Ask a PhD: Should Women Try Intermittent Fasting? Learn How it Works

[@Leecegyrl]

I’ve been intermittent fasting for 2 years on and off…mostly keto along with IF. I feel amazing my skin is brighter, melted fat all over my body, my cycle regular had ovarian cysts 3 yrs prior and this eating habit has dissolved them. I track my cycle thru an app and have not taken birth control for the last 10 yrs and my cycles last 4-5 days. I do 18:6 and drink a gallon a water a day. Magnesium, Zinc and other supplements with a bunch of veggies! Try it you’ll think yourself!

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

We're so glad you found a way of eating that works for you!

[@hdr7455]

It’s had no bad effects on your hormones?

[@irenecyp]

Good message but music unnecessarily too loud. This is a serious message

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

Noted. Thanks for the feedback, Irenecyp!

[@zenab8682]

I had the same response.

[@smilemore6130]

I have been using IF for a couple of months now. I do eat enough calories (I do track it to be sure). It helped my IBS a lot. Also I enjoy food a lot more!

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

Great to hear you found a way to eat that fits your lifestyle!

[@klimber10001]

@@PrecisionNutritionKZbin to oops ooo

[@imnoemit]

I found that with two good meals a day i feel full so I have been doing intermittent fasting for a while and I also feel more energetic.

[@jenna5639]

I've been doing IF (mostly 2MADs, some OMADs, and two 42-hours fasts) for the last 6 weeks. I've lost 20 pounds, and I feel amazing--super energetic, my libido is normal now (it's always been fairly low), and I'm never hungry.

[@missioncreekfarm7715]

You didn't say a word about women who have already gone through menopause. I am 6 years post menopause, gained almost 30 pounds, felt horrid, no energy, joints inflamed, just miserable. I have been intermittent fasting with a low carb diet, lost 10 pounds in the first 30 days and now am close to a healthy BMI, inflamation down, energy up, sleep solid. So anecdotal, but the reality for me is that IF and a low carb (cut out the junk and the sugar basically) and you will loose the meno pounds and gain back mental clarity, energy and mobility.

[@asirbbrisa]

I always found it interesting that IF says it reduces anxiety and stress and I always found the opposite. When I IF it increases my anxiety. Thanks for mentioning who should and should not try fasting.

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

Happy to provide a balanced prospective. Thanks for your comment, Brisa!

[@Happywarrior100]

Have there been comprehensive studies on postmenopausal women fasting? I have removed sugar, wheat, and processed foods from my daily consumption and started fasting three weeks ago. Learning to pay close attention to how my body feels has been essential. A lot of the pain I used to experience has dissipated. So far so good!

[@ctrinidad5581]

Been doing IF and keto for 6 weeks and lost 13 pounds. I feel energized. I replaced my carbs with veggies with ACV and Olive oil. Eat organic egg and grass feed meat. It was complete lifestyle changed.

[@loveislove2359]

I lost 50 lbs in 5 months doing that.

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

Glad you found a system that works for you!

[@Stephanie-gl5hy]

Thank you for this video! I accidentally lost my period over a year ago due to intermittent fasting and didn't even know. I was on birth control pills, so was technically bleeding every month. Now that I'm off contraceptives I haven't had my period in over a year naturally. IF can be great but a reminder that birth control pills can be covering up the fact that IF may not be for you.

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

A valuable experience, and we thank you for sharing, Steph.

[@rachelcarswell747]

Hello! I started to watch the video because I love you guys and all your content but I couldn’t finish it because the music was just so distracting for me! Yikes! Maybe you would consider ditching the music for the highly scientific discussions or create your own quality subtitles? In the meantime, I’ll just re-read the article.

[@SallyHumphriesLifestyle]

Agreed. So distracting!

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

Thanks for the feedback, Rachel. Will pass that on to our editing team!

[@kaycee625]

Why the loud music? This is important information and I can barely hear it.

[@noar6367]

The music is way too loud. It’s like trying to talk with someone in a disco club……

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

We'll let our team know to turn down the tunes. Thanks for the heads up, Noa!

[@shana5903]

I love your videos. You are to the point and factual and do not waist time❤❤❤❤😊

[@cm1906]

No mentioning of whether post-menopausal women are candidates for intermittent fasting. Would you comment on this, please?

