Intermittent Fasting is the new buzz term, guess it will have something to do with summer time, and people getting desperate to shed the last (or first 😬) few lbs….
Thats generally when we see the quick fixes being touted more than usual on our socials and feeds
Before we jump into it , theres a few bits we need to clear up.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting (IF) isn’t skipping breakfast, or eating a little later in the day, thats actually Time Restricted Feeding (TRF).
IF is usually 1-2 days in duration perhaps longer, without ingestion of calories, where as TRF is window eating that may look like 16:8 hour windows etc.
The fat-loss “magic” lies within you guessed it , restricting calories. just like every other diet that worked….EVER. You ate less calories that you expended ,thats it, not autophagy , depletion of glycogen not IGF/GH pulsing or release,
The only reason that the individual who used the methods saw fat-loss was that THEY could sustain it for long enough to see return.
So the question is , would IF or TRF actually suit you as a means to create a sustainable method for fat-loss. If not, it’s pointless.
Some questions to ask your self before setting the clock.
1) hows your relationship with food and self? Are you doing this as another quick fix, or trying to fix a binge/restrict cycle ?
If so , removing/restricting food for long blocks of time probably isn’t the best solution to fix an under/overeating problem.
2) Are you removing food when you need it most ?
Training in the AM but also not eating ? Its probably not the best solution for performance or recovery.
3) Does it suit your day to day life? got more social stuff on in the mornings or evenings ? Or does it suit family life to not eat your breakfast with the kids and partner ? What image is being portrayed from the restriction ?
Theres a bunch more to ask , but these will tell you tons when you answer them.
Theres no doubt IF or TRF can be massively useful for cognition and productivity , but for fat-loss and the general population I think theres FAR better options available than IF and TRF . For the most part it’s the entrepreneurial types, up at 430am to crush the day with little to no other responsibilities other than work / training who will promote this for fat-loss, is that you ? Most likely not, and thats completely ok.
When picking the vehicle you want to drive your results, make sure its aligned with your actual life, and aligned with the goal you want.
Its key to long term success and sustainability,
