Intermittent Fasting: Is It Right for You?
Intermittent fasting (IF) has become popular in the health and fitness community as one of the most effective ways to lose weight and live healthily. Unlike conventional diets, Intermittent fasting doesn’t decide for you what you should or should not eat. It only tells you when you should eat it - lt is an eating pattern.
There are different fasting programs; some restrict eating on select days, and others allow eating at certain times of the day. There’s the 16/8 method, 5:2 diet, Eat-Stop-Eat, alternative fasting, warrior diet, and spontaneous meal skipping method. All these intermittent fasting methods have their pros and cons.
Pros and Cons of Intermittent Fasting
To find if intermittent fasting is right for you, you have to familiarize yourself with the benefits and side effects of the dietary tool.
PROS
It is easy to follow.
You don’t have to count calories or limit macronutrients.
You can eat whatever you want.
It helps to increase life expectancy.
It promotes healthy weight loss.
It helps to balance hormone levels.
It helps to reduce insulin resistance, and
It helps to ensure overall health and wellbeing.
CONS
You might experience side effects like headaches, constipation, or heartburn on fasting days.
You might be unable to engage in mild to moderate physical activity.
You can suffer severe hunger and cravings.
Women can experience hormonal imbalance.
It is not advisable to fast if you are on medications.
Since IF doesn’t monitor food choice but time instead, it leaves enough room for you to make poor food choices.
You are more vulnerable to overeating during your eating windows, and
It may not be advisable for the long-term.
Since intermittent fasting supports weight loss by regulating hormone levels, some research states that it works better for men than it does for women. Because women have a more active and sensitive hormone environment, fasting can lead to drastic changes. This will be accompanied by adverse effects like mood swings, cravings, anovulation, and infertility.
Even breastfeeding mothers are not advised to fast for reasons relating to energy and hormone levels.
Perhaps, post-menopausal women can benefit more from fasting because their hormones won’t be offset by nutrient deprivation.
Conclusion
Whether or not intermittent fasting is right for you depends on your goals and how long you intend to fast. You can determine if intermittent fasting is the right dietary tool for you after your first trial, consider how it made you feel, and speak with your doctor for more clarity and guidance.
