Why I do Intermittent Fasting, and everyone should too!
First of all, intermittent fasting is a lifestyle choice. It’s not a fad diet (well at least not yet), and it’s nothing that was just invented by me or anyone in the last….ohhhh….thousand years? Fasting has been a natural way to heal since back to the 10,000 BC dates. Animals fast when they are sick, babies fast when they are sick….the body just doesn’t want food when it knows it has other work to do in repairing and healing itself. So knowing that fasting is only a natural part of being healthy, I have made it my lifestyle choice to do….whether once a week…or in some daily manner. Below are some other reasons I choose to make IF my lifestyle.
- No more worrying about food all day – I did the 6 meals a day, cooking all weekend, packaging up meals to carry with me….and then I asked myself, is this any way to live? That and it wasn’t realistic that this was something I would do or enjoy for the rest of my life, there had to be a better way to be healthy.
- I can enjoy food out with friends when I choose – So I go out and have some wings and beer on the weekends, for the most part I am never eating sugar, eat plenty of veggies and meat and only drink water. The occasional night out does not ruin my “figure” by any means.
- It’s cheaper – Even though I still eat alot, I eat less overall. That and most people are usually not cooking at home so they go buy their meals. I still eat 3x a day, it’s not about starving myself. But I also require less calories when I IF, so less lbs of meat to buy. All in all, saves me money!
- No bars or shakes needed - Again, saves me money. All the people out there pushing you to eat 6x a day are probably people who either sell prepackaged meals, bars or shakes (ever notice that?). Don’t get me wrong, eating 6x a day can work in weight loss because the daily total cal intake is still low! There’s no metabolic advantage to eating 6x vs 3x a day. Eat whole foods 3x a day and make them healthy and you will lose weight too! Plus all those bars are loaded with sugar, so how does that help insulin resistance?
- More mental clarity and concentration – This is what I notice all day long! Amazing that now just one small Americano in the AM(2 shots expresso in hot water, less caffeine than coffee) will do me fine all day. There’s a reason that people who eat a huge breakfast or lunch are falling asleep hours later, because digestion takes a ton of energy.
- Performance levels are still high (if not higher) - I wouldn’t have kept doing IF if I saw that the things I loved to do were negatively affected. Hence I can still play sports and lift weights, and feel great doing it.
- I want to stay healthy and live longer - Studies all over the place point to how fasting has been shown to improve insulin resistance, decrease risks for heart disease, help to prevent many other diseases, and just make the body more resistant to negative stimulus (the protective effect of fasting). Also CR studies have shown to increase lifespan, while IF is not about chronic low calories it does have the nice side benefit of being about to eat less than usual and still maintain muscle and performance (so it is CR when compared to your avg daily intake normally required).
“To lengthen thy Life, lessen thy meals.” ~ Benjamin Franklin
- I can gain muscle and lose fat on less calories – Again going back to the longevity of CR in some way, the less you eat the longer you will live. Now I still want to keep my muscle or gain some more from time to time. So I have personally found that I can do this on IF, while needing way less calories than in the past. Nothing is sickening as shoving in 5000cal a day and feeling lethargic and tired all just to get bigger muscles. Not the way I want to live my life.
- I believe the only real cure is Prevention - I am not waiting around for science to say they have cured all diseases, as I don’t think they will even find a cure to any in my lifetime. So it’s my responsibility to take care of my own health, and that is a daily choice! Fasting is a natural way of the body to increase it’s own health and reduce many risks of diseases (if not most all). There are no guarantees in life we will never get sick, but we can only take preventative measures.
- It just feels right – Back in my days of eating all day long I felt tired alot, had increasing joint pain (esp in my knees), found it harder to recover from ice hockey games, had more days of depression, look and felt more bloated. After a couple years of playing around with IF I now feel 1000x better, no longer have knee pain, can recover quicker from hockey, lost weight, have more clarity, enjoy life more….and am probably much healthier at 36 than I was at 30! This just feels natural to give my body time off from eating to take care of itself, as I don’t believe we were built to just live our lives around eating.
So those are my main reasons of why I choose to make Intermittent Fasting a part of my lifestyle. Whats yours?
