Why Intermittent Fasting Isn’t For Me
There are so many fad diets out there, from the keto diet to weight watchers, Noom, the celery juice diet, and intermittent fasting. The thing with fad diets (or any diet for that matter) is that they don’t work! I wrote a whole blog about why diets don’t work, but here is a brief synopsis.
Diets don’t work because they set you up for failure. Each diet has its own set of rules that you have to follow and if you don’t follow them, which you’re likely not to as we’re human and life happens, you feel guilty and then “fall off the wagon.” You end up binge-eating foods that were not allowed on the diet. You then feel ashamed that you couldn’t stay on said diet and then start a new diet only to repeat the pattern. So yeah, diets don’t work! They aren’t sustainable.
But we’re here to talk about Intermittent Fasting (IF). So what is it? Intermittent fasting is a diet that focuses on the time window you are allowed to eat and when you are not allowed to eat. There are a few ways people practice IF. You could fast for 16 hours a day and eat for only 8 hours a day. You could alternate the day you fast, so every other day you can eat. You could fast for 14 hours and eat for only 10 hours a day. So as you can see there are a lot of different variations, which could sound tempting to someone as you could change up the amount you are fasting.
Another lure or in my opinion, skeptical, is that IF doesn’t tell you what you can and can’t eat. So a lot of times people don’t believe that IF falls into the diet category, but that is far from the truth.
Any practice or method that restricts anything, including time is a DIET in my book.
So yes, I do in fact believe it is a diet, but what’s my real beef with IF?
It’s not sustainable or realistic. Do you really think that you could sustain this type of eating for the rest of your life? Are you forever going to miss out on breakfast or dinner dates if they take place during your fasting window? Are you never going to allow yourself a midnight snack with your husband or child? You’re missing out on life when you engage in these food rules. I mean seriously, it’s exhausting!
How realistic is it for you to get all of the calories you need in a day in that 8-hour window? I imagine if you are only allowing yourself to eat between 12-8 then you are busy during that time with work, running kids around to practices, or running errands. If you aren’t getting the adequate amount of calories you need then you are under-eating which could lead to the initial weight loss which is exciting, but once you stop IF and start back on your regular eating schedule you’ll find yourself eating more as a natural instinct to make up for the previous restriction. Your body wants to prepare for that famine (next diet) you are about to put it through.
IF is NOT safe for someone with diabetes or other health conditions. Diabetics NEED to eat every few hours to prevent their blood sugar from dropping. So, if you have diabetes and are considering IF, please don’t. It is not safe!
If you are physically active, I don’t think IF is a good option! When we are more active, we need more food and calories to replenish us. How good does it feel to work out in the morning and then come home and eat breakfast? Your body needs protein and carbs to recover! Don’t compromise your health and recovery because of the time of day. Another way to think about it is if you are an avid swimmer or training for a marathon do you think you could make it through your intense workout without eating before? Carb loading is a thing!
Lastly, IF sucks (in my opinion) because what if you wake up hungry but can’t eat for 6 hours? What if you’re busy during the evening and miss your window to eat dinner so you go to bed hungry? IF is the opposite of Intuitive Eating as it encourages you to not listen to your hunger cues leading your body to a disconnect and mistrust. Eventually, your hunger signals will fizzle out and you will have lost that internal connection. Thankfully there are people out there that can help you reconnect with your body’s internal cues!
Is Intermittent Fasting worth it? Is it worth your mental health? Life is stressful enough! Why add diets to the mix that dictate when we can’t or cannot eat?
If you are currently dieting or practicing Intermittent Fasting, I hope you know I am not coming after you. I am coming after diet culture! I have been in your shoes. I have tried IF myself. I can remember how painful it was to wait until noon to eat. I can remember how I slugged back cups after cups of coffee to help curb my appetite. I just want you to know that you don’t have to live that way.
You don’t have to diet to change your appearance. You don’t have to continually chase after unrealistic beauty standards. You are allowed to eat what you want and when you want and I am here to encourage you, support you, and motivate you along the way.