Does Intermittent Fasting Work for Women?
Healthful Vitality | 11/11/2021 | Does Intermittent Fasting Work for Women?
Yes, intermittent fasting works for women. However, they have some specific health requirements. For example, females are prone to disorders caused by swings in hormones levels. Thus, any fasting done improperly may increase the risk of irregular periods, emotional disorders, and even conditions like osteoporosis.
However, one does not need to worry. If intermittent fasting is done with adequate planning, its benefits outnumber the risks. In fact, in many, intermittent fasting may help regularize periods like those living with obesity, diabetes, or PCOS. Similarly, it may also be suitable for emotional well-being and bone health.
Moreover, fasting may help reduce body weight, enhance self-esteem. Studies show that in the US, about 40% of women are obese, and this number is even a bit higher in post-menopausal women.
One should reduce calorie intake during any intermittent fasting. However, care should be taken not to deprive the body of essential nutrients. Thus, it is necessary to consume low-calorie but nutrition-dense food when fasting. For example, a piece of cake may not be a good choice, but a cup full of berries may be excellent to consume when fasting.
Fasting should not cause undue stress on the body
The whole aim of fasting is to improve health and not cause harm or stress to the body. However, some individuals are over-enthusiastic in the beginning. Thus, they may immediately start with highly restrictive diets.
Moreover, many people want to get faster results. However, experience shows that even if rigorous fasting helps, its benefits are short-lived. Women who are very strict from the beginning are more likely to give up quickly on their efforts.
Therefore, one should always start by taking small steps at a time. Furthermore, the purpose of intermittent fasting is not to punish oneself. Thus, the whole experience of fasting should be pleasant and not cause any undue metabolic or mental stress.
Two common ways of intermittent fasting
Although there are many ways of intermittent fasting, here we discuss two of the most common ways.
The first common type of intermittent fasting
The first is 16/8. It means that person fasts for 16 hours and consumes a regular diet for eight hours. These eight hours could be any time of a person’s choice, like starting eating from 11 am and stopping eating post 7 pm. Further, one may begin with a less strict form like 14/10 and switch to 16/8 after a few months. Moreover, one may consume some very low-calorie foods like green salads even while fasting.
The second common type of intermittent fasting
The second common type of intermittent fasting is 5:2. One can eat a regular diet for five days a week but fast for any two days a week. These two days could be like Tuesday and Friday, or any other days. However, one can still consume about 20-25% of calories on fasting days, which may mean a low-calorie meal and a low-calorie snack or two during the day. Thus, this kind of fasting does not cause stress or harm health. Intermittent fasting helps restrict calorie intake. However, it prevents the risk of nutritional deficiencies. Moreover, fasting individuals are more likely to make healthy food choices and accurately plan their regular diet.
(Related: Is Intermittent Fasting Bad for Women’s Hormones?)