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Since starting to IF, I’ve noticed two unanticipated benefits:
The first was gaining a FAR greater understanding of hunger. Knowing that you are doing a 16-18 hour fast and that at the end you are probably going to be hungry is a way of taking control of your hunger. After IFing for a few weeks, hunger is just another state of being. It’s not the enemy that so many diet plans make it out to be. It doesn’t rule your life or drive your eating habits. Also, as I’ve become used to eating when I am particularly hungry (right after a fast), it’s a lot easier for me to not eat when I’m not particularly hungry. Maybe it gives my reason some ground to stand on against my emotional side that can drive me to eat? I don’t know, but I learned a lot about the differences between when I NEED food, and when my stomach is just rumbling.
The second was that smaller meals fill me up. I noticed this particularly over the holidays this past year. I was stuffed at Thanksgiving and Christmas much earlier than usual and sated for a much longer time.
My primary focus (foci?) has(ve) been fitness, life-style flexibility, and weight-loss. It fits the bill in all those categories. I shoot for a 16 hour minimum fast on weekdays. I try to go for 18 hours, but sometimes work interferes and a 16 hour fast is just more do-able. On the weekends I don’t worry as much about it, but I shoot for 12 hours just to keep the discipline going 7 days. 12 hours is very easy on a weekend, especially if you tend to brunch rather than eat 3 meals.
Funny how hunger really doesn’t mean you need food….as we can go weeks without food and still live (not that I am saying to do this of course). But our hormonal systems are so messed up with lack of sleep, stress, poor food choices that many of us are getting all the wrong signals at the wrong time. Hence why people crave sugar mostly late at night when they should of already gone to bed….body is confused. I think many people find (esp with longer fasts) that it helps to “reset” all these markers and signals, hence hunger tends to go away. Of course getting sleep is also essential for all those hormones to act correctly.
Another excellent article MOD,
I tend to eat when I feel hundry and keep the foods veggie and meat heavy. However, my eating schedule tends to fall after 2 p.m. 15 – 18 hours after I normally fnish my last meal. And since I only drink water and Green tea I always feel great. Listening to the body is a good thing and I think IF is definately one of the best ways to do it. And like you said, weekends are for nights out with the friends but I also throw in some additional junk food in there from time to time and still look fine.
Kevin – good job! Yes I like to enjoy my weekends as well. If I see a little more extra “gain” then I know I need to back off the Guinness a little! But all in moderation as my weekdays are meat, veggies and water.
I have to also remind everyone that IF is not just one set way, even if you can do it just 1x a week and improve your health then it is worth it. That and I have to still stress quality of foods is important especially if your goal is weight loss. IFOC (Intermittent Fasting on Crap….trademarked Mike OD…ok well sort of) never will provide good results. That along with overdoing IF improperly will only lead to weight gain and loss of muscle. So make sure quality of foods are still high (good protein, veggies, healthy fats and no sugars or processed foods!).
Mike,
Nice site design – it has a earthy feel to it. I am a big fan of IF as well. Good luck.
Oops, forgot to mention you may be interested in this site as well, as it uses a similar approach:
http://www.leangains.com
Matt – Thanks. Just “keeping it simple” around here as I say.
IF has many fans and many benefits. It’s exciting stuff! I’ve seen Martin’s site and like his approach. Good to see someone working and getting results with IF with more of the bodybuilding crowd as well. Shows that we need not all wake up in the middle of the night to drink protein shakes in fear of muscle catabolism.
Fasting and abstinence is a part of most, if not all, major religions. It is certainly in mine. I am in the middle of the Lenten season and fasting has helped me to detach myself from worldly desires and focus on more important things, like God, family, and community.
Couldn’t agree more with your post.
If you ignore over thinking all the science, using forms of IF just feel right because of their practicality and simplicity.
Most if not all the comments I get on Eat Stop Eat are related to how easy IF is, and how it just feels right.
Great post.
BP
Brad – Funny how things that are just more natural are usually better for us too!
[...] IF Life lists reasons why Intermittent Fasting is for [...]
[...] I stumbled across a really good post about some of the more “Life Friendly” benefits of following a intermittent fasting lifestyle such as Eat Stop Eat…. You can check it out here ==> Simple Benefits of Fasting [...]
[...] Related Posts: See the Fat Loss 101 post for more info on important hormones like GH and Cortisol that also play into muscle building. Also it is easier to build muscles once you get down to a lower BF%. If you are interested in Intermittent Fasting while gaining muscle, see IF 101 – How to Start post. If you do not know about IF and want to know why it is becoming a popular lifestyle choice for many, you can see my post on Why I do IF. [...]
[...] Related Posts: See the Fat Loss 101 post for more info on important hormones like GH and Cortisol that also play into muscle building. Also it is easier to build muscles once you get down to a lower BF%. If you are interested in Intermittent Fasting while gaining muscle, see IF 101 – How to Start post. If you do not know about IF and want to know why it is becoming a popular lifestyle choice for many, you can see my post on Why I do IF. [...]
