What is Intermittent Fasting (IF)?
Intermittent fasting is a designated window of time where eating is "permitted" followed by a designated period of time for fasting. This can look like eating for 8 hours and then fasting for 16 hours or a full day of fasting followed by a full day of eating. Intermittent fasting is supposed to help train the body to use more fat for fuel.
Does it work for active women?
As a female athlete something you need to remember is that you are burning more energy on most days of the week than someone who is inactive. So you have to consume more energy to help prevent your metabolism from slowing down.
Remember, that workout from two days ago may still be impacting your body. You may still be repairing micro-tears in your muscles, have increased metabolic rate and need more energy... even if its your rest day. It's also safe to assume that those with more muscle mass need more energy to maintain muscle. Long story short- you need energy.
What effect does IF have on your body?
When you are told to ignore your hunger cues, you are dissociating from your body....so what are the repercussions for us as runners?
Instead of thinking of your body as the enemy, I want you to consider that your body is your teammate. When you're on a team, what skill is imperative for success??
COMMUNICATION.
Using tactics like IF which basically cut off the communication between your physical body & your actions destroy that trust. Teammates without trust? That's a recipe for a disaster.
It's part of the reason disordered and "no days off" mentality leads to burn out, overtraining syndrome, REDS, injuries and broken metabolism.
So what should you do instead?
Food Freedom is about reconnecting with your body! When you become a Food Freedom Athlete it BUILDS your relationship with your body, your teammate! The 4 question framework inside of Food Freedom Fit Fam helps you reconnect back with your body so that you can honor your hunger. You will also learn which foods feel best in your body & how to fuel like an athlete. Doesn't that sound better than only being able to eat during a certain time of the day?
Interested in joining Food Freedom Fit Fam? Click here and we can see if it is the right fit for you!