What time did you have breakfast today? If you’re doing intermittent fasting, which leaves a gap of up to 16 hours between dinner one day and your first meal the next, chances are you skipped it completely.
This eating pattern was made popular by the late expert Michael Mosley, with studies suggesting it improves blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol levels and aids weight loss.
But if you’ve been following the regime for some time and are yet to see any positive results, it may be down to some rookie errors.
Fasting for too long
“It’s very common for people who are fasting in an unsafe way – such as drastically reducing calories – to store body weight as the metabolism will slow down and the body will keep a reserve of fat stores as it essentially thinks there is a famine,” says nutritionist Kelly Mulhall, founder of The Natural Balance.
“Going too long without food may ultimately lead to binging as well, especially if you have a disordered relationship with food, so you either don’t see any benefits or may even see your weight creep up,” she adds.
“Feeling fatigued, dizzy, irritable or experiencing sleep disturbances may indicate your fasting is no longer working for you, or it may be time to reassess your approach to weight loss.”
Breaking your fast the wrong way
No matter when you eat your first meal, it needs to provide the fuel and nutrition you need for the remainder of your day. “A meal high in refined carbohydrates or sugar, for example a breakfast cereal or a croissant, may cause a sharp rise and subsequent drop in blood sugar levels, leading to a blood sugar roller coaster,” says Marilia Chamon, a registered nutritional therapist and founder of Gutfulness Nutrition.
“This can leave you hungrier, making it harder to control your eating for the rest of the day.”
Kelly also recommends that your first meal include a fistful of lean protein, such as fish, chicken or tofu, a small handful of whole grains, such as brown rice or quinoa, and vegetables. “Salmon, brown rice, roasted sweet potato and vegetables is great, or you could try an egg omelette with spinach and a slice of sourdough if you want something closer to a traditional breakfast.”
Sneaking in calories during fasting hours
Whether it’s a splash of milk in tea, a crust from your child’s brekkie, even calories in flavoured water, it can be easy to break your fast without realising. “When you fast, your body accesses stored fat for energy and over time, this can lead to fat loss,” explains Marilia.
But eating or drinking anything during a fast period prevents this from happening. “It turns on your digestion, insulin is produced, digestive acids are released and the gut muscles get moving,” says Kelly.
“Additionally, your body starts to produce the hunger hormone ghrelin as you’ve told it that ‘food is on the way’, so you may end up eating when you were trying not to. Only water is allowed during a true fast.”
Overindulging in your eating window
Fasting doesn’t mean the calories you eat later on don’t count. “Even if you have a long fasting window each day, if you eat more calories than you burn, you will not lose weight,” says Marilia. Focus on meals made from fibre-rich whole foods that keep you full, so you’re less likely to snack.
Boosting stress hormones
Women, in particular, may be more sensitive to the impact of fasting. “Sometimes fasting can put the body into an increased state of stress, causing an increase in stress hormone cortisol,” says Kelly. “In women, this leads to oestrogen dominance that, in the long term, can cause a hormonal imbalance.”
Once disrupted, your hormone levels can cause your body to retain fat, rather than burn it. “During times of stress or the first few days of your period, when you can feel slightly more tired, emotional and stressed, it may be wise to return to a more traditional three meals a day structure,” says Kelly.
