I would’ve never imagined that dreaded obligatory rituals and traditions from childhood would become self chosen regular practices in my adulthood. High holiday prayers set me up for meditating and the annual Yom Kippur, or “Day of Atonement,” would be my first introduction into fasting. In Judaism, during the most holy day of the year we ask God for forgiveness and as a way of repenting for our sins, we abstain from food for an entire day. Needless to say, I really did not look forward to the day of “no eating” growing up. I now welcome regular fasting into my life, albeit the reason has nothing to do with soul cleansing or repentance. The day I struggled with for almost four decades of my life has now become something I do regularly with eagerness for the breaks it gives my body and mind from eating or even thinking about food. My fasting practices have evolved over the last couple of years depending on current routines or personal goals and can range from intermittent fasting to water fasts, all for different periods of time. Let me dive into some of their awesome benefits, the drastic ways it has changed my health, and the different types of fasting out there.
I first learned about the practice of intermittent fasting from reading Tim Ferriss’ blog and by listening to his podcasts. He brings on experts like Dr. Michael Eades, a physician, nutritionist, and author, to expound upon the numerous health benefits of skipping meals and going anywhere from 12 to up to 20 hours without eating. Contrary to what many may think, Intermittent Fasting (IF) is not starvation, it’s an on and off eating pattern with two windows: a feeding window and a fasting window. Our bodies use energy all day long for everything- walking, talking, sleeping, goingtowork,having sex- you get the jist. We get that energy from the food, or calories, we eat. The calories are stored in our bodies in two ways: as glycogen (glucose) and as fat. When our bodies need to use energy, it takes it from the calories you just ate or ate a couple of hours ago. If you stop taking in new calories (from food), your body still needs energy, so it goes into its storage to get it from the glycogen in the liver or muscles until those stores are depleted. Once all the glycogen is used up, it goes to the fat storage, breaking down fat and converting it into the energy you need. And that's when the magic happens. Fasting drives your body away from “food energy” to “fat energy,” melting the fat away. It’s only during this fasting window when your body will use the fat stores that causes the fat to break down and those bellies to disappear.
Intrigued by the potential benefits, I started intermittent fasting about a year ago. I would skip breakfast and have my first meal between 1-2pm. While I saw improvements with this method, I didn’t feel like I was getting optimal results and that time window left me too hungry. After some trial-and-error, I settled on a feeding window that began at 8:30am and ended around 4-5pm. This strategy worked much better for me and produced the results I was after: I lost weight and felt lighter overall, it felt much easier to maintain the weight I lost, and my energy levels were much better.
Although shorter intermittent fasts did have positive effects on my health, I now do mostly longer-term water-only fasts of 1-3 days every couple of months. The effects of the few day fasts were significantly amplified and it felt easier for me to carve out a few days every month or so for a fasting practice than keep up with a time restricted window every day. If you’re intrigued by fasting and considering giving it a shot, but unsure of which one to try – intermittent fasting or longer-term fasting – here's a brief primer on the benefits and drawbacks of both.
As already described, Intermittent Fasting is simply an eating pattern of hours in which you eat and hours in which you don’t eat. Unlike the typical breakfast-lunch-dinner eating pattern from morning to evening that most people follow, IF usually involves skipping one of those meals. In my case, I skip dinner and instead have a late afternoon-early evening meal and then fast through the night until the next day’s breakfast. I found that my body works better with fuel earlier in the day whereas my wife did IF for over a year and started her meals closer to noon because her body needed the fuel later in the day. While you are in the fasting window, liquids below 50 calories will still keep you in fasting, such as: black coffee, herbal teas, or plain water. Once you go above the 50 cal liquid, your body will switch from fat burning to burning the calories you just ate, breaking your fast. The key is to keep at least 12 hours between meals (the longer the hour interval, the more fat you burn), regardless of the actual time eating window you choose. Some take it even further, alternating between days where they eat normally, and days where they eat nothing at all.
The health benefits of IF are numerous (and backed by evidence-based science):
Weight loss – By shortening your eating window, you typically consume less calories.
Lowered insulin levels – Especially for those at risk of developing Type-2 diabetes, IF is very effective at reducing insulin levels.
Reduction in inflammation – Chronic, low-level inflammation has been implicated as a precursor to many diseases, IF is a powerful tool for keeping inflammation in check.
Boosts cellular repair – IF triggers a process called autophagy, which results in cellular cleaning of waste products and repair of damaged proteins.
Promotes heart health – Studies show that IF results in lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, lowered triglycerides, and lower blood sugar levels – all of which are important for heart health.
As far as drawbacks, I haven’t encountered many, but I’ll mention a few here:
It can be difficult to have meals with family, friends, and colleagues if they want to meet up for lunch or dinner when I’m typically intermittent fasting. Since social life is centered around eating out, it's tough to turn friends and family down. But It's also equally tough to break the fast you've committed to for all these tremendous health benefits. The way around it without too much sacrifice is by shifting your time restricted eating window to accommodate the social events you really don’t want to miss out on. For example, if I had an evening dinner to attend that was past my late afternoon eating window, I’d likely skip breakfast that day and have my first meal at lunch. Another thing I try to do is get creative and plan activities with friends that are not centered around eating such as beach days, walks, bringing our kids to the park, concerts and shows.
