Skip Intermittent Fasting. Do This Instead.

I’ve been helping women (and a few men) to lose weight and sustainably embody strength and health without starvation or body-breaking workouts for over 20 years.

Intermittent Fasting (IF) is hugely popular in the weight-loss world. Popularity is not an indicator of effectiveness. I know that sounds weird.

If it doesn’t work, why is it popular?

There’s a bit of legend, machismo, and toughness that is implied with IF. If you can successfully deny yourself food for any length of time, you’re “conquering” yourself. You’re exhibiting willpower of steel. At least, that’s what people think when they hear you talking about it.

That has not been my personal experience with IF, nor has it been the experience of my clients.

The reality is that IF doesn’t work for everyone. For some, it sets up binge-purge cycles. Others are left with an overwhelming sense of failure when their bodies rightfully overrule their willpower.

Here are the top 3 reasons I don’t recommend IF and what you can do instead. 

1. There isn’t as much evidence to support IF as you think there is. The majority of the studies have been done on rodents, not humans. Even as recently as this year (2023), there are few studies and no long-term studies on the effects of IF on human health. There is also no conclusive evidence that IF is more effective for weight loss than calorie restriction, especially in post-menopausal women.
2. Hunger wins…every time! Tuning in to what your body is telling you it needs is part of human evolution. Hunger tells you it’s time to eat. And, contrary to the common refrain that you’ll get used to fasting and be less hungry, a review of 17 studies on Intermittent Fasting, published in June of 2023, found no evidence to support that claim. People who were fasting were just as hungry as people on calorie restriction. And if you’re hungry, you will eat. Moreover, when you listen and respond to your body’s natural hunger sensations, you will have better control over your weight and health.
3. It’s the QUALITY of the food, not the QUANTITY, that improves your health. The human body requires specific essential nutrients that we can only get from what we eat. The more nutrients you can eat per bite, the healthier you will be. Cheeseburgers don’t reduce aches, pains, inflammation, or your risk of developing heart disease and cancer. So, while you won’t be eating them while you’re fasting, if that’s what you’re eating when you come off your fast, you’ll still have the same problems with your health that you have now.

What does work? Change what you’re eating. Add more nutrient-dense food to your diet. This means eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds.

Eating oatmeal for breakfast?

• ADD some berries to increase antioxidant capacity.
• ADD some lentils to increase the protein.
• ADD some walnuts to get your Omega-3s.

Not only is it more fun to ponder what you can ADD to your food, but the volume of what you’re eating is bigger, and the calorie hit is smaller. This means you’ll feel like you’re eating more food (you won’t be hungry), AND you’ll be eating fewer calories.

Focusing on what you can add to your meals, moving your body in a way that feels great, and managing your mindset around making changes. This is what we do in The Women’s Wellness Academy.

You can get started with these changes with my free 7-Day WINNERS Transformation.

WINNERS are Women Invested in Now with No Excuses Reveling in Success. You’ll find them in The Women’s Wellness Academy.