Table of contents

What Is Intermittent Fasting and What Benefits Can It Have 

Published 16 September 2024
Picture of <span>Reviewed by</span> Anna Chacon

Reviewed by Anna Chacon

Fact checking standards
Every piece of content at Hormona adheres to the highest editorial standards for language, style, and medical accuracy. To learn what we do to, check out our content review principles.
Key takeaways

Whilst many people are intimidated by the thought of fasting, associating it with long periods of feeling starving and restricting yourself, this doesn’t have to be the case.  

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

To put it simply, intermittent fasting is a popular health and fitness trend, or rather practise, that involves alternating between periods of fasting, and periods of eating. Despite common misinterpretations, periods of fasting don’t need to be hugely extensive, in fact, the most popular form of fasting is known as the 16/8 method, which involves fasting for 16 hours and eating within an 8hour window. The good news is, the fasting period includes the time that you spend sleeping, so you can spend time reaping the benefits without having to put in any effort! 

Another misconception is that intermittent fasting involves eating next to nothing. Whilst some people choose to skip meals (most commonly breakfast), many other people continue to eat their usual 3 meals a day, but during a smaller time frame.  

Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting

Self-control

Intermittent fasting has number of benefits, from the way your thinking adjusts to the way your body behaves. Fasting for a certain number of hours during the day is a good way to practice self-control and the ability to resist temptation, skills which are transferrable to many other aspects of life. It is also known to be incredibly good for your digestion, proving to be beneficial to people who suffer with issues including regular bloating and IBS. 

Weight loss

Additionally, if you want to lose weight, intermittent fasting may be able to offer a helping hand. As there are certain hours during the day that you wont be eating, there is less scope for constant picking and snacking throughout the day. Fasting allows for the body to undergo a cleanse and burn fat whilst doing so, with studies showing that amongst weight loss, other benefits include the improvement of metabolic health and even protection against diseases. 

More Energy

Fasting may be difficult at first as you get used to not eating whenever you fancy it, but many report feeling better after giving it a go and even say that they have more energy. After all, it’s not like our bodies aren’t capable of fasting, we are naturally prone to do so when ill, would historically only eat when food was available and many religions fast periodically. 

Intermittent fasting may actually be easier than you first thought, as although you won’t be able to eat during fasting periods, you can still consume non-caloric drinks including water and black coffee/tea. In addition, there are also apps that can help including ‘Zero’, which can track fasting periods as well as your weight and how you are feeling, allowing you to gradually reduce your eating window with ease. 

Have you tried intermittent fasting? If so we’d love to hear about your experience!

Disclaimer: This website does not provide medical advice. The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this website is for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new healthcare regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

Written by

Reviewed by

Picture of Anna Chacon

Anna Chacon

Reviewed by

Author picture

Dr Singh is the Medical Director of the Indiana Sleep Center. His research and clinical practice focuses on the myriad of sleep.

History of updates
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Optio, neque qui velit. Magni dolorum quidem ipsam eligendi, totam, facilis laudantium cum accusamus ullam voluptatibus commodi numquam, error, est. Ea, consequatur.

ON THIS PAGE

Related articles

jug of water being poured in glasses

Bloating before period? Yes, it’s a real thing.

It must be that time of the month again…or is it? Wait, didn’t I just get my period a couple of weeks ago? So, why am I so bloated? While most of us expect to feel bloated during our period,

woman touching her leg in bath

Loss of sex drive? Could be the Pill

The Pill has a whole slew of well-known side effects ranging from inconvenient breakthrough bleeds to headaches, abdominal pain, and nausea. And, anyone who’s ever used hormonal birth control knows that the side effects are not just physical. They’re psychological

poppy flowers

Spotting – When it is normal and when you should visit a doctor?

Have you ever experienced spotting? Have you wondered whether it is normal or whether you should be concerned and visit a doctor? Being a woman is hard and can be so confusing! We are all different and sometimes it is