[...] Related Posts: See the Fat Loss 101 post for more info on important hormones like GH and Cortisol that also play into muscle building. Also it is easier to build muscles once you get down to a lower BF%. If you are interested in Intermittent Fasting while gaining muscle, see IF 101 – How to Start post. If you do not know about IF and want to know why it is becoming a popular lifestyle choice for many, you can see my post on Why I do IF. [...]
fasting can cure you of many addictions. here in Romania there are some specialist that use these kind of cure various drug addictions.
Alex – You are correct that fasting is the best built in repair and regenerate mechanism….although legally I can not say it “cures” anything…it sure can make your body healthier and aid in reducing/eliminating many symptoms associated with diseases across the board.
Well, Mike … this form of therapy appeared on tv in the news some time ago here in Romania. The curious thing is that also religions promote fasting or forms of it.
But you are right, anyone who wants to take such a treatment should better consult a medic first.
Alex – Fasting can be a very stressful thing for people esp if they are not healthy. Shorter daily fasts while not the quickest way, are good for little bits of progress. Longer fasts (days) should be done under a physicians care as everyone’s health is different. (and of course anyone should work with their Dr when attempting any type of fast….as health can vary)
MOD, I’ve referred more people to this site–this post actually–than an advertising banner. Where’s my cash?
Seriously, good stuff and thanks for the info.
Gant – Ha….thanks. You can officially have my first dollar that I make off this site!
[...] found a great article on the author’s personal reasons for fasting. These reasons are the same exact reasons why I do it. Why not try it yourself and see? Millions of [...]
[...] most importantly I’ve brought the joy of eating back into my life. (you can read more about why I do IF [...]
Great post! I’ve been preaching fasting for some time. I’ve discovered it at the end of 2007 and, after some optimization, I’m now doing a 60-hour fast every two weeks. It’s the ideal length for me since that way I can fast through entire two days, from waking to going to sleep, which makes it simpler logistically and also gives me you two nights of exceptional rest – when the digestion is off I found I sleep less, wake up more refreshed and have more energy overall. I also have a feeling my immunity is stronger. Second day is especially nice – the hunger is usually completely gone and even if my hunger-sharpened olfactory faculties get caught up in a bakery assault, it’s quite manageable. I lose a rough average of 10 pounds during the 60 hours and have been likened unto a fornication machine when I fast.
I commute by bike, about two hours a day and have stopped drinking coffee a year ago. Since I’m addicted to caffeine, I’ve taken up green tea several times a day (you don’t need sugar, the caffeine uptake is milder, doesn’t mess up your digestion and you don’t crash as it runs out — just get the good stuff and not in bags).
Nice post! I just a 19 yr old college student, but I’ve become really dedicated to becoming healthy. I sabotaged myself growing up till about high school, when I started eating much better and lost some weight, but I still have a long way to go till I reach ideal health. I’d love to try a real fast someday to heal, but I can’t do it yet. Even if it’s just once a day I want to eat. =P So, for the last 3 days now I’ve eaten one big meal a day in the late afternoon. I haven’t really noticed anything yet, but I hope I’m giving my body some extra time to clean up. I think I like this eating plan, because after I eat my meal, I know that that’s it and don’t agonize over food for the rest of the day. (I’ve been losing weight the past month and haven’t been eating much (all healthy though!) and it’s much harder to limit myself while having the potential to eat more that day.)
Lisa – Best thing you can start doing is getting in quality foods, avoiding sugar and exercising (more resistance than cardio). At your age I doubt you need much fasting as your immune system is at peak condition and you don’t have to worry about anti-aging too much until your late 20s when things start slowing down. Like I said, just focus on quality of foods first and make sure you get enough calories, those 2 steps alone will improve your health dramatically. If you want a fast 1-2x a week you can start there. You can eat low calories, just don’t eat malnutritioned….get in your essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and amino acids. That and have a day off to just go eat what ever you want….enjoy life.
I was wondering what kind of knee pain you have/had. Tendinosis? I have had chronic tendinosis in one of my knees for over 10 years and have tried numerous ways of improving it. I have back/hand pains as well.
I have been doing IF for about a month now, and have noted improvements in skin and energy levels, but not for my joint pains. Perhaps I should try a non-intermittent fast such as a 10 day water or 30 day juice fast?
What is your take on occasionally doing longer term fasting?