[@niritzagofsky7473]

I'm 67 and way postmenopausal. I do IF approximately 18/6 - it can vary a bit. It was difficult at first, but when I upped my beef intake and went very low carb, it started getting easier. Carbs tend to make me hungry. I do two full body workouts a week, so I make sure to have sweet potatoes and asparagus occasionally and small amounts of resistant starch daily in the form of cold boiled potatoes or white rice. I feel so much better this way. Bowel movement is much improved after a lifetime of mild constipation. I do take some supplements as well.

[@deb9806]

I'm doing it too. We are the "invisible" group ; ) I find it helps me with binging on sweets and training myself to listen to my body and "real" hunger vs appetite. I think I lost a few pounds but need to buy a scale.

[@niritzagofsky7473]

@@deb9806 I don't own a scale. I prefer to feel how my clothes fit and see how I look in the mirror. And remember, muscle weighs more than fat.😊

[@niritzagofsky7473]

@@deb9806 And yes, perfectly put - us older ladies being in the invisible group.

[@cm1906]

Dr Barbara Taylor, a retired ObGyn and menopause specialist offers an entire education on menopause here on KZbin! Her latest video - Calorie Restriction versus Intermittent Fasting for preventing Alzheimer’s disease is worth watching!

[@galinalane341]

Music is too loud, can't hear you.

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

Thanks for the suggestion, Galina! We'll let our editing team know.

[@jojojohnson8232]

Thank you! Would love to learn more about this as a woman who has had a supracervical hysterectomy. I'm 43 so I also desire to coach women between ages of 30-50.

[@carolynnscoffield440]

Loved there content, but please lose that background music. It’s distracting and makes your voice difficult to hear some of the time.

[@riannerhead1346]

Curious about IF and menopausal women. Also, those on HRT or not. Thanks!

[@heatherhusmer4267]

Yay, Rianne asked what I was going to ask. If NOT good for women ovulating 'normally', and a 'peri-menopausal woman can tell you why estrogen is important', for those us in the throws of menopause/peri-menopause, what are the repercussions/effects? Thanks for asking Rianne!

[@jessie9653]

@@heatherhusmer4267 I would love to know as well.

[@Tom-TomAlmighty]

Go see dr Berg . It IF is great for menopausal women . You just need to adjust IF of menopausal . It’s great for weight loss . You just need to take a break every 3 weeks . To take stress off women who have cycles .

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

We haven't seen any direct studies of IF protocols with specifically menopausal women / women on HRT. As pointed out by Dr. Helen - IF works by controlling calorie intake, so it CAN certainly work. Our experience has shown us that women who have a history of binge eating/eating disorders are not great candidates for IF. Similarly, women who are highly stressed may find it hard to stick with IF. That being said, self experimentation is something we at PN highly encourage, so starting with eating your first meal a little later, may be a useful step for those interested in adding some IF measures to their day. Thanks for the question!

[@bintimrembo24]

Turn down the music, its distracting and we want to hear you

[@SallyHumphriesLifestyle]

Music is very distracting

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

Noted. Thanks, Sally!

[@yvohec]

Hi Helen! I've been doing IF of 12-14hrs for a year and a half. Recently, I changed my workouts to early morning (wake up at 5, workout at 5:30am) and I'm not supposed to break my fast yet. I'm noticing that I can't lift very well or I can't increase the weights I use with the pass of the weeks. I had knee reconstruction 6 months ago and I still haven't recovered the muscles that I lost in my leg. I have PCOS, and lately, I have noticed a decline in sexual drive. What's the best to do in this case?

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

Great question! Remember that IF is mainly used to control bodyweight, and it mainly does this by helping folks organize their eating patterns. If you eat the same amount of food but change the eating times/distribution (small meal/snack prior to lifting), you may see improvements in your lifting! Also, it's worth calling out here that you may not be well suited to working out in the early morning either due to poor rest the night before, or a multitude of other reasons!

[@leavesofchange]

I think if you have PMS or PCOS or Endo, the first thing you should consider is food intolerances esp gluten and dairy.

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

For any medical condition, the first line of communication and action should always be with your primary healthcare provider.

[@markyoung5745]

Amazing information in here Dr Helen, thanks for posting and sharing your expertize. I'd love to hear your thoughts around IF and authophagy and if in your opinion it's something we ought to be discussing with weight loss clients (as an added benefit) who might be interested in trying an IF approach. Thank you.

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

For weight management standard IF protocols (16:8) aren't typically long enough to see any difference in rates of autophagy, so it likely isn't an area where clients will need further education.

[@carolynnmathisen8754]

Thank you. Just tripped onto this site. Loved your site

[@Tom-TomAlmighty]

If you want to know about intermittent fasting , check out Dr Berg .

