How to Get Rid of Food Cravings With Intermittent Fasting
Fasting for weight loss may sound as silly as drinking water for thirst, but it is not quite the same. Let’s take a look at a special type of fasting called intermittent fasting (or IF), which can be a powerful tool on your fitness journey.
In simple terms, intermittent fasting means not eating for a specific period of time each day, usually lasting at least 14 hours (most of which you sleep). There is no shortage of manuals on intermittent fasting, but very few focus on practicality and instead focus on the purported benefits of IF – from the precise to the questionably superhuman. Fortunately, I have worked with nearly a thousand people who have found that intermittent fasting does help, but for a much simpler reason.
Why You Should Consider Fasting
So why can someone refuse to eat for a while? Well, there are some theoretical health benefits of intermittent fasting:
- Increased metabolism duringfasting
- Possible increase in life expectancy
- Improvement in health markerssuch as insulin sensitivity.
- Potentially increased sensitivity to leptin , which allows the body to feel more comfortable with a lower level of leanness.
- Intermittent fasting may be more effective at shedding ” stubborn fat ” than regular calorie restriction. This requires you to be relatively lean from the start.
You can find a complete list of potential benefits on the Mark’s Daily Apple website . However, this is a practical guide to IF, not a theoretical guide, so here’s what I have to say about this: don’t think too hard about them. IF may have some health benefits, which is great. But these are additional bonuses, not the true benefit you get from intermittent fasting: freedom.
With intermittent fasting, you will learn that you can do without food, cower, and die. Of course, you need to make sure that your diet is correct and that you eat the correct amount , but time doesn’t really matter. The first two to three weeks train your body and mind to relieve the urge to eat often.
This directly affects fat loss. Awareness that you “don’t need” to eat at certain times means less hunger, and less hunger is the number one predictor of weight loss .
Plus, I’ve heard a lot of people say that their mornings are more productive when you go through the initial transition period (which we’ll talk about a little later). The most obvious reason is that you don’t have to stop for breakfast, but in addition, the release of catecholamines by your body during the fasting period increases your energy and suppresses your appetite. You can also do other things in the morning, like making sure you get enough sleep, which can bring a much greater ROI for weight loss than breakfast.
Fasting Is Not Dangerous If Done Right
What I hate the most about intermittent fasting is its name. The act of “fasting” seems dangerous (or counterproductive) to many. In fact, there is no fasting of a reasonable length either.
We’ve already debunked the myth that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and that you can safely skip breakfast if you want. Likewise, the post is shrouded in myths. The truth is that fasting for less than 36 hours will not slow your metabolism (in fact, it has the opposite effect ),will not lead to muscle loss as long as your diet is healthy, andwill not cause a decrease in mental performance .
For more information, you can check out this Fasting Myths page written by Martin Berkhan, one of the pioneers of intermittent fasting.
It is worth noting that some have noted that the potential risk of IF, if any, may be higher in women. In the words of author and self-proclaimed paleologist Stephanie Ruper:
Many women find that intermittent fasting is associated with insomnia, anxiety and irregular periods, as well as many other symptoms of hormone dysregulation. I have also personally experienced metabolic disturbances from fasting, as evidenced by my interest in hypocretin neurons. Hypocretin neurons have the ability to induce energetic wakefulness and prevent a person from falling asleep if their body detects a “hungry” state. Hypocretin neurons are one of the ways in which intermittent fasting can disrupt the regulation of the female system.
Research on the specific effects of IF on women is sparse, and even Stephanie acknowledges that there is little literature on the topic and is largely based on studies in rats.
I have probably worked with about 500 women using the IF protocol and none of them experienced the aforementioned symptoms. Of course, this is combined with a firm diet and exercise program, as well as careful observation of any symptoms.
The only gender commonality I have noticed with IF is that it seems to be less effective for women than for men (and unfortunately for physiological reasons, as with almost everything about diet), and there are more women. than men who may seem to not adjust even after the first week. In this case, intermittent fasting is probably not for them.
How to start intermittent fasting
The “why” is the hardest part, now the “how”. The basics are simple: you only consume calories during the day known as the “meal window”. This window lasts eight hours for men and ten hours for women. (The difference between the length of the eating window is due to the fact that men seem to be able to tolerate a longer fasting window than women.) So, the approximate feeding window for a man could be from noon to 8:00 pm or 2:00 pm to 10:00 pm. : 00. … If you are a woman, try from 2:00 pm to midnight.
Outside of this window, do not eat calories. Calorie-free (or minor) options like black coffee (no cream and no sugar), sugar-free gum, or a little splash of milk are allowed, even welcome, if it helps you get through your fasting period.
It is best to start your window when you usually have lunch, or at least four hours after waking up. I have noticed that starting too early often leads to disaster. With a window so small to eat, you end up running out of calories long before the end of the day, and let’s be honest: going to bed hungry sucks.
It can take a week to get used to a new diet. At first, you may feel hungry in the morning because the hormone ghrelin , which regulates your fasting, makes your body crave food at the same time every day. However, after about a week, you will find that you are no longer hungry in the morning and are more productive.
That’s all. Don’t overcomplicate or overdo it. All we do is eat at the same time every day. Stick to the same window every day and do not change the time to compensate for the previous day. Of course, you won’t be able to do this every single day, because life will inevitably throw you off, but as long as you stick to it 80% of the time, your body and mind will get used to it and you will win. not hungry in the morning.
Intermittent fasting is certainly not required for weight loss or health, but many find it enjoyable and make it easier to follow a diet. If you are interested in IF, try for a month. If you don’t like it, go back to your old diet. It’s all about what works for you.
Even if you end up returning for breakfast, it’s because you want it, and this time you are in control of your eating, not the other way around.
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