Should you try fasting?
“Is fasting good to help me lose weight?”
A question I had the other day.
It’s pretty trendy right now…
And although seeing the media hype it up like it’s some big secret makes me want to call it a fad…
It’s actually a useful tool in the toolbox …
In fact, I did it years back when I was studying at Oxford Brookes University.
I would leave my house at 5am, drive to Swindon, get the bus to Oxford, study, work in labs etc (where you can’t eat) and then eat my first meal / lunch on the bus on the way home at about 2pm..
This SUITED MY LIFESTYLE…
But here’s the thing..
How do you actually define what ‘fasting’ is?
Is it 16 hours no food?
Is it just skipping breakfast?
So many definitions make it difficult to say whether it is ‘good’ or ‘bad’…
And – ultimately – it depends on your lifestyle.
but..
It has actually allowed me to drop body fat, get in great shape and still enjoy some great food in the evening with Mrs Fruci
Simply because I had ‘saved up’ calories for later…
so in short, it can be a good tactic…
let’s say you skip breakfast and only have 2 meals a day…
Your chances of overeating on calories that day may be lower…
Which means you will lose weight.
Calories in, calories out, is the key to weight loss…
Fasting MAY also help people better control their blood sugar levels and regulate hunger…
In short, fasting can be a simple way to reduce calories without having to count them.
HOWEVER…
For others?
It results in a restrict – binge scenario.
All you think about is food all day.
And you end up giving in to the cake in the office…followed by the F it Mindset, start again Monday…
And then there is exercise?
Research suggests that you may burn fewer calories if you fast
Be it through less exercise or lower metabolic rate…
Suggesting that maybe considering your fast around the time when not exercising can be a good thing…
Take Home:
Ultimately, losing body fat will improve the health of most people, regardless of whether you did it by fasting or not.
The principle behind this is creating a calorie deficit.
Which means more out, less in.
The TACTIC you use to get there has to fit your lifestyle.
Don’t like eating breakfast and feel like you’re forcing it down?
Why not delay it until mid-morning and see how you go?
That might delay your lunch and
Maybe it’ll help you if you struggle at that mid afternoon crash time of the day?
Enjoy breakfast?
Keep eating it. Just be sure to control your portions in your meals 🙂
But I get that you probably know that already.
In fact, through working with hundreds of ladies and helping them create a positive relationship with food, there are 3 things that seem to work:
1) A simple personalised fitness and food plan that gives you the freedom to eat the foods you love (including your prosecco and Gin and tonic…) but some structure so you know what and when to eat so you can lose weight (and stick to it even on your busiest days)
^^^ As you probably have enough choices to make on the daily, right?
2) Accountability so you do the things that you know you need to do (and get a nice polite kick up the bum to help 😉)
3) Support from like-minded ladies all in the same boat looking to tone up, get fit and have some fun doing it so you don’t lose motivation when it gets tough…
I’ll leave you with my one of my favourite quotes:
“In the end, you have greater control over your actions than you do your results. Your results are created by your actions “- Brian Moran
Matt ‘fasting’ Fruci