[@nikkiloveslife4841]

i tried intermittent fasting for 6 days, and I was irritable, I felt backed up, I was constipated, my belly got big, my PMS gotten worse. I quit IF. It's not for me.

[@yooki198]

I do slow carb diet 5 days then one cheat day then one IF day. I think that is better to do than on/off all week long.

[@kaycee625]

Me too. A whole week constipated. Bad tempered, snappy, tired, bloated belly. When does it start to feel good?

[@mahadewiiii]

I’ve been doing it for a few days and haven’t found that, but I’ve been eating a lot of fruit, veggies and whole grain. Were you doing low carb? Maybe that’s why?

[@nadejdaloumbeva9729]

Thank you for the great video. I would be interested in your view on the link between leaky gut and ekzema and how to treat this with nutrition :)

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

Certainly an interesting topic, but one we would suggest speaking with your primary healthcare provider about including available treatment options.

[@anotherSavingGrace]

I used tried IF for a year now.. I did it wrong .. as in 18:6 or longer where I think I didn't provide myself enough calories during eating window .. used to feel hungry even after a short workout It threw my sleep cycle off and not feeling energetic

[@katecarlisle8383]

I have hashimoto's thyroiditis & I highly recommend it , also found aip diet really helps as long as you are mindful of food intolerances also. 58 yrs old. Great video. 😊🌻👍

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@callofthedark]

Thank you for this..🙏🏻 Super

[@K98vd04]

I find intermittent fasting really hard as I am constantly around food for good 5-6 hours. Whenever I do IF I am constantly hungry and irritated. Also, I feel i have increased acidity so I have pop a couple of Tums to diminish the burning feeling. I really need to lose weight but in such a dilemma

[@Moscririna]

I've done 12:12 or 13:11 for 2 month, depending on what time we have dinner and when breakfast is ready :). While I finally got of some pregnancy weight (baby = 16 m. now) I found myself more tired then ever days before my period. Is it possible, that TRF is "bad" for me, just on certain days? Other symptoms where bad sleep, heat-waves, weak legs when standing up too fast, nausea until I ate some sugar like dried fruits. Very strange. I'd like to do TRE to give my gut time to "rest" and would be happy, to loose some additional weight. But I don't want to mess up my hormones.

[@rosenlogic]

great stuff. strategies for IF when also taking chronic-pain-management drugs every 4 hours, which we're told are to be taken with food? thx in advance!

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

If this is the case you are currently experiencing we would strongly recommend speaking with your physician or RD prior to making any significant dietary changes.

[@PetalynSwartHeartFueled]

Can you speak to post menopausal women, please. There are a lot of us too.

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

Hey there, Petalyn! At the 4:09 mark Dr. Helen shares a brief list of women who may not benefit from IF, menopausal women aren't highlighted on that list. Feel free to review that section and then continue to listen to the end where Dr. Helen shares how you can begin to try an IF protocol for yourself!

[@hindalhassan7380]

This is just amazing … I think every women should see this video before experience IF , I’ve Noticed after one month of 18/6 IF and taking zink and multivitamins and healthy Low carp high protein diet within my calories that My Period is 7 days late which was unusual and I had very bad dysmenorrhea . So I think IF is not for me although I really liked it and I lost pounds in that month.

[@TransformwithNadia]

I've recently been watching a TON of videos from fitness pros on KZbin trying intermittent fasting. One mentioned that for most women, 16 hours is too much, so something closer to 14 may be more beneficial. I recently started trying between 12 and 13. Really, it's based on what time my boyfriend gets home from work, since we often eat dinner together. Is this still considered IF?

[@joannasaadati8810]

Yes!! 12:12 was effective in studies done on people who didn't change their diet at all.

[@theresah242]

Oh thank you for this tip, I will try it! 16/8 and 18/6 didn't work well for me at all.. Maybe a good 12/12 can fix it😊

[@ctrinidad5581]

I suggest to cut carbs and sugar during fasting because it makes you feel hungrier. Eat food with good fats like avocado, organic eggs and lots of veggies without starch. It will help you fast longer.

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

Great question, Nadia! In terms of "Intermittent Fasting" for weight loss, anytime you're not feeding, you're fasting. So, if it's more practical to build meals around scheduling considerations, and this allows you to help control hunger and eating behaviours, then go right on ahead!

