Top 7 Intermittent Fasting FAQs Answered
We bet you understand why almost everybody is doing intermittent fasting today. This time-restricted method is simple: you don’t need to count calories or swear off certain foods. All that’s required is to eat sensibly and avoid overindulging.
If you’re interested in trying intermittent fasting, you probably have many questions concerning this fasting method. For instance, what should I not do when intermittent fasting? Are there foods or drinks I should avoid? What foods are best for breaking a fast?
For this post, we’ll give you straight answers to 15 of the most commonly asked intermittent fasting questions, starting with the basics.
1. What is Intermittent Fasting in Simple Terms?
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern where you have all your meals in a small eating window and stay fasted for the rest of the time. This time-restricted fasting method does not restrict what you eat but when you do it. A good example is compressing all your meals between 10 AM and 6 PM and then staying fasted until 10 AM the next day.
2. What are the Different Types of Intermittent Fasting?
The major reason intermittent fasting has been trending for years is the various approaches to doing it. There are over 10 types of intermittent fasting, meaning there is a sustainable approach for everybody’s lifestyle and goals. But all the available options also make it challenging to identify the perfect intermittent fasting for your needs.
Here are the most popular types of intermittent fasting you can try:
- 5:2- you eat normally for five days; then restrict your caloric intake to 500-600 calories per day on the other two days. The fasting days should be non-consecutive.
- 16:8- involves compressing all your calories within an 8-hour window and then fasting for 16 hours.
- Alternate-Day Fasting- ADF is where you fast every other day: you eat normally today, fast tomorrow, eat the other day, and so on.
- Modified Alternate Day Fasting- this approach is similar to ADF. The only difference is that you’re allowed 25% of your daily calorie needs (approx 500 calories) on your fasting days.
- Eat Stop Eat- developed by Brad Pilon, this type of IF involves fasting for one or two days a week and eating responsibly for the remaining days.
3. What is the most effective IF Approach for Weight Loss?
The 16:8 intermittent fasting plan is considered the best for weight loss. Generally speaking, all intermittent fasting approaches are associated with health benefits, including weight loss.
The thing with the 16:8 fasting method is that it makes it almost impossible to consume all your recommended daily calories in only 8 hours.
4. Is Intermittent Fasting Safe for Women?
During its early days, intermittent fasting was treated as a one-size-fits-all for everyone. But experts are starting to rethink that, especially when it comes to intermittent fasting for women. With girls going through puberty and into adolescence, for instance, it’s advisable to avoid lowering calorie intake to a level that would disrupt their menstrual cycle. This safety concern persists for women in their reproductive ages.
That said, intermittent fasting is safe for women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. But it’s advisable to consider short-term fasting schedules that don’t cause large calorie deficits. Ideally, women in these age categories should consider routines that involve fasting for 12-18 hours utmost.
5. Which Intermittent Fasting Schedules are the Best for Beginners?
The 5:2 approach is easily one of the best intermittent fasting methods for beginners because it’s not a true fast. With this method of intermittent fasting, you eat normally for five days and only 25% of your daily calorie intake for two non-consecutive days. This method offers an excellent place to start if you find it challenging to cut back on what you eat for a whole week.
Once you get used to the 5:2 method, it’s easy to transition to more challenging diets like modified ADF, ADF, and eat-stop-eat.
6. Can I Work Out While Intermittent Fasting?
Yes, it’s safe to work out when fasting. However, the secret to achieving that fit body when fasting is knowing when to exercise and how to do it. A major mistake most beginners make is jumping into an advanced IF schedule and exercising normally on top of it.
Intermittent fasting makes you feel weak and lightheaded. If you’re hitting the gym or trail in this condition, the chances of crashing and burning are pretty high. How you feel from the beginning is a good indicator of whether you’re doing it right. Do your legs and arms feel weak and heavy? Or do you feel energized enough to pull through the training session?
Regarding timing, we recommend moderate or high intensity immediately after your last meal unless you’re really fit. This way, your body has enough energy to work out.
7. Will Intermittent Fasting Lead to Muscle Loss?
There is an ever-hot debate on whether IF causes muscle loss, and the available clinical evidence is not conclusive either. In a fairly recent study, the intermittent fasting group lost 1.2 kgs of lean mass, while the calorie restriction group lost 1.6 kgs. However, another study showed that intermittent fasting does not lead to loss of lean mass.
Experts agree that short-term intermittent fasting won’t cause muscle loss. In fact, some say that IF is effective for maintaining muscle mass, especially when combined with exercises and a protein diet.
Final Words: Take it Easy
Remember, advanced types of intermittent fasting may give you a hard time, particularly if you’re used to regular refueling. The secret is to ease into it. Start by cutting back on the number of calories you take on the days leading to the fast, and keep your sugar intake low. In addition, remember to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water unless it’s a religious fast that calls for avoiding all foods and drinks.
Most importantly, discuss this with your doctor before trying any type of intermittent fasting. Your specific healthcare professional will also help answer other burning intermittent fasting questions based on your unique circumstances.