The temptation to binge. After a 16-20 hour fast, your appetite is whetted and the inclination is to gorge on whatever you can get your hands on. It takes discipline to break a lengthy intermittent fast and still eat sensibly during your eating window.
Low energy and hunger. This is different for everyone, but the good news is this is really only an issue when you first start IF. After a few days, the hunger and cravings are almost diminished. It’s why Yom Kippur is such a breeze for me now since my mind and body have become conditioned to abstain from food for long periods.
Going a full 1-3 days is considered longer-term fasting. You reap all the same benefits of the shorter intermittent fasts, except the effect is way more powerful. The health biomarkers (lowered blood sugar, decreased inflammation, fat burning, and cellular repair) that improve with IF are exponentially higher with each full day fast. Plus your already overworked digestive system gets a well-deserved rest. The cleansing, full body cellular repair and healing is so much deeper than what you would get with even a 16-hour intermittent fast done several times a week.
Another benefit of longer-term fasting is the calmness, mental clarity, and increased focus you gain when you become accustomed to going without food for longer periods of time. Shorter fasts still offer the same amazing benefits but to a lesser degree.
The drawbacks of longer-term fasting are similar to the drawbacks of IF, with a few notable additions.
If you’re on medication that is prescribed to be taken daily with food, consult with your physician on how to proceed as this may pose an obstacle.
Your bathroom schedule may change. Eating at regular, predictable intervals typically leads to regular, predictable bowel movements. When food intake stops, bowel movements can decrease and become unpredictable and sporadic, throwing off your normal daily routine.
The need to break the fast carefully. My first meal after a 16-hour fast can be something from my normal meal rotation without issue. But when it's been 3 days without any food and your digestive system has been dormant, a heavy first meal back is a total shock to your body and its effect will defeat the purpose of the fast. Skip the steak and ease in with soup, broth, or high-water content fruits and vegetables to avoid gastrointestinal upset and digestive issues.
What might discourage curious individuals from fasting, either intermittently or longer-term, is the prospect of constant hunger. Once you get used to fasting, the hunger subsides quickly as your metabolism shifts from glycogen burning to fat burning. It isn’t nearly the obstacle you imagine it to be!
The key to a successful fast is preparing ahead of time. Here are a few helpful tips, based on what’s worked well for me:
Ease into it slowly so you can set yourself up for success. If you’ve never fasted before, don’t necessarily attempt to start with a 3 day water fast. Try 12 hour intermittent fasting, which most people already do without even realizing it! That would mean your breakfast begins at 8am and your last meal ends at 8pm which would potentially only withhold a late night snack if you’re having that. Then move on to a 14 or 16 hour fast: that would mean moving your first meal a few hours later or your last meal a few hours earlier. A good trick to try is to withhold eating 2 hours after you wake up and 2 hours before you go to bed. If you’re up at 7am, try not to eat until 9am (have a black coffee, tea, or water -none of which breaks your fast). If you go to bed at 10pm, stop eating at 8pm (again, try an herbal tea if you’re hungry). That’s already put you at a 13 hour fasting window! At that point based on your results and how you feel, it will be easier to determine whether you feel ready for a longer 1-3 full day fast or keep narrowing your daily intermittent fasting windows to.
Ensure that you’re well-hydrated, well-rested, and have taken in healthy, wholesome nutrition in the days and weeks leading up to the fast. This will reduce hunger and cravings, and prevent the light-headedness and lethargy (that may result from the lowered blood glucose).
Try to avoid places and situations where there is food so you’re not constantly reminded of eating. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself having to expend mental energy on willpower and discipline to keep you from caving, and slipping up. Be mindful when you choose to do your fasts- holiday weeks or vacations packed with social engagements probably isn’t the right time so pick quieter weeks and then commit to it even as your calendar may start to fill up.
Most importantly, make sure your head is in the right place and that you clearly understand and embrace the benefits the fast will bring you. This is what keeps you strong, relaxed and focused during the fast. If you experience a pang or spell of hunger, simply be still, breathe deeply for a few minutes, and remain present. The hunger will almost always subside shortly afterwards.
A great resource to further explore intermittent fasting is the aforementioned Tim Ferriss’ blog, Dr. Jason Fung’s website, which has an extensive library of articles and videos that further explain the science and physiology of IF in clear, easy-to-understand terms. Check out Dr. Fung’s YouTube channel as well where he talks with other health experts and delves into IF, obesity, and nutrition extensively. The Fast Habit Intermittent Fasting App is a good tool to explore for staying consistent and tracking your progress during your fasts. Good luck and happy fasting!
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