A quick note before you decide…
Intermitting fasting wasn’t brought to popularity solely on the recommendation of celebrities, but when celebrities like Dwayne Johnson (The Rock), Terry Crews, Chris Hemsworth and Courtney Kardashian (among others) are singing its praises, it becomes hard to ignore.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is simply the practice of going without food (fasting) for a prolonged period of time, though the time varies wildly. Celebrities like Terry Crews and Dwayne Johnson eat for just a short period every day (2pm to 10pm), while others prefer the popular 5:2 method, which is where you fast in some capacity two days a week.
It works by helping regulate the metabolism and hormones in the body to manage energy release and appetite, as well as many behavioral benefits since the rules for intermittent fasting are black and white. You don’t have to umm and ahh about whether or not you can eat something; it’s either a time you can eat or it’s not.
What are the Pros and Cons of Intermittent Fasting?
Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of doing intermittent fasting.
Cons
- It’s hard to stick to – Harvard saw a 38% dropout rate of participants in one of their studies, so you need to be a strong-willed person to stick to it.
- You can ignore prompts from your body – while ignoring a hunger pang or two isn’t a problem, sometimes it’s a signal that you need a drink, need to eat after a hard day, or are getting sick.
- On a 5:2 fasting method, it’s easy to binge on the first day back to normal eating.
Pros
- It works. Studies [link: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4516560/] and anecdotal evidence all shows that any type of intermittent fasting, used regularly, offers results.
- You have (relative) freedom to eat what you want in the 8 hours a day you do eat when doing intermittent fasting on a daily basis.
- Dr. Wayne B. Jonas, author of the book How Healing Works, believes restricting eating to a window optimizes the body’s natural healing and cleaning processes. This offers you benefits such as an improved attention span, feeling more alert, reduced inflammation throughout the body, reduced chances of illness, and more.
- You’ll be conscious of what you’re eating without restricting yourself. You’ll be more likely to make better food choices because you’ll want to maximize your results. You just waited over 12 hours to eat, after all, why ruin it now?
Should I Try Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a great way to control your diet if you want relative freedom over what you eat, know that you find it difficult to restrict your diet at certain times (such as in the morning or at night), and like clearly defined rules to follow. With intermittent fasting you aren’t restricted; you don’t have to cut out carbs and you can continue to go out and eat socially if your eating period is later in the day.
When used as part of a balanced and healthy diet, intermittent fasting can be a great option, so go ahead and try it if you think it will work for you.