Intermittent Fasting – facts, tips + tricks

It seems like Intermittent Fasting (IF) has become something of a buzzword lately. And if you’ve been following me on my Instagram stories then you know I am still pretty new to this whole fasting thing. I am not claiming to suddenly be an expert on this, but being the obsessive info hog I am, I had to learn the science behind why it works. Today I’m sharing everything I have learned so far about intermittent fasting- including all the tips and tricks.

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

First of all, intermittent fasting is not a diet, it’s a pattern change. The focus isn’t on what you eat but when you eat it. Here are the different styles of fasting I found:

24 hour – you fast for 24 hours on two non-consecutive days, eat your normal pattern on the other days. (Hard core, right?)

5:2 method – on two non-consecutive days you eat around 500 calories.

20/4 method – you eat only 4 hours out of every 24 hour period.

16/8 pattern – all of your eating falls within an 8 hour time frame. (This is the one we do!)

Why Intermittent Fast?

I have found that I feel my best when I follow a healthy and balanced style of eating, rather than a diet. (More about that here.) So I didn’t really have a desire to fast. I love food and fasting sounded so extreme. Then at about 4 months postpartum, my husband started IF. Six weeks later he was looking super toned and about 15 lbs lighter. Ironically, he also had never worked out less, as we both were struggling with a regular fitness routine. I still had a few extra pregnancy pounds to lose so I did some research on the safety of breastfeeding and IF. If you are currently nursing I highly recommend doing the same.

Some of the research I found explained benefits related to intermittent fasting:

>> Protects your brain from age related cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disease

>> Weight loss

>> Increased energy

>> Promotes body’s ability to clean out damaged cells and regenerate newer, healthy cells

>> Better brain memory and function

>> Improved insulin sensitivity – – – – > balanced blood sugar; helps prevent + manage Type 2 diabetes naturally

>> Protect against cardiovascular disease + hypertension (high blood pressure)

>> Decreased inflammation

>> Lowers bad cholesterol

Pretty wild, right? If you’re as suspicious as I was, the links to all the articles and journals I found this info from are at the end of this post. Here’s the thing to keep in mind, the basics still hold true: what you put in your body is what you will get from your body. In other words, eat a lot of junk – even if it is condensed in an 8-hr time frame – and you’ll feel like junk. Part of this is understanding what actually qualifies as “junk food”. Carbs are not evil, but 8 hours of non-nutrient rich foods is not going to help you. Balance is key!

How Does Intermittent Fasting Work for Weight Loss?

Basically, you are either in a fed state or a fasting state. Fed state is when you are (obviously) eating and digesting. During this fed state your insulin levels are elevated and your body is burning of those sugars from your last meal.

After about 12 hours after you eat, your insulin levels are low and you cross into the fasting state. Now you start burning stored fat for energy. Fed state = elevated insulin = store fat; fasting state = lower insulin = burn fat.

The more time spent in the fed state means you can become used to always having high levels of insulin. Now your body thinks you NEED this level to survive and you can develop insulin resistance. Not only does it make it harder to burn off that belly fat, but this insulin resistance has been linked to some pretty serious health problems.

Intermittent Fasting Tips

It can sound intimidating to fast, but changing the way you think about this fasting period is helpful. If you sleep for 8 hours a night, we are really only talking about a few hours in the evening and a few hours in the morning that you aren’t eating. Also, most late night eating is based on a craving or a habit, not food you actually need to feel good and function at your peak. I don’t know about you but if I’m reaching for a snack at night it’s gonna be frozen dried apricots or a Yasso bar (current obsessions) – not celery sticks.

I thought not eating when I first got up would be S O T O U G H!! But surprisingly it’s not. If you have ever woken up with hunger pains, it may be because you ate so late, you are just entering a fasting state when you wake up in the morning instead of while you’re sleeping.

Also, I found having a morning ritual really helps. Here’s how I prefer to start my day: I wake up & first thing grab my water bottle which is waiting for me on my nightstand table prepared in some special way. Lately I’m really enjoying any combo of lemon, lime, cucumber, fresh ginger + mint. The options are really endless. The key is you start your day with water. I drink at least 20 ounces right away.

Another tip that is helpful is making sure I eat high quality food when I am eating, so that I am more full for longer. High quality protein, carbs, fat, and don’t forget the fiber!

My last tip – if you wake up and are just s t a r v i n g then eat! That’s not failure, it’s just listening to your body. I have a 1-hour rule: I’ll try to push it an hour and see if I was actually hungry or was just getting a little anxious over the thought of not eating. If I’m still starving, then that is just not my day to fast.

The Best Tricks to Fasting

Fasting can be unpleasant at times, so here’s how we pass the time. Keep in mind if your goal is fasting for digestive rest, than this is not a good idea for you. But being the kind of gal who wants it all and loves a great hack, I found this trick kinda life changing.

So, remember how I said that you burn fat in the fasted state because insulin levels are low? Well there is one thing that doesn’t affect insulin levels – fat. That means we when I make my morning coffee (after my morning water) I add heavy cream to it which not only is tasty as anything, but it doesn’t mess up my fast.

The other trick is inulin fiber. This is a prebiotic and is sooooo good for your belly. Plus fiber has a whole slew of its own benefits. Technically inulin is a carbohydrate, right? But it’s not digestible, your body doesn’t break it down. It just feeds the microbiome in your belly. And, since it’s a fiber, it helps you feel a bit more satiated. This is the specific one we use, it’s extracted from Jerusalem artichoke which is thought to be one of the best sources of inulin, plus it’s very pure, nothing else added.

Here’s What We Do…

Monday through Friday we try to fast. Soon as we take our last bite of food, the clock starts. My goal is to make it 16 hours fasting, but at least 14. Again, we listen to our body. Then on the weekend, sometimes we fast, sometimes we don’t, but it’s a no-pressure arrangement. Since I’m nursing Shiloh I am keeping tabs with my doc and making sure I am drinking tons and tons of water.

During those 8 hours of eating, I try to not binge on any one meal. I try to still eat balanced and enjoy my meals. However, I’ve noticed I have a bit more wiggle room with eating foods that normally would make me feel bloated.

Again. first thing in the morning, I drink my water then enjoy my coffee with heavy cream and inulin fiber.

After doing this for about a month, I’ve lost my last 5 lbs of pregnancy weight. Meanwhile, Matt’s lost double digits. Clearly everyone’s experience with this will be different. The most important part is I feel great – high energy, no brain fog, and able to get in some pretty good workouts even while fasting.

What about you?

Have you tried intermittent fasting? Any questions? I’d love to hear your thoughts below!

Thanks for visiting and taking time to read this, hopefully you found this helpful!

xo, rae

P.S. – here is where I found my info:

Beneficial effects of intermittent fasting and caloric restriction on the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems.

Alternate day calorie restriction improves clinical findings and reduces markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in overweight adults with moderate asthma.

The effects of intermittent or continuous energy restriction on weight loss and metabolic disease risk markers: a randomized trial in young overweight women.

Promoting Health and Longevity through Diet: From Model Organisms to Humans

A Ketogenic Diet Extends Longevity and Healthspan in Adult Mice

Intermittent fasting and caloric restriction ameliorate age-related behavioral deficits in the triple-transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

Molecular neuroscience

Short-term fasting induces profound neuronal autophagy.