationship with Food: IF might help some people develop a healthier relationship with hunger and food. By eating within a specific window, you might become more mindful of your eating habits. However, be cautious, as this approach can also lead to a binge/restrict cycle in some individuals.
Evolutionary Perspective: It makes sense that our bodies might benefit from periods of not eating. After all, our ancestors didn’t have 24/7 access to food. Taking breaks from constant eating allows our bodies to focus on repair and maintenance processes. While this is speculative, it’s a perspective worth considering.
Wrap Up: Calories, Protein, and Fiber Are King
To sum up, intermittent fasting can be a useful tool, but it’s not a magic bullet.
The most critical factors for fat loss are still the amount of calories, protein, and fiber you consume. These elements are more important than the specific timing of your meals, the supplements you take, or even the type of exercise you do.
If you're serious about losing fat and improving your health, focus on creating a sustainable calorie deficit, eating enough protein to maintain muscle mass, and incorporating plenty of fiber-rich foods to stay full and satisfied.
And if you need personalized guidance to optimize your diet and reach your goals, you’re in luck - it just so happens I do that for a living!
You can schedule a free assessment with me today, and start your journey towards a healthier, fitter you. No fasting required :-)
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