Phil – Knee pain is more inflammation in the joint (probably from years of abuse playing ice hockey). Gettting sugar out long ago was the first road to feeling better (as if I happen to have sugar now my knee acts right back up). Joint pains you may want to try going “gluten”(wheat) free. Many people with arthritis report improved conditions after doing that. Do an elimination diet for 3 weeks with no wheat and see what happens. Doesn’t mean you can bring it back in later, just probably need to flush the system out by removing it and then have it on occasion, not a staple….as you willl see the pains just return. Also fish oil is good to balance omega 3/6 ratio and you may want to just do some gut health maintenance with probiotics. Long term fasting can help people with issues, many usually do some sort of “juice fasting” to keep up energy. I wouldn’t do it often but it can possibly help, of course everyone’s state of health is different and should get your doctors approval first. Even after a fast long or short, you still have to watch what you put in your body so the issues don’t return. Hence why I like the elimination diet of wheat as a first step.
“There’s no metabolic advantage to eating 6x vs 3x a day”
Just curious if there are any studies on this statement? The eating 6 x a day has been pushed, so I assumed there were studies showing the need for it. This is the 2nd website I have read in less than 1 week to make this statement!
Dottie – Yes you will probably see that “eat 6x a day to boost metabolism” thrown around everywhere….but honestly do people ever provide any proof of it (most are recycling the same old stuff that started in bodybuilding magazines long ago)? They are claiming that many small meals will boost metabolism through the energy it takes to digest food (esp protein which takes more energy than carbs/fat). That is known as thermogenesis. If you eat the same amount of protein and calories through out the day in 3 meals, how does 6 smaller ones speed up the metabolism? Eating 6x a day can work….eating 3x a day can work….it still comes down to amount of calories (and maintaining a calorie deficit). There is no real super secret success to 6x a day other than it may control someone’s cravings and allow them to be more consistent with the calorie deficit plan. Most of the stuff peddled out there is a bunch of **** just to prove there is some super secret formula to weight loss…and you have to buy something from them to learn it….it’s all marketing BS. Besides most people need to worry about getting a “more efficient” metabolism if they want long term weight loss success….not a super fast one…as that doesn’t solve the underlying issues at hand.
Thanks for such a great question…as it has inspired me to do a post about it: http://www.theiflife.com/2008/11/05/eating-more-meals-does-not-speed-up-your-metabolism/
I like this site, although it seems a little manorexic-centered.
I love working out and eating healthy, but then again, I’m a recovering anorexic and tend to fall in the extreme category. So, I wonder if advocating two day fasts is healthy or simply an excercise in control. The latter isn’t necessarily negative- as controlling one’s life-choices is extremely liberating– but it might be important to emphasize that obsession can quickly control you- especially where hunger and the body is concerned.
I think, ultimately, we each must choose that which is most respectful to our bodies. For me it means eating breakfast every morning (yes!) and staying fit and active.
I hope you can remind your dedicated readers to ask themselves at every fast and every work out if they are satisfying their mind or their body— and to remember for some it’s easier to listen to the mind and for others the body, but the ideal is a marriage of both.
-L
Laura – Thanks for the comment. I always do tell people that they should start slowly with any attempt at using IF. It can be an effective way to manage our obsession with food, but eating is still stressed as being important. We still need calories and healthy nutrients to be healthy. With IF we can really start to listen to our bodies, as that is the way we really should be living…listening to our body while it is in tune with our natural environment and evolutionary design.
Love your site. I find it so informative, and I think eventually IF will go mainstream. Anyway, I’ve recently gained some weight probably from eating extra sugar and not fasting as long (9pm-1pm). I am looking to get back on track. I was wondering, during my fasting period, can I still have my morning coffee with cream, and a little sugar? How much will this put me behind? I love my coffee, and it keeps me from getting hungry till about 4pm.
Thanks for your help!
C
Christine – Mainstream is a funny word, as usually what is promoted has profit behind it…like eating 6x a day of processed bars/shakes (supplements). Sugar should be the first thing to try and remove, as that is a stimulus for the “fat storing” hormones (and shuts down hormonal signals to release stored fats) to the body. Ideally you should avoid any sugar while fasting, if you need something with coffee I suggest more cream (not milk). Little fat can help tide you over and keep your insulin from turning off fat burning.
Can’t you just use every day food-words like “potato, banana or fish” in those diet talks ? I see those articles – they are saying about some nutricions, proteins and other stuff – I dont buy f.e 1kg of proteins or a nutri-soup from the menu in a restaurant or shop. How do I know where is what without a degree in biology and without doing some crazy calculations before buying/eating smth?
