What I didn't see in the article was the bodyfat percentage of the women she 'interviewed' when they tried to fast or their activity levels at the time, it appeared as though these are extremely fit, low bmi, high-intensity women. I also got the impression that they didn't IF with a clear understanding of the goal. I was especially impressed with the comment by David Dellanave following the article:
David Dellanave
Lauren,
I respect that you had a bad experience using Intermittent Fasting, but I think it should be left at that - your experience.
I have a gym full of women, many of who have used an IF strategy at one point or another and none have reported the dramatic negative affects you all are. Here is what I think is different:
1) From day 1 I teach my clients to work within their limits inside the gym and out. When we talk about IF, one of the first things we discuss are the things you can do (moving, drinking, taking your mind off it) before deciding to break a fast. If none of those work, break the fast. Simple as that. Whether it be 24 hour, or 16 hour style, very few of my clients jump right into going the full length of the intended fast. They just do what they can.
2) I don't disagree that IF places an additional burden of stress on the body, and I usually tell people that if they're under a lot of stress, IF is probably not something to add on top. That said, whether or not it is good stress or excessive stress depends on the person and their response to it. It is exactly the type of biochemical eustress that some people need. Keira reported higher cortisol - well, yeah. What ELSE was going on? Did she add IF on top of an already excessive burden of stress? Is IF really to blame here? Is that the ONLY thing that was different? If so, I'd wonder if the high cortisol wasn't going to catch up to her anyway. You can't operate at red-line forever, as I know many of you ladies who are high functioning ass kickers tend to do.
3) One of my over-arching goals for my clients is to increase their adaptability. I want them to be able to do more things. Squat, deadlift, sprint - and handle food better. One of the directions in which to increase adaptability is the length of time between meals. I want my clients to be ABLE to go 24 hours without food. I also want them to be able to eat 6 meals if they're available. People who can do many things, and are highly adaptable, are more healthy. IF is a way to extend that adaptability window. If someone starts to fall about because they haven't eaten in 4 hours, that is a problem.
4) I look at people's biochemical needs through a lens of what is missing. Craig Keaton, one of the smartest guys I know especially with regards to the unique need of women, said something to me and it was actually specifically in regard to IF. He pointed out that people often us Intermittent Fasting as a way to "stabilize" a something they're doing too much of (a hyper function) instead of looking for what they're not doing enough of (a hypo function.) What nutrients are you missing? What foods are you not eating? How are you not resolving stress? Why ARE you under so much stress? What is your training like? Are you making your training too hard, therefore too distressful?
If you will look at things through this lens, you WILL do better, I promise it. Everyone pretty much knows what they're doing too much of, but if you could do anything about that we be talking about it. What are you NOT doing enough of?
5) I don't treat any two clients the same. If I have a girl walk in who is 16% BF and a former Crossfitter who is busted up both physically and physiologically I am not going to tell her she needs to a stick Paleo + IF template. That is what messed her up to begin with. When a woman walks in who is 30% bodyfat and has never cooked a meal in her own kitchen in her life, maybe some whole foods and IF is exactly what she needs. My point is - you women are operating at a very high level, but you also have a different history. "It didn't work for me, so it can't work for you" isn't a very good message.
I apologize in advance if anything I wrote sounds like a personal attack. That's not my intention - but when Jen Sinkler, my very own beloved fire breather of a lady, pointed this article out to me I couldn't help but present the counterpoint
