Why I Don’t Personally Practice Intermittent Fasting

When it comes to nutrition, there are a few different levels – or “routes” I take with my coaching clients.

For some, we operate on a solely habits-based approach, working on specific habits and effective changes to progress them toward their goals.

For most, I take a nutrient-quality focus primarily, and then an IIFYM-based approach, combining both habits-based and tracking-based practices to see results – most often to get leaner ad stronger. This typically involves making sure yur diet is full of nutrient-rich foods, and then staying within the advised range of macronutrients (whether it’s through tracking grams or through tracking servings.)

And then for some, we take a more aggressive advanced approach of carbohydrate cycling (the above involves some carb cycling, but it’s a little more moderate) and for very few, intermittent fasting.

The very latter of which, I’ve been getting asked questions about at a much more frequent rate than is typical for me. Apparently, there’s a resurgence of popularity with Intermittent Fasting (IF,) as lately I’ve had quite a few clients, perspective clients, and colleagues – other trainers in the industry – asking my opinion.

For those of you who are all, “what the heck are ya talking about, Paige?!” right now, let me give a brief synapsis. Intermittent Fasting is basically eating within a “feeding window” of 3-8 hours each day, and fasting for the rest.

For example, let’s say you finish dinner at 8p the night before, and you fast for 18 hours. Then you wouldn’t eat again until 2p that day.

Proponents say that it has multiple benefits (though the research is still in very early stages,) such as it accelerates fat loss, suppresses the appetite, allows your digestive system to “rest,” increases energy, etc.

However, there are just as many studies that say it results in muscle atrophy (muscle loss,)a decrease, sleep deprivation and dysfunction, and hormone dysregulation – especially in women. I’d personally also like to add in the risk of triggering disordered eating.

My (Personal) Take on IF

Before I share my personal stance on IF, I will say that IF, just as any other nutrition practice out there will have different effects on different people. I’ve found that it’s very much your-mileage-may-vary, and as I mentioned before, I do have a very select few (~five out of seventy clients) practicing it.

That said, I personally don’t practice intermittent fasting, and am VERY slow to recommend it to a client for the two latter reasons I listed on the opponent’s side above: hormone and sleep dysregulation.

For me, this is backed by both evidence and anecdotal experience. Intermittent fasting is very appealing to me because skipping breakfast would give me back some time in my morning on my busy mornings, as well as relinquish the mental energy that goes along with thinking about and preparing a breakfast.

However, every single time I’ve tried IF for more than a few days (I’ve tried it about four times over the past five or six years) I’ve experienced two things:

-a longer than normal cycle for me

and

-trouble falling asleep at night

For me – these are two factors in my life that are of utmost important to keep regular. Some of you might remember that back in 2012, I lost my period (and was diagnosed with PCOS, though a second opinion later claimed it to be a misdiagnosis, and said it was more characteristic of hypothalmic syndrome.) After getting it back in 2013, it’s been very regular – a 28 day cycle – unless I experimented with IF, or had a very stressful month. Naturally, I want to stay away from anything that jeopardizes that, since Shane and I plan to start a family in the future.

And with sleep – I just needs my eight hours.

As I mentioned before, it seems the research – and anecdotal evidence – is split on IF. However, it’s not a nutrition method that I feel comfortable using myself, and only advise it to clients’ who try it out first, have little stress in their lives, and fit the criteria for it.

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