You may be shocked to learn that it’s as simple as it sounds. It’s really just alternating cycles of eating and not eating. There are several different ways to do IF, but the general principle remains the same no matter which version you choose: fast for a period of time, eat again, fast again, and so on.
Let’s get the technical jibber-jabber out of the way first. There are now numerous variations on standard fasting protocols. Some examples include alternate day fasting, 21-day fasts, and the 5:2 diet. Each of these methods shares some similarities but also has its own unique quirks.
Despite all its benefits and increasing popularity, there are still plenty of people who hate intermittent fasting. In this blog post, we will cover the top 10 reasons why people hate intermittent fasting so you can decide for yourself whether it’s right for you or not.
Your body goes into starvation mode so you don’t lose weight anyway.
While this might be true for people that suffer from extreme malnutrition, it’s definitely not true for healthy people who exercise and eat a balanced diet. This is the most common reason people hate intermittent fasting, so we’re starting things off with the most important issue.
In fact, this misconception is so common that we’re devoting most of this post to it. Dietary restriction and fasting are two very different things. Simply put, you can eat all the vegetables, chicken, eggs, and fats you want while fasting. The key difference between these two things is that when you’re in a calorie deficit you’re deliberately eating less than you need to maintain your current weight.
When you’re fasting, you’re not deliberately restricting calories. Your body simply isn’t receiving and using the energy it needs from food. If you’re really worried about losing weight while fasting, then we’d advise you to read on.
It only lasts for 24 hours so why bother?
Simply put, the reason people fast for 24 hours is so that the rest of your week is more enjoyable. It’s a way of managing your calorie intake so that you’re not constantly restricting yourself.
Anyone who’s tried a low-calorie diet knows that it’s difficult to sustain over the long term. Intermittent fasting is an effective way to mimic the benefits of a low-calorie diet while avoiding some of the pitfalls.
As such, it’s not just a fad diet. It’s a different way of looking at dieting that can be used by everyone. Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply improve your overall health, intermittent fasting has something to offer you.
You’ll Live By The Rule of “Cheat Days”
Some fasters believe that a cheat day recharges your metabolic function and actually allows you to lose more weight. Unfortunately, this is a complete myth. Studies show that people who eat fewer calories and do intermittent fasting actually lose more weight than those who don’t.
This happens because the person who fasts isn’t eating as many calories overall. If you’re eating the same amount of calories as someone who isn’t fasting, you’re going to lose more weight. In fact, you might even lose more weight than someone who isn’t fasting.
This is because fasting allows you to eat fewer calories while also allowing you to burn more fat. In short, you’ll live by the rule of “eat less and burn more”.
It’s hard and Can Be Challenging To Stick To
First, you should recognize that fasting is not the same as starving. Starving is a very dangerous condition that people rarely recover from. Fasting is simply going without food for a set amount of time.
There’s nothing difficult about it. All you have to do is ignore the growling in your stomach and remember that food will soon be there again. If you decide to fast, there are a few things you can do to make it easier to stick to. First, you can start your fast at a time when you don’t usually eat.
For example, if you usually have breakfast at 8 o’clock then start fasting at 9 o’clock. This way, you’re used to going without food for a few hours and it won’t seem as hard to do. You can also make fasting easier to stick to by doing it with friends and family.
The constant cycling of feast and famine wreaks havoc on your blood sugar levels.
On one hand, you have people who binge on food when they’re not fasting. On the other hand, you have other fasters who fear food like it’s poison. Neither of these approaches is healthy for your blood sugar levels.
If you binge on food, you’re not going to do your body any favors. If you fear food, you’re going to starve yourself and possibly harm your body. The key to keeping your blood sugar levels balanced is to eat a healthy and balanced diet.
Fasting doesn’t have to wreak havoc on your blood sugar levels. It all comes down to what you eat when you’re not fasting. If you’re eating healthy, protein-rich foods when you’re not fasting, then your blood sugar levels should remain healthy and balanced.
Fast days are tough and people feel constantly hungry.
While it’s true that some fasters feel constantly hungry, it’s important to remember that feeling hungry isn’t necessarily bad. Hunger is your body’s natural way of telling you that you need to eat.
If you feel hungry, then you need to eat something. When fasting, it’s easy to confuse “hungry” with “disappointed that there’s no food”. That’s why it’s important to keep yourself occupied and distracted. Go for a walk, read a book, or do some gardening.
If you find that fasting is still too hard for you, then there are other ways to reap the benefits of intermittent fasting without having to go without food. You can try Intermittent Nutritional Fasting, which is an easier variation of fasting.
We fast to lose weight, but people keep losing muscle instead.
There are two types of weight loss: fat loss and muscle loss. Most people want to lose fat and avoid muscle loss at all costs. Unfortunately, intermittent fasting makes it really easy to lose muscle. Unfortunately, intermittent fasting makes it really easy to lose muscle.
This happens because you’re not eating as much protein as you normally would – which is important for building muscle. You can reduce the risk of muscle loss by increasing your protein intake during your non-fasting days. If you want to avoid losing muscle, then intermittent fasting is probably not right for you.
The best way to avoid muscle loss and retain as much as possible, then you need to consume enough protein. Studies show that increasing your daily protein intake from .8 grams per kilogram to 1.2 grams per kilogram can help you retain muscle. Eating more protein has many benefits, including reducing muscle breakdown, increasing muscle growth, and helping you feel fuller for longer.
Increasing your daily protein intake by a little each day will help you reach the recommended daily intake in a few months. You can eat more protein-rich foods or take a protein supplement to help you meet your daily needs.
Intermittent fasting is just another diet with a different name.
This claim has little to no basis in reality. As we’ve already covered in this blog post, intermittent fasting isn’t a diet in the traditional sense. It’s simply an alternative way of eating that doesn’t require you to eat less food. It simply requires you to eat your food in a different pattern.
Intermittent fasting isn’t a fad diet, and it has been scientifically proven to help you lose weight. In fact, one study found that intermittent fasting was more effective for weight loss than conventional dieting.
Intermittent fasting isn’t difficult to do either. You just need to avoid eating anything for 12–16 hours every day. That’s it! No superhuman efforts are required. It’s a simple but effective way of losing weight. In fact, you can eat more food while still reaping the benefits of intermittent fasting.
There’s no need to worry about “going off the rails” if you happen to overeat one day. It’s completely flexible and doesn’t require caloric restriction. The key is to make sure you don’t exceed your daily carb intake and that you stay within your macro targets for the week.
Keep in mind that the majority of the benefits from carb restriction come from cutting out processed carbs, not necessarily avoiding naturally-occurring ones.
With that said, you may want to cycle your carb intake every few weeks if you’re aiming to lose weight. Research shows that people tend to experience greater fat loss and maintenance when consuming carbs on a scheduled basis.
Bottom line: Many people hate intermittent fasting simply because they don’t understand it.
If you’re one of these people, then don’t worry. All you need is a little bit of information to make the right decision for you. Hopefully, this blog post has cleared up any misconceptions you had about intermittent fasting. If you still aren’t sure whether it’s right for you, then try this simple test.
Ask yourself these two questions: Do you want to improve your health, lose weight, or both?
Are you willing to change your eating habits?
