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You may have heard a a lot about intermittent fasting lately. It sounds a little scary and it goes against a lot of the nutrition advice we've been told all our lives: breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you need to eat 5-6 small meals a day to stoke your metabolism, if you don't eat you will slow down your metabolism, and on and on. I'm here to dispel the myths, and help you get started on a habit that might help you get your blood sugar under control, regenerate your worn out cells, improve your relationship with food, and maybe even lose a little weight in the process.
First myth: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Ok, so yes, eating is important. Our bodies need nutrients and energy, but those nutrients don't necessarily need to be ingested first thing in the morning. If you're not hungry when you first wake up, then don't eat. Whenever you "break your fast" can be considered breakfast. Push your first meal of the day to a later time and then prioritize your protein. Eating carb rich foods like bagels, cereal, and even oatmeal will spike your blood sugar and insulin levels, only to crash a few hours later and make you feel like eating again. When you get used to eating low-carb, you'll find that you might not want to eat until noon or even later. That's ok! As long as you're eating plenty of protein and veggies at that first meal, your body will be nourished.
Second myth: You need to eat 5-6 small meals a day to stoke your metabolism. I don't know where this logic came from, quite honestly. I remember as a kid growing up in the 70's and 80's that we ate three meals a day, and MAYBE had a snack after school. It was a small snack, mind you, because my mom was always warning us that we might "ruin our dinner." I remember being quite hungry each day by the time dinner rolled around, so mealtimes were always a feast. As enjoyable as it may be, eating is a stress on the body and your body needs time in between meals to digest and recover. Your insulin levels need a chance to do their job and then return to normal. If you eat all day, your insulin is constantly on overdrive and eventually it gets worn out. (That's the simplified version of the story. Look to Dr. Jason Fung or the Zero app for more science.) Instead, try to eat 2-3 satisfying meals and don't snack in between. Snacking is often a mindless or emotional action. Stop, breathe, and ask yourself where the urge to snack is coming from. If you find that you are truly hungry between meals, try adding a little more protein and fat to your meals.
Third myth: If you don't eat you will slow down your metabolism. Several studies have shown that fasting actually does the opposite, provided that when you eat you are not drastically restricting calories. As long as you focus on nutrient-dense, fully-satisfying meals during your eating window, your metabolism will not be affected negatively.
So here's how I would get started on intermittent fasting. First of all, make sure that you are ditching as much sugar and processed food from your diet as possible. The more your body is used to using fat as energy, the easier it will be to go without food for a while.
The next thing I would do is focus on three meals a day with no snacking in between. This is a huge step for many people, so give it some time, and when you do snack, make it a healthy one. :)
This may be enough for you to see significant changes in your health and weight, so if that's the case, keep doing what you're doing, and celebrate your success!
If you want to explore further, or you get to a stall and want to see how much better you can feel, then set an eating window for yourself that involves closing the kitchen after 6:00 or 7:00 pm and then pushing back your first meal later and later. You may get to the point where two meals a day is perfectly comfortable. Some people only eat one meal a day. (However, I find its pretty hard to get in all the protein and veggies our bodies need with only one meal a day.) Just remember that your eating window is not a license to graze for six hours straight. Eat your first meal within 30-60 minutes, stop eating, and then have your next meal 4-5 hours later.
As far as your relationship with food goes, you may realize that much of the eating that you do during the day has absolutely nothing to do with hunger, and everything to do with boredom or dealing with uncomfortable emotions. Or--it might be that the peanut butter M&M's give you just the right amount of energy to get you through the next half hour (until your next sugar crash!) Have a glass of water instead, take a walk, or just get up and do a few stretches. And most of all, breathe! Focus on slow breathing through your nose for a few minutes and you might be amazed at the calm energy that ensues.
I personally love fasting because it has taught me to recognize true hunger and to realize that hunger is transitory in nature. It comes and goes throughout the day, and sometimes it's triggered by stimuli in your environment. I often notice that although I may not feel hungry when I leave work, the simple act of turning into my driveway makes me feel hungry. True hunger? I doubt it. If I do something other than stand around in my kitchen when I get home I find that the hunger pangs fade away. Along the same line, I know that even if I'm not really hungry, when I start scrolling Pinterest or Instagram with their myriad of food videos and recipes, I will start to take mental inventory of what's in my fridge or cupboard to eat. Like Pavlov's dogs, I know!
If you want to learn more about fasting, Jason Fung is the ultimate expert on the subject. He’s a nephrologist (kidney doctor 😊) who was looking for a way to reverse diabetes in his patients that didn’t involve medication or dialysis. He and his assistant Megan Ramos are my go-tos for info on all things fasting related.
Another great resource is Gin Stephens. Her books Delay, don't Deny and Fast. Feast. Repeat. give practical, inspiring information in an easy-to-read, entertaining way.
If you'd like to talk to me about creating a wellness and nutrition plan that works for you, I've got you! I'm a certified Nutrition Coach who will create a simple, customized meal plan for you and coach you through how to implement it into your busy life. We also talk about all the pitfalls that make it hard, and help you make it the anchor that keeps you healthy, energized, and sane through the whirlwind of your everyday life.
I'd love to talk to you about the program, so book a free consultation with me by clicking the Calendly button. I look forward to talking to you!
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