why you shouldn’t do intermittent fasting

“I went from being 100 kgs to 70 kgs and then ended up with 120 kgs and zero motivation”

What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting, for those who are new to this term, it is a pseudo dieting plan in which an individual practices an eating pattern where he/she maintains a cycle between periods of eating and periods of fasting. However there are no specifications about what to eat and what not to eat during the eating period. There are three most popular methods for intermittent fasting, 

• 16/8 method in which you fast for 16 hours and eat in the remaining eight
• An eat-stop-eat method in which you fast once or twice a week
• 5:2 diet method in which you consume a controlled amount of calories for 2 non consecutive days in a week.

The Uncertain Reality

At first, this plan sounds quite easy to follow as you are circulating in between food and non food periods but the practicality of this plan differs a bit. Millennial today have a lot on their plate. They shuffle between home, work, family, society and a lot more. Following the above plan often can make an individual weak and lethargic during the non eating periods as a result of which he/she may get irritated and stressed which adversely affects their health. A drop in mental or physical health or even both impacts the functional areas of their life and they end up struggling with their self confidence and self motivation.

Also due to the lack of specificity on what to eat and how much to eat during the eating period, people generally tend to over eat to compensate with their non eating period. They even choose the food which is mostly observed to be comfort food thus adding to the calories count at the end of the day. Long hours of fasting and excessive food during eating hours may result in formation of Gas in stomach which then results to bloated stomach and other uncomfortable symptoms.

A compromise on Mental Health!

A continuous failure in getting a visible difference in both size and weight affects an individual adversely and mental stress from the outer world further contributes into it. Thus resulting in the development of disorders like Anorexia Nervosa in which an individual completely gives up food due to distorted body image or Binge Eating Disorder in which an individual as the name suggests starts binging on food resulting in gaining further more weight than the weight lost.

Losing weight and having a slim and healthy body is an idea which is appealing to all, but the road you take to achieve this brings all the difference. Skipping breakfast, lunch or even an entire day meal may help you with temporary lowering the number on your weight scale but in the long run the increase in calorie intake increases other numbers too and decreases motivation and encouragement towards having a better body and a better life.

Alternative Approach

Go for a more balanced dieting plan which does not require long hours of fasting and focuses more on what to eat rather than when to eat, so that craving for food doesn’t over power you on any time slot and what one eat is both healthy and balanced. Generally it is said that a person should keep eating small portions of food in every 2 hours which keeps them from over eating. Such a diet not only results in a healthy weight loss, but also provides you a glowing skin and the results are more long lasting as well. So think, before you decide the number of hours assigning to non eating period.