Simplicity – not sure i understand where your question is pointing to in the article, but if you want it simple….eat what was around 10,000 years ago with meats, fruits, vegetable and avoid processed foods, grains, cereals and other things made by man. Made by nature is the way to go. If you want more info on that I would suggest looking into the “Paleo Diet” by Dr Cordain. Crazy calculations are only needed when we start eating high calorie density foods that are made by man (bagels, desserts, sandwiches, etc). Most of us would not overeat on fruits, vegetables and meat in a day.
Thx for reply and this leads me to another question – how do I know what meat should I eat, because there is no Mammuthus nowadays and probably more than 90 % (?) of meat comes from animals that are grow by people. I have no idea what my piece of meat ate for it breakfast before it was killed. If the kind of meat matters here ? (fish, pigs or cattle ?) Can you provide more specific definition of what “processed food” actually is ?
Simplicity – Processed more meaning something that isn’t found in nature (unlike meat, fruits, veggies, etc….paleo foods). So breads, cereals, or things highly preserved or manipulated. Meat should be from healthy animals and should come in original form as possible (like a steak….vs a hotdog). In todays world we can only try to eat as close to natural as possible….may not be 100% or even 90%…but still picking foods as close to their natural state is the goal.
Thank you for your answer. So if nowadays my breakfast
(though during the week I often don’t have time for any and I eat mostly at 13.00 for the first time in a day)
looks like let’s say: 2 slices of bread with something like butter (I recently bought butter with Omega 3 and Omega 6 things in it) and a tuna fish or some other things like yellow cheese with a slice of ham or milk (less fat is better, right ?) with cereals (I saw them on your list – they are not healthy ?) with some Danone yogurt with some healthy bacterias in it and a glass of tea with a spoon of sugar. Is it OK ?
For main meal of the day – since unfortunatelly I dont have a lot of options to cook by myself I often buy some premade food that only needs to be put into the microwave oven (that’s probably the bad news ?) like potato souse with some meat and vegetable (carrot etc) or I eat at the restaurants.
During a day I have one or two coffee at random hours and I drink a couple of glasses of mineral water like Mg+Ca.
I think that the above list is quite typical for young working people today. So from your point of view what are the most urgent changes in this eating habit ? I mean some realistic ways of improving what I’m doing today ?
Simplicity – Most people eat too many processed carbs and not enough healthy proteins and fats. Things like breads and cereals should be limited…and replaced with more protein and fats. In the end, losing weight is still about calorie in and out….so you can’t eat a ton and expect to lose lbs especially if you are sedentary for the most part. Aim for more meals based with vegetables, proteins, healthy fats…and avoid making cereals, rice, breads, dairy a staple of your diet. If you have them here and there then ok, but most people have too much with end up elevating insulin and causing weight gain and start going down a road of insulin resistance.
hello im leaving another question or comment i hop it will be answered this time. Okay i dont know which diet im on but my original question was am i doing the intermittent fasting or not, because i eat only during the morning hours which is between 9am and its usually a big meal then later i have a snack like some fruit and i work out during the day when i get a chance . My question is is this intermittent fasting or not. Thanks i hope you can answer my question.
Tracey – sorry if I missed a previous comment. So you are only eating from 9am to when exactly? IF by “definition” would be only eating during a certain window (such as 9am-1pm or 1pm-6pm….by any amount of hours. Also IF is meant to be “intermittent”, hence the I in IF. So if you do the exact same schedule every day, then it’s technically not IF. But then again, what would be your reasons for IF? Are you looking to lose weight? Gain more longevity factors from it? Etc…..in the end, if you are eating, getting enough whole foods/healthy nutrients and seeing the results you like….then what you are doing may be working for you. Remember that the use of intermittent fasting is just a “tool”, not a set “diet”. People can use it differently and not everyone has to do it the same way.
Mike you talked about doing IF improperly in a post above – “…That along with overdoing IF improperly will only lead to weight gain and loss of muscle. So make sure quality of foods are still high (good protein, veggies, healthy fats and no sugars or processed foods!).”
Can you explain what you meant by doing IF improperly and maybe what are its consequences?
Thanks,
-AR
[...] cover all so many great points! I’ll probably just repeat what I wrote a while back about why I do Intermittent Fasting (IF). Freedom was #1, to be free from the tupperware containers and shake mixers I used to have in my [...]