Should I do Intermittent Fasting?

over the course of the last 2-3 months this has been my most asked question

I feel as though I have been asked this question at least a dozen times over the last few months, and seen at least a dozen other cases of clients/acquantainces trying out some form of fasting.

Is there a straight yes or no answer?

Absolutely not. One of the biggest red flags in the fitness or nutrition industry is someone saying that everyone should be doing one thing. This is one way we weed out the individuals who do not know what they are talking about.

“THE best type of exercise is running”

“everyone should adopt a vegan diet”

“Intermittent fasting is the best dietary strategy”

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Anyone with real experience training clients understands that Everyone is different.

I have personally seen amazing results in both myself and some of my clients. I have also personally witnessed intermittent fasting crash peoples metabolism, leading to weight gain and lack of energy. Thats the problem with blanket statements in the fitness/diet industry.

everyone reacts differently to stimuli. There is no one size fits all program no matter what the “gurus” tell you.

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So how do I know if it is for me?

The right answer to this is to hire a registered dietician to help analyze your needs.

However, not everyone has the resources to have a personal diet worked up by a pro. If this is you, then I am going to lay out a simple process to see if you should commit to an intermittent fasting program.

Stop Right here if any of these apply to you:

• You are trying to bulk up and gain muscle mass - if this is the case, there is no reason to limit consumption of “good” foods

• You have any medical issues. before making drastic dietary changes you must consult a doctor!

• You are an aspiring competitive athlete. Intermittent fasting has many benefits. making you more explosive, powerful, and fast is not one them. Those things require specific nutrient consumption and timing and you should consider another route.

continue on if These are your goals:

• Lose weight or cut body fat while maintaining lean muscle

• Build a healthier lifestyle for everyday living

• create a sustainable diet plan that includes flexibility on what you eat

Step 1: How vital is breakfast to you?

Some people (myself included) simply do not like eating before late morning. For me I cannot eat anything before 10:00 without feeling nauseous. I can work out, train clients, walk the dog and comfortably eat my first meal around noon without feeling low energy.

Other people are the exact opposite (again, refer to above where THERE IS NO cookie cutter program that works 100% of the time, EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT). If you are the type of person who gets sick without early morning food, intermittent fasting is most likely not for you (and that is okay!) Intermittent fasting does provide many benefits, but so do other dietary strategies!

Step 2: Create a Fasting Schedule and stick to it for ONE Week

This is the trial run.

I generally stop eating around 7:00pm and begin my next days meals at between noon and 1:00pm (6 hour eating window). This is personal preference however, limiting your eating window to between 6 and 8 hours is a good rule of thumb. This does not mean starve yourself, and it also doesn’t mean eat all the food in your house in 6 hours! You have to still eat the right amount of calories and macros!

You will NOT see massive weight loss, insane energy increases, or feel 10 years younger no matter what the Intermittent Fasting “gurus” told you.

What you may notice is maybe you feel the same (which is good!). Maybe your workout seems a little better? Or that first cup of coffee really focusses your morning work? Maybe you feel a little more productive or motivated? All of these things are a good sign that your body is going to adapt well to intermittent fasting.

If you feel a drop in energy or any negative effects after one week, it probably isn’t for you!

Step 3: If all has gone to plan, continue for a full month!

This is where the final test begins. STICK TO your schedule (this isn’t worth trying if you cannot adhere to it!). Most of the benefits of Intermittent fasting come from consistency.

If you make it through the month, and begin to see some results such as weight loss, leaning out (belt size shrinking, old clothes starting to fit), extra energy, better workouts, or maybe just feeling better it is a good sign that your body agrees with intermittent fasting and you can continue to stick to it!

If at the end of the month you have no positive results, or any negative findings, Intermittent fasting is probably not for you!

DON’T worry, It isn’t for everyone! There are a million other options! one of which is to reach out to us at seb@blackflagfitnessgym.com so we can set you up with a dietary consult and a new exercise program to get you moving the right way towards your goals.