A Women's Guide To Intermittent Fasting: How I Dropped 30 Pounds And How You Can Do It Too!

By Evelyn Whitbeck

Are you tired of counting calories and feeling the guilt of what you ate all day?

 

Have you tried every diet and exercise program but are ready to give up because you just aren't seeing the results?

 

Or have you tried intermittent fasting, but haven't felt the results like everyone else?

 

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, we get it. This guide will change that.

 

Intermittent fasting (IF) has taken the wellness world by storm. 

 

But is it a fad?

 

Research has taught us that it is more than a fad, especially if you're looking for the missing piece to your weight loss problem.

 

But did you know that women and men find success with IF differently?

 

Women have different hormonal, caloric, and metabolic needs than men, so altering caloric intake needs to be treated accordingly.

 

More than buzzwords and false promises, this guide is based on scientific studies to help women improve their energy, metabolism, and overall well-being.

 

And without religiously counting calories or signing up for yet another rigorous exercise program, while still keeping the weight off.

 

In the 2007 study "Sex-dependent metabolic, neuroendocrine, and cognitive responses to dietary energy restriction and excess," published in Endocrinology, Martin B. et al. explored the key differences between women and men when it comes to fasting.

 

They found that with different anatomies, they cannot follow the same schedule or plan and get the same results. 

 

Their work, among others' referenced in this guide, is the basis for sharing the safest and most effective way for women to use IF.

 

With this guide, you'll find:

• Practical tips for how to manage fasting, cravings, and indulgences so you can stick with IF to see actual results!
• The absolute worst things you are doing right now that are stopping you from losing weight
• Unique considerations for women trying intermittent fasting (do not blindly follow what men are doing if you want to see major results!)
• The fastest way to lose weight and feel great by maximizing your IF
• Amazing weight loss hacks that will have you feeling years younger and fitting back into your favorite "little black dress!"
• A 10-day sample routine - designed for women - to ease your body into fasting
• How IF improves more than just your physical health (we know it sounds too good to be true, but it really isn't!)
• Why it will take you a lot longer to lose your extra weight if you don't use these five tricks!

 

Fasting is not starvation, and you do not need to feel miserable to be healthy.

 

This guide helps you ease into IF and protects you from the pitfalls, because change is hard, especially when so many other diets and "solutions" have failed you.

 

With a trusted, reliable guide, you too can discover the missing piece to the weight loss program. Join us and click "Add to Cart" right now!

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: M & M Limitless Online Inc.
• Release date: Jul 23, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393860839

Book preview

Intermittent Fasting

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

In case you are unfamiliar with the term, fasting simply means to refrain from consuming food and specific beverages for an extended period of time. People have practiced fasting for centuries; historically, it was used to achieve spiritual healing or to reap health benefits like weight loss and insulin regulation [1]. Depending on the culture, religion, geographic region, and other individual characteristics, fasting takes different forms. For example, certain religions practice fasting from food, beverage, or both, for certain periods of time for the purpose of hyperfocused prayer and becoming closer to the chosen God or deity [2]. Non-religious fasting is even more varied as it not only comes in different forms but often serves different purposes as well.

Intermittent fasting (IF) is a specific form of fasting during which an individual does not consume calories for a period of hours or days, but then resumes their normal diet during the remaining hours or days [3]. Often what attracts people to IF is that it doesn’t necessarily restrict what to eat, rather it dictates when to eat by incorporating short-term fasting periods into a normal day [4]. The only exception to this is when weight loss is the motivation for practicing IF, in which case I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but IF is not magically going to help you lose weight without minding what you eat.

Even though IF inherently cuts down on the number of meals being eaten, it is still recommended that you maintain healthy eating habits if your goal in practicing IF is weight loss [3]. Because this may very well be the goal for most of you seeing as to how you picked up this book: don’t fret! What I am not saying is that you will have to eat broccoli and cabbage every day to lose weight while practicing IF. What I am saying, however, is that IF is a holistic lifestyle change that incorporates short-term periods of fasting into eating healthy most of the time while still indulging a little bit of the time and seeing results. In addition, remember, we are in this together. We will discuss weight loss hacks while practicing IF and provide a 10-day sample 16/8 Method of IF that will help catapult your weight loss goals in a later chapter.

Women And Intermittent Fasting

Unique Considerations

As a modern-day informed woman, before embarking on IF I immediately started looking for articles, books, blogs, and any information I could find to get started. Although I found many resources on IF in general, I was disappointed to realize there were minimal resources on IF specifically geared toward women. While I am all about gender equality and women being capable of doing everything men can do, I still understand my body is inherently different from a man’s body. My caloric needs are different, my hormones are different (hello, menstruation!), and my metabolism is different meaning I may need a different IF setup than a man. Naturally, I decided to write this book for other women seeking similar, specific information on how to practice IF as a woman in a healthy way.

Despite a plethora of evidence on the positive effects of IF that we went over in the previous chapter, the practice of fasting effects women differently than men [5] [6]. So far, with what limited research exists on human subjects and IF, the outcomes for men have all been quite positive while the outcomes for women have been mixed [5]. For example, one study found that IF led to worse blood sugar control in women compared to men after a 22-day, alternate-day fast [6]. The same study also showed improvement in insulin insensitivity in men, while women did not experience the same improvement [6]. However, in another study IF was shown to encourage weight loss and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease among obese women [7].

Other information regarding women and IF is not in the form of human subject research studies, rather in studies performed on female rodents. Results in these rodent studies have suggested that practicing IF as a woman may lead to emaciation [8], irregular or missed menstrual cycles [9] loss of bone density and reduction of ovary size in addition to other negative health effects [9]. Before you get worried and start to wonder why you would consider starting an IF plan, remember that these results were seen in rodents, not humans. And, also remember that you can modify your IF plan to avoid these concerns by creating a plan that works specifically for your body. Put a pin in these topics because we will go more into depth on them in a minute.

With the tremendous popularity of personal blogs, Youtube channels, and social media outlets, there are more anecdotal accounts of women telling their personal experiences of practicing IF than you could get through in a lifetime. Although it is not particularly scientific, this anecdotal information on the ins and outs, pros and cons, results, and other details about specific IF types that women have tried is critical because there is such a lack of scientific study on the subject. With this being said, be wary of information provided by people or products who want you to buy something. Those who are out for profit wanting you to buy their book, supplements, or pay for some kind of information they have may tell you anything you want to hear to pocket your money. If the results seem too good to be true, they probably are.

Despite the potential health concerns that women may experience while practicing IF, women without medical or health concerns can and are encouraged to participate in IF. The take-home message is that women need to be informed, in-tune with their bodies, and practice modified forms of IF with fewer and/or shorter fasting periods to avoid potential harm [4]. The only exceptions to this women can do attitude includes women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive. Please wait until you have surpassed these (wonderful) health events to attempt any sort of fasting regimen to preserve enough nutrients to support your own health