8 Myths About Intermittent Fasting

Like most diets, some myths can ruin the experience of the diet and cause people not to get the most benefits from it. Let’s look at a few of these myths, but let’s also remember that your doctor or a nutritionist is the best source of information regarding your diet, based on your health concerns.

You Must Eat Breakfast

There are no studies that show eating breakfast is beneficial to anyone on any type of diet. However, having said that, some studies show making your eating window earlier in the day assists with weight loss. That doesn’t mean it has to be breakfast. If you’re more comfortable starting at lunch, that might be "breakfast" for you.

Small Meals Boost Metabolism

For many years we’ve listened to this myth without realizing it’s just not true. There are no studies that show eating smaller and more frequent meals is helpful for anything, although there are studies that show it can be bad for your digestion. People need to be hungry to eat so that their bodies can break down the food with the right stomach acid.

You’ll Feel Like You’re Starving

Yes, you’ll be hungry on fasting days, and you may even get hungry (or think you are) on non-fasting days. However, hunger isn’t even bad for you. You cannot starve by not eating for 16 hours, and your body is never going to think it’s staving either. When you become accustomed to it, you will learn what real hunger should feel like and cut back on food cravings.

You Can Eat All You Want

While you can eat a good amount during your eating windows, you cannot eat "all you want" because that could mean all sorts of things. So, to be clear, you can eat what you want but make it healthy, and do not worry about eating more than your maximum calorie needs or less than the minimum caloric needs you have. Fasting allows you to listen to fully listen and be in tune with your body

You’ll Decrease Your Metabolism

This myth comes from the idea of starvation mode setting in and making your body hold on to calories. This really doesn’t happen, unless you’re engaging in yo-yo dieting which involves losing a lot, then gaining it back. However, even then if you eat fewer calories than your body uses you will not hang on to weight. Proper fasting involves days of re-feeding to stimulate the metabolism, not slow it down. It’s science. Fasting with clean eating optimize nutrients and improves how your body functions

You’ll Lose Muscle

Yes, if you fast for a long period of time(more than 3 days), you may muscle, but the truth is, fasting is an evolutionary mechanism that signals your body to burn fat instead of muscle in times of caloric deficits. Therefore, when done properly, periodic fasting is shown to preserve muscle mass, while releasing fat, toxins and cellular waste. Fasting is a protective mechanism and studies on the Fasting Mimicking Diet have shown that lean muscle mass is preserved, while fat is decreased. Knowing this, it makes no sense to think this plan will make you lose muscle when done properly.

You’ll Overeat When Intermittent Fasting

Some people may, but overall most people understand how the diet works and do not overeat. One study of 33 women and men on the 16:8 plan after being told to eat "all you want" tended to eat about 350 calories less each day. Fasting is the ultimate way to listen to your body and NOT your diet.

You’ll Be Malnourished

It’s impossible to be malnourished if you’re eating healthy food on an intermittent fasting plan. You’re going to get plenty of food and nutrition, so this will not be an issue at all. If you are losing weight too fast, you can adjust your plan and the food that you eat. One of the benefits of fasting is the optimization of nutrient absorption and uptake after a period of not eating. Remember, your body has a remarkable way of healing itself once given the right foods and lifestyle.

The thing to take away here is that you need to avoid making up your own diet when following the intermittent diet. Find an expert to follow or hire a coach to help you stick to everything in the right way.

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Tommy Markov is a Functional Nutrition Professional and Wellness Educator with a Master’s in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine. He specializes in healing the person, not the condition. He is passionate about uncovering the root cause of his client’s ailments and incorporating an integrative mind-body approach.

Tommy’s knowledge of the interconnectedness of body systems helps him identify imbalances before they manifest into dysfunction and disease, allowing for an effective preventative approach.

Tommy has been working in the health and fitness industry since his 20’s, ranging from health clubs, hospitals, medical practices to currently founding his own thriving practice, Living Wellness Solutions, after overcoming his own health challenges.

Tommy has appeared as a guest and expert speaker on numerous podcasts, speaking events, as well as being a nutrition and supplement consultant. Most recently, Tommy became a proud partner of F.L.O.W. Wellness Center in Abington, Pennsylvania, where he incorporates Functional Medicine and Nutrition along with various other healing modalities and practitioners.