Is Alternate Fasting For You? - Should You Try It?

Last updated by Katie M.

We hear about it everywhere: alternative fasting is super trendy at the moment! Presented everywhere as a way to lose weight and purify yourself, is it really so miraculous? Beware, there are mistakes to be avoided to reap the real benefits. Let’s take a look at the advantages and drawbacks of alternate fasting!

Is Alternate Fasting For You? - Should You Try It?
Contents: 

What is alternate fasting?

It’s a fast that’s a cross between a day of normal food intake and a traditional fast. Remember, traditional fasting consists of not eating for several whole days. Except that with alternate fasting, otherwise called intermittent fasting, it’s about alternating between times of eating and not eating.

➜ This type of fasting is therefore much more flexible and accessible. There are also different ways of practicing it, so you can adapt it to yourself.

The 16/8 method

The most common way of doing an alternate fast is called the 16/8. It involves not eating for 16 hours and eating during the remaining 8-hour period. Most often, the 16-hour period overlaps with the night, as we spend 7 to 9 hours sleeping! We can therefore stop eating at 8 p.m. and break the fast the next day at midday. Most people do this, skipping breakfast. In fact, many people don’t eat breakfast in the morning and practice intermittent fasting without realizing it!

The advantages of intermittent fasting

The reason we hear so much about it is that alternate fasting is said to have the same benefits as strict fasting for several days:

  • Decreases the production of insulin and the storage of fat and sugar in the body
  • Stimulates the removal of fat
  • Better control of eating sensations
  • Stimulates the secretion of the growth hormone
  • Improves physical and intellectual performance and reduces recovery time
  • Promotes cell regeneration
  • Allows the body to be cleansed and stimulates autophagy or the body’s self-cleaning function by its own cells
  • Reduces cell oxidation and premature cell aging
  • Prevents the risk of being overweight and some associated pathologies: cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, etc.

Not eating in the morning?

Moreover, it allows you to break a habit established by modern society: having breakfast in the morning. Yes, we come back to this meal that seemed essential for a long time. In reality, it was during the industrial revolution with the arrival of the alarm clock that breakfast became a tradition. It was necessary to give the body a great source of energy and stimulation to be productive at work.

➜ Except that our distant ancestors didn’t eat in the morning! There were no fridges and even less croissants to enjoy as soon as they woke up. They had to look for food in their surroundings, and so the first meal came at the end of the morning. Biologically, our bodies are used to working like this!

You may be interested in this article >>> What is body dysmorphia?

The mistakes to be avoided

Alternate fasting is an interesting practice when you want to regain your eating sensations. Nevertheless, there are mistakes to be avoided, so you don’t feel unwell or have other negative effects:

  • Not drinking enough water: the sensation of thirst is felt less during fasting. It allows you to eliminate toxins, so you must make sure to drink as much as usual (i.e., 1.5L / 2L of water per day).
  • Eating twice as much: the aim is to not eat an 8-hour meal. You should eat normally, favoring nutrient-rich foods (e.g. foods rich in fibers, whole grains, etc.).
  • Setting yourself goals that are too difficult to achieve: the important thing is to listen to your body. Instead of skipping breakfast altogether, you can simply postpone it and reduce the fasting time.
  • Fasting to lose weight: fasting is a way of life, not a fad diet.

Alternate fasting and weight loss

It’s important to make a distinction between alternate fasting and the goal of weight loss. Indeed, articles promoting fasting for weight loss are everywhere. For weight loss, this should be avoided! Instead of trying to restrict yourself, you should understand the origin of the excess weight or simply the relationship you have with your image.

➜ In the first case, it’s important to ask yourself whether there is emotional hunger caused by poor emotional management. It is also possible that you are overweight because of eating disorders such as hyperphagia. It is therefore a psychological problem that needs to be treated, not a way of eating.

➜ In the second case, for example, an “excess” of 5 kg isn’t just an excess. Is it a malaise that you feel about your relationship to your body? Here again, it’s important to ask yourself the question. It’s more than necessary to gain self-confidence and learn to love your body as it is. You therefore need to work on your mind too!

❌ Alternate fasting to lose kilos is a very bad idea because it can lead to more damage than benefits: frustration, increased food compulsions, weight gain, cravings, negative emotions, etc. The body is put to the test! You have to be an intuitive eater to be able to fast with peace of mind.

>>> Discover what anxiety can do to your body

Editor’s note: Try it!

We’re all different and unique. Try alternate fasting and comment below what you thought! Loved it? Hated it? If your relationship with food or your body is complicated, contact a professional coach to find solutions together.

🤗 Understand yourself, accept yourself, be happy... Let’s do it here and now!

#BornToBeMe

Be sure to read these articles too;

Article presented by Katie M.

Discover the world through my eyes.

Read our latest articles here:

Psychological Abuse: Identify It To Get Out Of It

A little belittling remark here, minimizing our emotions there... So many little things that show us that we’re being psychologically abused. It may seem trivial, but that’s the problem. We downplay it too much, which makes it the most common type of abuse. So, how do you identify psychological abuse? What should you do if you’re a victim? Let’s explain.

