Intermittent fasting tip number 45 is for those who are just getting started with intermittent fasting. Coach Tadris Parker has personally tested this recommendation and a hundred other health tips commonly shared in the running and fitness world. Listen to the audio clip below to hear his take on how you can lose weight with IF. Learn all about this at Keep Calm and Run To The Best You!

Insulin levels drop when a person is not consuming food. During a period of fasting, decreasing insulin levels cause cells to release stored glucose as energy. Repeating this process regularly, as with intermittent fasting, leads to weight loss.

Tip 45. Lose Weight with IF (intermittent fasting)

There seems to be mixed opinions around the subject of fasting for weight loss. A quick Google search reveals contradicting advice, even from nutritional scientists, regarding calorie intake and the eating window. We want to get to the truth of the matter and equip our listeners with the right information on losing weight through intermittent fasting.

Q&A on how you can lose weight with IF

Let’s tackle some of the common questions about intermittent fasting for weight loss:

1. Does skipping meals cause lower metabolism?

Dieting fads and weight loss trends often focus on speeding up your metabolism. Popular belief states that skipping meals will slow down the metabolism, hence it will take your body longer to digest food and shed the unneeded fat. This is confirmed by the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in a study that found skipping meals for 12 weeks may slow your metabolism a full 24 percent.  It sounds counterproductive to skip meals when you’re trying to lose weight, so how does intermittent fasting work? Let’s go to our next question…

2. What’s the difference between IF and skipping meals?

The difference is this: Skipping meals can trigger a starvation-like response because calorie restriction will prompt your body to cling on to everything you feed it. When intermittent fasting, you need to eat enough food to hit your daily recommended calorie intake, but eat in a smaller window of time. In other words, you shouldn’t cut down on calories but you should lengthen the gap between dinner and breakfast. This means eating a minimum of 1,200 calories a day for women and 1,800 calories a day for men, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. (Livestrong) Prioritize protein and fiber, and you’ll lose weight in the first couple of weeks of IF.

3.How much weight can I lose with IF?

As Coach Tadris says, “We are a study of one.” There is no one-size-fits-all outcome for weight loss and intermittent fasting. How much weight you will lose depends greatly on your current shape, lifestyle choices, and overall commitment to your weight loss plan. The most you should lose is 8-10 pounds a month with intermittent fasting. If you're losing more than 2 pounds a week, you still may not be getting enough calories in during your eating window. Fast weight loss causes you to lose more muscle than fat, and you’ll be in danger of messing up your metabolism, which will work against you. If you're losing too quickly with IF, add calories in 50- to 100-calorie increments until you're losing at a rate of 1/2 to 2 pounds a week.

4. Is IF the right weight loss strategy for me?

Intermittent fasting isn’t for everyone, so make sure you’re not in a high risk group and consult your doctor if you have any concerns. 

Once you begin losing weight through IF, you want to monitor your weight loss and pay attention if you’re experiencing any negative side effects, like constipation and dehydration, or extreme mood changes which can indicate low blood sugar.

5. When should I stop doing IF?

Your timeframe for intermittent fasting depends on your body and your health goals. If you hit your goal weight for an event, you might go back to your original eating schedule. However, many people adopt intermittent fasting for long term health because they notice how much better they feel. The feeling can be described as energetic, focused, and better with self-regulation.

6. Will IF eventually stop working?

A common frustration you’ll hear from the weight loss community is this: my plan was working great but then I stopped seeing results! The human body is a remarkable thing. It actually begins to react, sometimes in strange ways, when it detects a new pattern. For example, you will get tired earlier than normal if you roll back your bedtime. If you’re used to eating at a certain time each night, your stomach will start to rumble as you near dinnertime, even if you had a late lunch. Our bodies can work against us when it comes to weight loss and building muscle, so we have to outsmart it from time to time. If you notice the results slowing down as you hit a plateau, you’ll have to change things up.

IF method for staying under 8% body fat

Coach Tadris Parker has put Thomas DeLauer’s method to the test. He’s found success with DeLauer’s approach to losing weight with IF and particularly for staying under 8% body fat. This method involves switching up fasting windows during the week. He stops eating at 4pm two days a week for a long day fast and does shorter stints in between, so his body doesn’t detect a pattern that looks like starvation. Thomas DeLaur’s phrase, “When in doubt, protein it out!” reminds us to choose proteins over carbs when doing IF.

7. Does running everyday have a counterproductive impact?

Coach Tadris completed a full marathon last month and he is taking it easy for now, wearing a heart monitor to keep his pace in the “blue range” as he aims for shorter, lighter runs. His body is recovering from a ton of stress post-marathon, so he knows it will cause muscle to break down and even his immune system can weaken if he keeps going at that rate. Cross training and alternating speed/distance in between running days is how to prevent your body from detecting a pattern in your workouts. Do different things on different days of the week, but be consistent in the big picture to stay active.

Manage health conditions with intermittent fasting

Besides weight loss, there are other benefits of intermittent fasting. The Mayo Clinic conducts research on intermittent fasting. Dr. Manpreet Mundi’s position is that IF may be more beneficial than other diets for reducing inflammation and improving conditions associated with inflammation, such as:

• Alzheimer's disease

• Arthritis

• Asthma

• Multiple sclerosis

• Stroke

Managing diabetes through IF

There’s another condition not on the list, but it’s certainly worth mentioning, and that condition is diabetes. Many diabetics believe in using IF to naturally regulate their insulin levels. This stands to reason since insulin levels drop during periods of fasting. However, consult your doctor to make sure you’re clear on the levels you need to achieve and make sure IF isn’t throwing off your bloodsugar.

Lose weight with IF and running!

Working out causes stress and intermittent fasting causes stress. You have to trick your body and disrupt the pattern if you want to keep losing weight or building muscles or increasing endurance. If you’re in a constant state of stress, you won’t see results because your body will respond to compensate for whatever it is that you’re lacking. Don’t be tempted to lapse because starting back is much harder than alternating your fasting and exercise routines. Instead, find a balance and a rhythm and keep going strong for long term health and lasting results!

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At Keep Calm and Run To The Best You, we are actively helping people from all walks of life to get healthier and happier in the body they’ve got! We’ve collected advice from professionals, combed through archives, and gathered insights from our group members. Click here to see the rest of our 101 health tips about running, intermittent fasting, and weight loss.

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