FITNESS - AUGUST
Fasting
deplete your body’s circulating energy supply – glucose in the bloodstream and liver and stored energy in the muscles. Once these have been depleted, your body will have no choice but to reach into the stores. You can do this by fasting. If eating is providing your body with fuel to burn, then simply not eating will cause it to use its own stores. There are many ways you could use fasting. 5:2, 16/8, 24-hour fasts, 36, 48-hour fasts, every other day fasting etc. As a species, we have evolved for feast and famine. Until the last century or so, it was very rare for humans to eat even 3 meals a day, let alone the 4, 5, 6+ meals most people eat nowadays (this could be 3 main meals and 3 snacks, but they still count).
There’s no right or wrong and some people will do better than others on different protocols.
As a simple start, I’d suggest eating your dinner as usual (not too late) and then eating nothing again until breakfast the next morning – no snacks or calorie-containing drinks, Our bodies respond very well to no just water. food. In fact, there are dozens of health benefits to fasting that you This, for most people should get you could benefit from if you do it right. at least 12 hours of fasting per day. Eating every few hours is actually Call it 12/12 if you will. NOT natural. The 16/8 protocol just extends this Fasting is very different from calorie daily fast and reduces the eating restriction though, although it window to 8 hours. As an example, does help to reduce overall calorie you could finish your dinner at say consumption as long as you don’t 7pm, then simply not eat again until binge afterwards. 11am the following day (16 hours). Obviously, you’re not bound to just Your body fat is stored energy. It’s 12 or 16 hours, 13, 14, 15 would all there to be used as fuel when food be fine too. is not present. This is by far the simplest method of Think of a petrol can in your car “fasting”. It’s completely natural to as a back-up. As long as you keep only eat once or twice a day, and by putting fuel in your car and never skipping one meal, you may also save let it get completely empty, you’ll yourself a few calories too. never need to use the “stored” fuel. Your body works in a similar way. Within that 8-hour window (for the As long as you keep eating regularly 16/8) you could eat 2 meals at 11am and “topping up” your fuel supplies, and 6.30pm, or your usual 3 meals there’s really no need to break down spread across the 8 hours, it’s entirely and burn your stored fuel (body fat). up to you. The benefit comes from So even on a low-calorie diet, as the 16 hours where you’re not eating long as you’re eating regularly (or drinking any calories). and providing your body with the fuel it needs, you’re unlikely to be If you plan to use any of the longer burning much body fat. fasting periods I’d recommend speaking to someone who can In order to break down and use advise you on how best to do it, but fat stores for energy, you need to for the vast majority of people, it’s a
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healthy thing to do and no harm will come of it (children and pregnant or breast-feeding women are best to avoid fasting, and if you are on medications you should consult your doctor before starting). Please don’t think of this as another fad diet to try, there’s a LOT of history and science behind fasting and it’s far more beneficial than calorie-restriction. Constant low calories can cause your metabolism to slow down, leading to further calorie reduction and, eventually, ill health and malnutrition. Fasting on the other hand has a host of health benefits and keeps your metabolism running smoothly as you’re eating normally on the non-fasting days (and getting adequate protein and healthy fats). So, for now, try this – eat your last meal at a reasonable time in the evening and then eat nothing else until breakfast the next day. Drink plenty of water, and when you do break the fast, do it with a healthy meal, no larger than you’d normally have. If you’re looking for weight loss, get in touch and we can look at how you can best use fasting to bring about the results you’re after. Mark www.MBonlinePT.com @MarkBroadbentPT
