If you’re at least somewhat interested in improving your health, body composition, or mental focus - then you’ve probably come across intermittent fasting (IF). Below I’ve listed some of the high level takeaways that I’ve learned in my 10+ years of personally using intermittent fasting, as well as a ton of time spent researching it and consulting clients for how to make this approach fit their goals.

I do believe intermittent fasting can be a tool that can achieve a better body and better mind, but probably not for the same reasons that other people claim it works so well. Read on to learn about 5 things you should know before starting IF.

1: There is no one ‘right’ way or protocol when it comes to IF

Despite what you might think, there is no best way to fast. It’s more about trial and error to find what works for you. If you are going to try it make sure you have some metrics of what you're tracking (whether that's objective like weight/body fat/physical performance or subjective like energy/mood/etc).

Test out some different variations for a week or two at a time to see what works best for you.

2: IF can help with body composition/weight loss, but likely not because it’s superior from a metabolism or hormonal standpoint

While myself and others have noticed positive body composition changes when implementing IF, the primary reason for this is simply because it’s an easy way for some people to restrict total calories without eating small portions of food.

If you prefer fewer, but bigger meals, and find that it’s a way to restrict calories with less effort, then IF might be a great option for you.

3: Women tend to do better with shorter fasting periods compared to men

Women and men have different hormonal responses, therefore the way they eat and exercise shouldn’t be identical. More is not better when it comes to fasting, so make sure to find the fasting window that works best for you and supports your goals.

Generally speaking women tend to benefit from a shorter window (12-14 hours fasted) compared to men that do a little bit better with longer window (14-16 hours fasted).

4: A lot of the supposed long-term health benefits don’t actually happen unless you’re reaching 3-5 days of fasting

Some people claim that intermittent fasting can help with long term cellular health, cancer fighting benefits, inflammation reduction, and anti-aging - all of those benefits are not going to kick in with your usual 16 hour or even 24 hour fasting window.

If you’re after some of the long-term benefits of fasting, you’re going to have to work up to longer windows of fasting closer to 3-5+ days (which I have to add should only be done under medical supervision).

5: The reasons I choose to continue to use IF is not for the reasons most people talk about

The reason I continue to fast personally is for the cognitive benefits I get of being able to get more work done for the first part of my day on an empty stomach, the convenience of not having to prep as many meals, and my preference to be able to eat bigger meals while still staying under a calorie budget. 

Those are the reasons, not because of any special fat loss, metabolic, or hormonal improvements, that I choose to continue to use IF as a tool that works for me.

All that being said, that's a really high level overview to a complex topic.  Regardless of how you're structuring it - hitting the right calorie, protein, and fiber needs for your body is going to be far more important in the long-term than what or when your eating window is. If you're missing the mark on that, fasting probably won't move the needle for your health on its own long-term.