In a Research 2020, 24 percent of US adults said they had tried intermittent fasting (IF) for weight loss, making it the most popular “diet” in the US. Judging by the countless fasting headlines we’ve seen in recent years, it’s safe to say the rate has increased.
In addition to being an effective weight loss strategy, fasting produces a multitude of health benefits ranging from increased muscle growth to enhanced immune function and mood. With these benefits (and results), it’s no wonder the act of fasting has become so popular, or should I say, it’s made a serious comeback.
“There are so many benefits of fasting. It’s amazing how much you can upgrade your body and brain, all from something as simple as skipping a meal or two,” she shares. Dr. Mindy Pelzits author Fast as a girl.
“Fasting improves insulin sensitivity, burns fat, reduces inflammation, boosts brain function, triggers autophagy (when your body replaces damaged cells with new versions), slows aging. The list goes on.”
Although fasting produces amazing health benefits for both men and women, depending on gender and lifestyle factors, fasting methods may need to be slightly individualized.
Here, Dr. Pelz covers how fasting, while beneficial, is an individualized practice.
7 Common Fasting Methods
First, Dr. Pelz points out that there is no one best way to fast, “it all depends on what works for you.” However, she goes on to explain that the benefits of fasting start to show when you go 16 hours without food. This may be why the 16/8 fasting method seems to be gaining ground.
Here are more (but not all) fasting techniques:
- 16/8 fasting: 16 hours without food and you have all your food for the day in an 8 hour window (say, from 12-8pm).
- 20/4 fasting: 20 hours without food, 4 hours with food. (For example, eating all meals between 4-8pm)
- OMAD: One meal a day.
- 14/10 fasting: 14 hours without food, 10 hours with food
- 18/6 fasting: 18 hours without food, 6 hours with food
- Water fasting: Water consumption only for 24 to 72 hours.
- Eat Stop Eat: This fasting method involves two non-consecutive 24-hour fasts per week. (This doesn’t mean two days in a row that you don’t eat, but rather, it means two days where you have one meal before you fast for the next 24 hours.
Should men and women fast differently?
We know that both men and women get health benefits from fasting. However, since men and women are biologically different, Pelz believes some tweaks need to be made.
For men, fasting is pretty simple and they pretty much get the green light when it comes to fasting. “Men’s hormones are so stable that they can fast every day throughout the month, with as much or as little variation as they want,” explains Pelz. Women, on the other hand, should proceed with caution during certain times of the month.
For women, Dr. Pelz explains the importance of timing your fasting with your monthly cycle. “Fasting is fine for most of the month, but you want to avoid fasting in your luteal phase, which is the 7-10 days before your period.” During this period, Dr. Pelz encourages women to take it easy on their bodies and avoid doing anything too stressful.
To make it simple: Ladies, fast for the first 20 days of your cycle and feast for the last 10. “There’s a little more nuance, but that’s a good rule of thumb to start with.”
Should athletes exercise while fasting?
For athletes, Dr. Pelz believes this is a personal preference, as many factors depend on the type of workouts used during the fast.
For example, many of Dr. Pelz enjoy doing endurance training while fasting. Swimming, cycling, distance running and yoga and all are going well.
“However, if you fast while doing something that combines endurance and strength, such as high-intensity interval training or CrossFit-style training, you may find that you hit a wall halfway through the session and run out of energy,” explains Dr. Pelz.
If this is the case for you, Dr. Pelz recommends that you should consume some complex carbohydrates before you work out. “The same may be true for sports that involve sustained core effort over time characterized by periods of high intensity, such as soccer.”
On the other hand, Dr. Pelz explains that you may not experience any problems with fasted training.
“I’ve worked with people who can do any type of training fasted and actually perform better than if they ate beforehand.” At this point, fasting is a personal experience, and the best way to figure out what works for you is to experiment with fasted vs. non-fasted workouts and see how you feel.
Final fasting thoughts
Fasting has been used for thousands of years and has been shown to provide the body with a number of excellent benefits. Although genetics and lifestyle can change how you fast, the best thing to do is to try fasting and see how your body responds.
Once you figure out which method works best for you, making it a regular discipline in your life will produce benefits for your life that your body and mind will thank you for!