[@CatM58]

What does, Minimumlly, Processed, Mean bc I have Ibs?😇

[@carinaalexandrasimoes89]

I have done IF and I really lost weight. About 45lbs. I went from size 12 pants to size 4, in a period of 8-9 months. But I stopped having my period, and like she said, at some point it triggered a eating disorder. I was doing a one 1400kcal meal at one shot. Now I am doing more of a normal eating, specially cos my work/day routine got changed, and managed to start having 3 meals (1500 daily kcal). But I’d like to ask this lady, what can I do, to get my period back and make sure I don’t put weight back on?

[@DSmith-ix1xf]

Increase your body fat level percentage to stats appropriate for you. Incorporate women's herbal teas for support. Happy journey 💜

[@jolantabona3050]

Increase healthy fats: avocados, salmon, nuts, omega 3. You don't need to eat a lot of it but it will change your bod"ies chemical balance.

[@carinaalexandrasimoes89]

@@DSmith-ix1xf Thank you for the answer!

[@carinaalexandrasimoes89]

@@jolantabona3050 Thank you for the help. Will do that.

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

Hi there, Carina. Cessation of your normal menstrual cycle is an issue that you should really speak to your primary healthcare provider, and likely an RD or other specialist. We would strongly suggest you seek assistance from a trained professional as soon as possible.

[@JenniferBurchett]

What about post-menopausal women who want to use IF for weight management and prevention of insulin resistance?

[@christineanderson7371]

I suggest you listen to Jason Fung and Dr Jamnadas who have a huge amount of clinical experience and recent data. Also, neither of them sell any programmes. They are both medical specialists working out of teaching hospitals with nothing to gain from sharing their knowledge online, unlike many others. Good luck Jennifer, you can definitely sort this problem out armed with unbiased information and experience

[@JenniferBurchett]

Christine Anderson Thank you. I have watched many of Dr. Fung’s videos, and I’ll check out Dr. Jambadas.

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

Great question, Jennifer! IF can be an effective tool for women in menopause, as long as they are able to manage prolonged periods of being hungry. Our experience shows that most folks who begin an IF protocol tend to struggle at the start with hunger, but if they can build fasting into a regular part of their daily routine it can certainly help reduce calories consumed and lead to weight loss.

[@JenniferBurchett]

@@PrecisionNutritionKZbin I asked about post-menopausal women, not women in menopause. I’m 58. Slightly overweight, and able to tolerate being hungry. I’ve lost 9 pounds in about 2 months with IF, but my main objective is to decrease the possibility of insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.

[@kaycee625]

@@JenniferBurchett you could be describing me! I haven’t yet found any post menopause advice apart from other commenters, which is very kind but I’d love some hard facts.

[@peterjonker9660]

Hi, im not a woman but i wonder how IF is for a woman who had a gastric bypass. should she try it or isnt it recommended. And how about after she got some weight back but not all weight?

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

Great question, Peter. Folks who have had gastric surgery should consult with their healthcare team before trying any new nutritional interventions.

[@ArinSauls]

So what if I am in for tile? What if I have had a hysterectomy? How does this affect me doing fasting?

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

Thanks for the question, Arin! If you have any concerns about trying a new style of eating, we'd recommend setting aside time to sit down with your primary healthcare provider so that they can be aware of these changes and update you on any concerns they may have.

[@inikalinden7335]

I have a question: practically I’ve always done IF for 14-16h without knowing since I was around 14 years old. Back then I never ate breakfast because I would sleep longer and never ever in my life felt hungry at 7 am then in school I had no money and 99,9% of time forgot to bring a snack so no food until 1pm where I would have lunch and my first meal, snack in the afternoon like sweets mostly and a dinner around 7. Maybe another snack but I would stop eating latest 9pm usually around 8:30pm. Only on the weekends I would indulge in a huge breakfast however I wouldn’t get up before noon so I kinda Again had 16h between my meals. Once I started studying I would have less stress and more time so I would have breakfast and since then my weight just got higher and higher. By having breakfast I would need a snack before noon a big lunch, cake in the afternoon and a big dinner. I gained 15kg and only after doing IF I went back to normal weight. No issues with periods, overall better feeling for real hunger..however I don’t loose the last 3kg to be truly skinny. Is my metabolism screwed since I hit puberty?

