If a regular routine works better for you for compliance reasons, then do so.

However, sometimes this inconsistency leads to people not fasting at all, which is also bad. I am not aware of any good data on this, but personally, I believe that it is much better to switch things up so that the body does not have a chance to adapt. Is it a good idea to change the fasting routine regularly, or would I be better off sticking to a 24hr regime for consistency? I have done 18hr, 24hr and 3 days without any real difficulties and have switched it up during the week, depending how I feel and whether I have social plans. There are no known negative health consequences to eating only during 4 hours of the day, although in truth it hasn’t been studied much. If you are simply trying to lose weight, then fasting can be done as needed for that. The term ‘healthy’ always depends upon what your goals are. Periods of fasting less than 24 hours (20 hours fasting, 4 hr eating) or ‘Warrior’ style fasting can be done daily. Is this recommended? How many days a week of IF is healthy? I feel that I could do this daily during the work week. The fasting protocol that fits my life style best is a fasting all day with a 4 to 5 hour eating window in the evening. The right duration and frequency depend on your health status and your health goals. For more severe insulin resistance, I tend to prescribe longer fasting periods, whereas for maintenance I tend to prescribe shorter ones. So a 16:8 fast is often done daily, whereas a 24 hr fasting period is done much less often. The main difference, as you may suspect, is that shorter fasting periods are easier to do, but are likely less effective for weight loss and they can be done more frequently. Intermittent fasting – different variantsĪre there significant differences in benefits from 24-hour fasting vs. Fasting should not be used during pregnancy however. You can certainly try although we don’t have good data one way or the other. Is fasting still a good idea if you are trying to conceive? Should Intermittent fasting be used instead, or none at all?

Even most religions do not make children fast because their bodies require more nutrients to grow. Certainly occasional short fasts, (less than 24 hours) are fine but not longer ones. How appropriate is intermittent fasting for teenagers? Many athletes follow a schedule of 24 hr fast, then exercise, then breaking the fast with a high protein meal. It’s efficacy is unknown, with mostly anecdotal evidence.

There is minimal muscle loss during short term fasting, so BCAA is not needed, but often used by bodybuilders. Since growth hormone is high, you theoretically will recover and build muscle faster in this state. Most people fast for 24 hrs and then do their training – this is called ‘training in the fasted state’. Should there be any differences between intermittent fasting on training days and non-training days? And during the fasting periods – or days – is it advisable to take supplements such as BCAA’s to prevent muscle loss? How should intermittent fasting be used in conjunction with resistance training to maximize muscle growth and fat burning? I don’t advise fasting during pregnancy or breast feeding. There is a concern of nutrient deficiency which I think far outweighs any potential benefit. Can women fast during pregnancy and after birth during breast feeding? Not only is it safe, but training in the fasted state has several theoretical benefits that many elite level athletes are using. She wants to know if she can fast or is this not recommended for people who exercise? My daughter who is 31 and a healthy weight exercises (rowing) four times a week. Reducing down to 2 meals per day is also possible, but not longer duration fasting. My advice is to severely restrict added sugars and snacking. Is fasting an option for children who need to lose weight?įasting is not an option for children.

Does almond milk in coffee break a fast