Read This Before You Decide to Fast

At a recent family gathering, we were all interested in one sibling’s latest wellness journey.  Like many Baby Boomers and seniors, he wants to lose a little weight.  His current method of choice: intermittent fasting (IF); he was limiting his eating to a short window of time, one of two popular methods of fasting.

weight loss for baby boomers
Intermittent fasting may be a successful method for weight loss and improving health.

This got me thinking about how effective fasting might be for both health and weight loss.  Here’s what I discovered.

What is intermittent Fasting?

Losing weight by restricting caloric intake in the traditional manner–1,200 or 1,500 calories per day– is difficult for many to maintain over the long run.  Therefore, some researchers have explored other methods of restricting food intake, looking to fasting.

Fasting is typically defined as the abstinence from food and/or liquid for a specified period of time.  But longterm fasting can be harmful to the body.

So attention has turned to intermittent fasting (IF), an alternative to full-blown fasting, with these two methods currently popular:

  • the 5:2 diet, fasting two days of the week
  • prolonged overnight fasting, e.g., limiting food intake to 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

The beauty of IF is that no specific diet–type or amount of food–is required.

How Does it help?

The results have been impressive, at least for rats and mice.  Animal studies show IF can provide protection against inflammation, diabetes, cancers, blood pressure and other indicators of cardiovascular disease, and even Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.  And it can extend life by 30% compared to those animals eating daily.

Researchers believe IF bestows these benefits by leading to a decrease in caloric intake and improving the cells’ ability to handle stress.

But there are few comprehensive studies of IF in human subjects.  Small studies have resulted in weight loss, loss of abdominal fat, and improvements in blood fat profiles.  However, the American Heart Association concluded in 2017 that while both alternate-day and periodic fasting can result in short-term weight loss, there isn’t enough evidence to show their effectiveness over the long run.

The Bottom Line

If you want to explore IF for weight loss:

  • Consult first with your physician, especially if you have a chronic disease.
  • IF may be a reasonable alternative to traditional daily caloric restriction.
  • Know that most experts believe more clinical trials in humans are needed to determine how well IF can promote longterm weight loss and disease prevention.
  • Experiment with either:

–fasting on two nonconsecutive days each week OR

–limit eating so that you’re fasting between 6:00 PM – 10:00 AM daily

  • As a dietitian, I must remind you to:

–eat at least 5 fruits and vegetables per day, 3 or more servings of whole grains, and            adequate lean protein at all three meals

–drink lots of water (a general recommendation is to consume half your weight in ounces of water each daily)

  • And as a fitness professional:

–don’t forget to keep moving!

For more information about weight loss, give me a call!

We can discuss some practical tips and discover if any of my programs or classes are a good fit for you.
If you’d like to schedule that call with me, just CLICK THIS LINK, and let me know in the message that you would like a 1-on-1 call with me right away and I will be in touch to schedule that – oh, and leave me your phone number in there too since email is not as reliable as it used to be! Thanks.

Lisa Teresi Harris is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Personal Trainer and author of the book Building Your Enduring Fitness.  A certified Geri-Fit Instructor, she helps Boomers and seniors to regain and keep muscle strength, mobility, and energy.
Contact Lisa to inquire about a customized, in-home fitness program for you or a loved one.

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