[@inikalinden7335]

Also who eats at 6 in the morning?!? If I see food that time I’m feeling like throwing up

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

Great question, Inika! So for most folks, IF was what we simply referred to as "skipping breakfast" and pushing that first meal to later in the day. This is largely the benefit of IF, we allow our bodies to attune to our normal hunger cues and don't eat when we're not hungry. If you personally find that you're not hungry at the onset of your day, that you're not excessively hungry during the rest of your day, and that your body responds well to this style of eating, then there is nothing wrong with following that lifestyle! As far as the last 3kg goes, you'd likely need to make further lifestyle changes to see that additional weight loss. Our Super Coaches at PN would be happy to help with those lifestyle changes! LINK: www.precisionnutrition.com/coaching-for-women

[@inikalinden7335]

@@PrecisionNutritionKZbin hi thanks for responding. I’ll check it out!

[@rosemariealvarado9902]

Thank you! Explains why IF is not appropriate for me now

[@patburg6855]

Is IF safe if you are recovering from H-Pylori?

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

For any medical condition, current or post-recovery, the first line of communication and action should always be with your primary healthcare provider.

[@sarika003]

How many hours are safe to fast for women

[@imnoemit]

I also Wonder that...

[@mrs.donglover2586]

Me too! Which is why I clicked on the video.

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

Great question! There is no universally accepted "safe" limit for fasting in women. Consider that any time you are not eating, you're fasting. If the usual time in between your meals is 2-3 hours or your first meal is usually at let's say 8am, you can begin to extend or delay those periods by 30-60 minutes to find how comfortable you are with slight hunger. Starting here is likely a more useful way of exploring a fasting routine as opposed to trying to start with the longest "safe" duration.

[@agees924]

I do OMAD and have had no issues

[@melgonz.6962]

My PCOS was horrible when doing IF. I'm so glad someone professional explained why. So many woman claim it works well for them, but it's not the best idea for all women.

[@RoyaDani]

If you do IF with a diet of high fat and protein (low carb) and try to keep your daily calorie intake up, it shouldn't effect you. However, every body is different.

[@melgonz.6962]

@@RoyaDani well yeah, it effects everyone different. It made things worse, and I've always been lower carb and higher protein due to pcos. That's my whole point.

[@marostogiannidou3418]

Does eating in a 10 hours period and not eating for 14 count as intermittent fasting ?

[@joannasaadati8810]

That's a little too short, 12:12 seems to be the minimum but any break your digestion gets is good.

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

Great question, Maro! A 14 hour fasting window would likely result in similar results as 12 hours or 16 hours, as long as you are able to perform your daily activities and then break your fast without over eating during your feeding window, results would likely be the same. That's why at Pn we ask our clients to do their own experimentation and collect their own feedback to help make smart changes to their eating patterns!

[@therabbitchannel7232]

I have an important question that nobody yet answered, I hope you can: how fast do the effects on hormones stop after a longer strict fast (example 5 or more days of water fasting). How long to eat regularly again until the hormonal system works normal again? Is it hours, days, week or months to adapt? I am asking specifically for obese woman who want to get pregnant: we hear that fasting is very good to loose weight but it efects hormones negatively. If I am ok with not getting pregnant in the current cycle, can I do a fast in this cycle and eat normal again at least a few days before the next and then its ok? how long does it effect me? please answer if you can, this would be so helpful- thank you

[@PrecisionNutritionYoutube]

This would be a question that is best answered by your medical fertility specialist, or endocrinologist.

[@therabbitchannel7232]

@@PrecisionNutritionKZbin they have no clue about fasting unfortunately, I asked and they dont know

[@elizabethmagruder9413]

Hey! This video is really full of knowledge. I have been trying to search for vid similar to yours that really educates the ideas in this KZbin vid! 👩‍⚕️Your vid is like the content from this insightful medical student Dr. Ethan. Dr Ethan's explanations are really educational and I really learned a lot for school. He is a respected med student! I recommend you see his KZbin out and give the Dr a like! ➡️ #DrEthanEducational

[@sunlight00]

Doing IF for 15 months.stared 16/8 eventually did that 18/6. I do keto (1600 calories and 2mad) I ts been 2 months now I hane no period. Checked my fsh 3.4, LH 4.1, E2 18.3 3rd day of my period. Could the loss of period be from IF?

[@ikeijeoma9999]

Yes..

[@samahcooks]

You are talking very quickly, I hardly catch you

[@ankra12]

She speaks very normal to me.

[@rozenn6970]

Hello. This video is really informative! I have been trying to research for a awesome KZbin video like yours that informs the stuff in this vid. The tip at 1:08 is my favorite. Your video really is similar to the vids from this informative health enthusiast Doctor Ethan. Doctor Ethan's tips are insightful and I learned a lot for midterms. He is a cool medical student in Europe. I suggest you check out his KZbin out and give Doctor Ethan a like here! ➡️ #DoctorEthanQandA