Behavioral Disorders: The List & Their Definitions

I suffer from an eating disorder, and several people around me have a mood disorder. I’m not completely unfamiliar with behavioral disorders, or at least not these. However, there are several types of disorders and they can even affect sexual behavior. So how do you define them? Here’s a list and some definitions related to behavioral disorders.

10 Reasons Why Your Ex Slept With Someone Else After Your Breakup

We are all unique individuals, and we, therefore, go about handling breakups and the other obstacles life throws our way, differently. Now, when it comes to breakups, there are those of us that almost become celibate and decide that they can't stand the idea of getting to know anyone ever again. Then, on the other hand, there are those that fill their phones with dating apps and jump from one one-night stand to the next. This second scenario may seem harmless, but once we dig a little deeper into the repercussions of it, we soon realize that sleeping with other people so freshly out of a relationship masks troubling sentiments of unhappiness and uneasiness.

I Constantly Need Recognition

Ever since I was a child, I’ve felt like I do things according to others. My choices and my behavior have long been dictated by the approval of others. As I’ve got older, I’ve learned to assert myself and detach myself from what others might think of my actions. Why do we constantly seek this validation, and how can we get rid of this need for recognition when it becomes toxic? Having been there myself, I’ll explain it all to you!

How To Camouflage Your Cellulite At The Beach

You were well on your way. You were holding on, motivated by the idea of finally having a bikini body this year. But then the lockdowns and the laziness all hit you at once... That’s right, your cellulite is still there and not ready to leave just yet. But guess what?! Cellulite is like a little pimple, either we own it, or we resort to using tricks to camouflage it.

I Never Thought I’d Say This, But I Hate Working From Home…

Work has always been a synonym of repression for me because it takes up so much of our precious time. Let’s be honest, a 9-5 job with a horrendous daily commute often means that work is sadly our sole occupation. So, when the Covid-19 pandemic struck over a year ago, and we were all ordered to stay home, I found it hard to hide my joy in front of my distraught coworkers; although thankfully my acting talents saved me. You can probably already tell, but going into the office every day was nothing less than torture for me. Yet, all these months later, I’ve realized that I despise working from home and would do anything to sit in my uncomfortable office chair once again!

Do We Always Need To Have The Last Word?

Today, I’m focussing on a habit that drives me crazy: wanting to have the last word. It’s probably because I’m not very good at comebacks or self-confident enough that I’m both fascinated and annoyed by people who always want to be right. But why do they always want to have the last word? What’s behind it?

I Still Suck My Thumb As An Adult

In general, thumb sucking ends around the age of 6. I say “in general” and not “normally”, because as an adult I don’t feel weird or particularly bothered by it. When I get stressed, I allow myself to let go and return to my childhood self by sucking my thumb. Those who know about it or catch me by surprise make me realize I should be ashamed… But is this habit a big deal? What if it makes me feel better? It’s certainly no worse than lighting up a cigarette or biting your nails…

Why Do Hugs And Physical Contact Make Me Feel Uncomfortable?

There are people who don’t like to be touched at all, and who are almost disgusted by physical contact. There are people who like to caress and be caressed for anything and everything, and there are people like me who always recoil when someone tries to touch them. Why do I shy away from physical contact? What if it’s all linked to the past?

10 Examples Of Text Messages A Narcissist Sends

Narcissists definitely move with the times, which is why many of them constantly troll dating sites for new victims. Chatting with a manipulator of this magnitude can be a rollercoaster experience, with dizzying heights that might lead you to believe you are in love, to gut-wrenching lows which will make you question your worth. For any raving narcissist, text message exchanges are a great way to reel in victims and follow through with their master plans for ultimate control over them. Are you texting someone you suspect to be a narcissist? The examples below could confirm your suspicions.

Wengood's favorite tunes 🎵

Wengood's playlist

wengood

  1. Only LoveBen Howard
    4:08
  2. Invalid date
  3. Fix YouColdplay
    4:55
  4. Beautiful DayU2
    4:08
  5. Thinking out LoudEd Sheeran
    4:41
  6. White FlagDido
    4:00
  7. Lay Me DownSam Smith
    4:13
  8. Nine Million BicyclesKatie Melua
    3:17
  9. Put Your Records OnCorinne Bailey Rae
    3:35
  10. Summertime SadnessLana Del Rey
    4:24
  11. Imagine - Remastered 2010John Lennon
    3:07
  12. Shake It OutFlorence + The Machine
    4:37
  13. Space Oddity - Love You Til Tuesday versionDavid Bowie
    3:46
  14. What A Wonderful WorldLouis Armstrong
    2:19
  15. With Or Without YouU2
    4:56
  16. HelloAdele
    4:55
  17. Don't Stop Me NowQueen
    3:29
  18. Skinny LoveBirdy
    3:21
  19. WingsBirdy
    4:12
  20. Californian SoilLondon Grammar
    3:41


"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." 

- Oscar Wilde


How to detect a narcissist

How to detect a narcissist

How to soothe an anxiety attack

How to soothe an anxiety attack