Intermittent Fasting Accident…Oops!

Factual statements according to the Medical News Today is provided. Please read before listening to my shenanigans. 😬

What is intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting (IF) refers to a diet schedule that cycles between not eating and eating. Cycles of intermittent fasting can be hourly or daily.

Types of intermittent fasting

There are a number of different types of intermittent fasting. These include:

16:8: During 16:8 fasting, a person will not eat anything for 16 hours and then have an 8-hour window in which they consume food. During the 16 hours of fasting, people can consume noncalorie beverages, such as black coffee, black tea, and water.
5:2: The 5:2 diet is a type of fast where a person eats normally for 5 days and allocate 2 days to fasting.
Nightly: A nightly fast involves having a prolonged period, lasting from the evening to the following morning, without food. A 2016 study found that a prolonged fast of 13 hours overnight can potentially reduce the risk of breast cancer in females.
Up-to-the-ninth-hour: During this fast, a person will not consume food for the first 8 hours of their waking day. From the 9th hour, the person can then eat.
One meal a day (OMAD): OMAD fasting involves picking one meal a day to eat and spending the rest of the day fasting.
Alternate Day: As the name suggests, alternate day fasting is when a person eats food as normal one day and fasts on the following day.

If people want to change their usual eating habits, it is worth discussing this with a doctor or nutritionist, especially for a change such as fasting.

Why it might not be effective

Research has also identified some potentially negative side effects to exercise while fasting. These can include

Poorer performance: Research suggests that IF may impair exercise performance, particularly in athletes that are highly trained.
Struggle to build muscle: A 2018 randomized controlled trial found that males who were IF put on less muscle in comparison to those who ate meals as usual. However, IF did not negatively affect their muscle retention. Another study supports this, highlighting IF may be effective at maintaining muscle mass
Lightheadedness: Both IF and exercising can lower blood pressure. By combining the two, a person may experience lightheadedness because of the drop in blood pressure.
Blood Sugar Levels: IF and exercising may cause blood sugar levels to drop. If sugar levels drop too low, this can cause a person to faint.

The research examining fasting and exercise seems to have conflicting information. Depending on a person’s exercise goals, they may want to try IF for fat loss. However, if someone wants to build muscle, they may wish to use alternative diets.

My experience of IF

Ok so let me start off by saying, I didn’t do it on purpose….but I’ve been intermittent fasting since pandemic started (since March). It’s just now clicking in my mind why I’m not gaining more muscle. 😆🙈 I’ve been so busy sticking to my productive schedule that I didn’t realize this is one reason why I was unable to gain more muscle tone. 🥺

My daily schedule was/is as follows:

– Wake up per alarm between 5a-6a (time depends on what I have planned for the next day)

– Workout starts between 6:30a-7a for a minimum of 45 mins (usually longer , and I try to plan what I will work on the night before)

– Drink my recovery / protein shake to fuel my body immediately after the pounding 💪🏾

– Go into my office and complete all my work tasks that are due no later than noon (some days are longer than others)

– Go to the kitchen to prepare breakfast, which is usually brunch or lunch by the time it’s completed🙈

Afterwards, I spend time trying to eat more of my snacks and meals because I’ve missed breakfast time to hit my macros. Eating more is such a struggle to me because my mind is programmed to focus on my weight loss journey. It’s so hard to start trying to modify things on my own. 🧐 Speaking with fitness professionals, they always give me the advice to add more protein in my diet…..geeeezzz! I know and I am, it’s just a bit overwhelming to consume more. I never thought I would say that because back in the day, I worked out just to eat whatever I wanted (or so I thought). 🙈 Well we see that food relationship didn’t work for the better, I still faced major health problems.

On this journey, it’s all about what is working for your body and yet keeping you healthy. I would love to see more definition but we shall see what the future holds for me. Ha! This is a never ending journey and you learn so much along the way. One day, I feel like Popeye, and the very next day Olive Oyl. 😄 I’ll keep you posted….to be continued.