Shore Fit
By Bonnie Dodd-Miller
Intermittent fasting has recently become a health trend. It has many benefits. It can cause weight loss, improve metabolism, and maybe even extend life span. The latter got me hooked because as we age, the fight to stay healthy gets a little more challenging. I am a huge fan and believer in intermittent fasting. I’ve been following a fasting routine of 16/8, 18/6 and 20/4 for a little over two years now.
When you don’t eat for a while, several things happen in your body while in a fasted state. For example, your body changes hormone levels to make stored body fat more accessible and initiates important cellular repair processes. Cellular repair processes, such as removing waste material from cells was the biggest reason for me. I want to get rid of any bad cells that could turn into disease. Blood levels of insulin also drop significantly, which facilitates fat burning. Also, the blood levels of human growth hormone increase dramatically. Higher levels of HGH facilitate fat burning and muscle gain.
Intermittent fasting works on both sides of the calorie equation. It boosts your metabolic rate and reduces the amount of food you eat. We’ve all heard of calories in and calories out. Taking less in and burning more will result in weight and fat loss if that’s your goal.
When I read that I could reduce Oxidative stress and inflammation in my body by fasting, I knew I had to go for it. They age you and make you susceptible to chronic disease. I won’t get too scientific but free radicals wreak havoc on our bodies. Intermittent fasting can enhance the body’s resistance to oxidative stress and fight inflammation, the key drivers to many diseases.
Every method can be effective, but figuring out which one works best depends on the individual. You have to do what works best for you, so that you stick with it. Before embarking on an intermittent fast or deciding how often to fast, you should speak with a healthcare professional especially if you have any health related issues. My doctor was all for it after seeing the positive changes in my blood work results. He told me to keep doing what I’m doing.
The 16/8 is the easiest in my opinion and it’s what I mainly do on a typical day. I do however, mix it up once in a while for a longer fast so that my body doesn’t get used to one thing. You have to shake it up and keep that body guessing just like I promote all the time with workouts. You have to change it up to see results. If all you do is one type of exercise like cycle or yoga all week long, your body will adapt and know what’s coming and changes will likely be minimal if any.
The 16/8 method involves fasting every day for 16 hours and restricting your daily eating window to 8 hours.
Within the eating window, you can fit in two to three meals. I typically eat two.
Doing this method of fasting can actually be as simple as not eating anything after dinner and skipping breakfast. For example, if you finish your last meal at 8 p.m. and don’t eat until noon the next day, you’re technically fasting for 16 hours. Those are the hours that I fast. I’m not a breakfast person, so this really is ideal for someone like me. This is why it’s individualized. For people who get hungry in the morning and like to eat breakfast, this method may be hard to get used to. Some people need their breakfast, so their window may possibly be 9am and cease eating by 5pm. You can drink water, black coffee or tea and other zero-calorie beverages during the fast, which can help reduce feelings of hunger.
It’s also very important to primarily eat healthy foods during your eating window. This method won’t work if you eat lots of processed foods or an excessive number of calories. Eating clean is the way to go for optimal health. A typical day for me is waking up, having coffee and heading to the gym to teach a class or classes. I drink water throughout the day, striving for at least a gallon per day. I eat my first meal at noon which usually consists of a lean protein, a vegetable or two, a handful of nuts and a piece of fruit. My second meal usually occurs sometime around 5pm or 6pm depending on my schedule. I have another lean protein of approximately 6-7oz, 2-3 cups of vegetables, and a piece of fruit. Of course not everyday looks exactly like this but most days do and it’s how I live my life.
There are plenty other methods to intermittent fasting that I will go over but what works for me is the 16/8 and then approximately once per month, I switch out a few days of 18/6 or 20/4.
Another way of fasting is the 5 day/ 2 day method of eating. This is where you eat 5 days of the week without any restrictions and then restrict your caloric intake to 500–600 for 2 days of the week. This wouldn’t work for me because I need a more regimented way of eating. This style seems a little to lenient for me but would definitely work for some
On the fasting days, it’s recommended that women eat 500 calories and men eat 600. For example, you might eat normally every day of the week except Mondays and Thursdays. For those 2 days, you eat 2 small meals of 250 calories each for women and 300 calories each for men. I’ve read a few books in these different types of methods and that’s how I found what was appropriate for me.
Another method of fasting is called, the eat, stop, eat. My son does this every month and has great success with it. It involves a 24 hour fast once or twice per week. Fasting from dinner one day to dinner the next day amounts to a full 24 hour fast.
Of course, you can also fast from breakfast to breakfast or lunch to lunch, the end result is the same. Water, coffee, and other zero-calorie beverages are allowed during the fast, but no solid foods are permitted. The potential downside of this method is that a full 24 hour fast may be fairly difficult for many people. However, you don’t need to go all in right away. It’s fine to start with 12 hours, then 14 hours, then to 16. It’s better to start smaller and move upward from there
If you decide to try intermittent fasting, keep in mind that diet quality is crucial. It’s not possible to binge on processed foods during the eating periods and expect to boost your health and/or lose weight. Eating clean, fasting, hydrating with plenty of water and working out is ideal for optimal health.
Bonnie Miller is certified fitness instructor at the Ocean City Aquatic and Fitness Center and Atilis Gym in Galloway. She is a mom of three and resides Somers Point.
