Nutrient Density - Part 3
Intermittent Fasting -
You’re eating a healthy, nutrient dense diet. You’re eating mindfully and chewing well…but the scale still isn’t moving.
Enter – Intermittent Fasting.
This isn’t for everyone, but it can be a great tool for some. I’ve found that this is particularly effective for post-menopausal women who are struggling to get the scale to budge.
This masterclass was written before the masterclass on Intermittent Fasting was launched. Please jump here and learn the ins and outs (the good and the bad) about Intermittent Fasting.
Important note -
Please don’t try this if you’ve had a history of disordered eating. This method is a bit too controlling and might trigger old patterns to re-emerge.
The key is – it’ll work for you if it FEELS REALLY GOOD. Like; following it is easy, you feel better following it, and your appetite is always quenched.
Stop if – you feel hungry all the time, you’re just biding your time until you can eat again, or it feels forced.
If you force your body into Intermittent Fasting then you could wreak havoc on your thyroid and your hormones. It can cause harm if it doesn’t feel easy. Don’t power through this, listen to your body and stop.
Two Methods of Intermittent Fasting
There are two ways to practice Intermittent Fasting (which I’ll call “IF” from now to make it easier). There’s the “eating window” version and the “5:2” method. Both are effective but DO NOT MIX THEM. Choose one or the other. Mixing the two styles of IF can cause unintentional nutrient deficiencies from not eating enough (and that can cause lots of problems).
The 5:2 Method
I’ve seen the most success with this method, especially with post-menopausal women. It involves eating normally for 5 – 6 days a week, and then a 500 cal fast for 1 – 2 days a week.
Don’t mix this with a low-cal diet, restrictive diet, or the “eating window” style. The fast days are enough to trigger weight loss, you don’t need to stress your body out more by adding a diet on top of this method. Please, just eat normally on your non-fast days.
Start with 1 fast day per week, and if it feels good then try 2. But, separate your fast days, don’t attempt to do 2 fast days in a row. To be honest, many people only need 1 fast day per week. Only add the second day if it feels good to you. For some, adding a second fast day can trigger MAJOR cravings as the body attempts to find balance.
So remember – start with one day…you might not need two :)
What this might look like:
Monday – normal eating
Tuesday – normal eating
Wednesday – 500 cal day
Thursday – normal eating
Friday – normal eating
Saturday – 500 cal day
Sunday – normal eating
To figure out how much food to eat on fasting days, use the free website & app “My Fitness Pal”. You don’t need to track your intake on every fast day, just at first to see how much food to eat.
A note for menstruating women –
In every traditional culture that promotes some form of fasting for spiritual or religious reasons, menstruating women are always exempt from the fast. They’re always allowed to eat all day. I think these cultures, who’ve been fasting for thousands of years are smart. Please, just to be on the safe side, skip the fast during your period.
The Eating Window Method
This form of IF involves a longer overnight fast each day. An overnight fast can help your digestive organs rest and it can be helpful for the metabolism.
There are many forms of this method, from a 12 hour to 20 hour overnight fast. But, from my experience, women do better with a shorter fast (12 – 15 hour fast) and men do better with a longer fast (16 – 20 hour fast).
Please – don’t force your body into a long overnight fast if you feel hungry for hours before you eat. This can slow your metabolism down…it’s better to have a shorter window.
What this might look like:
12/12 (12 hour fast & 12 hour eating window)
- First meal at 8am
- Last meal finished by 8pm
Or
14/10 (14 hour fast & 10 hour eating window)
- First meal at 9am
- Last meal finished by 7pm
*these first two methods are very doable and can help to curb evening eating. The next one is more difficult and if you try it, please keep an eye on your hunger cues.
16/8 (16 hour fast & 8 hour eating window)
- First meal at 11am
- Last meal by 7pm
*this is a VERY hard method to balance nutritionally, and only suited for people who feel best when they eat one or two big meals per day.
Wrapping it up
Intermittent Fasting can be a great tool for some, but a strain and stress on the body for others. If you’d like to try it, do so while fully listening to your body. Don’t push past hunger signals and feelings of deprivation because you’re outside of your eating window.
Stick with it only if it feels really good <3
If you have any questions, jump to our private Facebook Group or the Ask Lisa page :)