Intermittent fasting is a dieting method I have used personally for many years.

I first discovered it through a couple of YouTubers who were using it to cut body fat while maintaining muscle gains.

I believe in the technique and often recommend it to my clients to try for themselves.

Intermittent fasting increases the fasting window during your day, helping the body deplete fat stores and boost metabolism, which can lead to faster fat burning.

Fasted workouts have also been shown to burn more fat compared to regular workouts, further supporting the benefits of incorporating daily fasting.

A typical intermittent fasting routine involves fasting for 16-18 hours out of the 24 hours in a day, leaving a 6–8 hour window for consuming your daily calories. One immediate benefit of this is that it reduces the urge to snack, as there’s a smaller window for eating generally. It also helps stabilize blood sugar levels, which can help combat sugar cravings and other types of cravings.

Intermittent fasting offers additional health benefits suggested by various studies. It’s believed that extending the time your body isn’t digesting food aids in overall recovery and cell regeneration (autophagy). Autophagy is a process where the body clears out damaged cells and regenerates new ones, is significantly increased during fasting.

There are some great studies to back up the benefits of IF. One of many is a study published nine The Lancet in April 2024 that shows the potential benefits in all around health and physical fitness. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(24)00098-1/fulltext

I found that once you get used to longer fasting periods, your energy levels become more stable throughout the day, which helps with focus and productivity.

However, intermittent fasting isn’t ideal for everyone. Some people may find it less effective as a long-term diet, especially if they struggle with low energy levels when hungry. Additionally, women are generally not advised to fast during their menstrual cycle and are encouraged to limit their fasting window to a maximum of 16 hours generally.