Intermittent fasting for weight management -Benefits and risks

Rita has always struggled with her weight management. This is because she often found herself seeking solace from eating amidst work schedule, personal life stress and social obligations. At her heaviest, Rita felt disconnected from her own body, weighed down by fatigue, insecurity, and a sense of helplessness. While seeking for a solution, she had tried every diet trend—low-carb, low-fat, high-protein, juice cleanses—but none had brought lasting results. Every time, she’d either regain the lost weight or find herself feeling worse than when she started.

She stumbled upon a topic intermittent fasting (IF) on a health blog and that intrigued her. It wasn’t about restricting certain food groups or counting calories. Instead, it was about controlling when you eat, not what you eat. The idea was simple: alternate periods of eating with periods of fasting to give the body a break from constant digestion and to encourage fat burning. The article further emphasised additional benefits like weight loss, mental clarity, and longevity. Rita proceeded with the 16/8 method where you fast for 16 hours and eat during an 8-hour window, as it seemed the most sustainable for her busy schedule. She would stop eating at 8 p.m. each night and fast until noon the next day. That way, she could still enjoy dinner with friends or a late-night snack.

The first week of fasting was harder than Jenny expected. Waking up hungry was a new feeling. Her new routine was now replaced by large cups of black coffee and water. She found herself fixated on the clock, counting down the hours until she could eat again. By the time noon rolled around, she was very hungry and ate quickly, sometimes without even savoring her food. By the second week, her hunger pangs in the morning began to subside, and Rita noticed that she felt more alert and focused at work. Without breakfast, her mornings had become more productive. She didn’t experience the mid-morning energy slump she usually had after a sugary breakfast. After lunch, she felt full but not sluggish, and by dinner, she ate more mindfully and enjoyed the tastes and textures of her food. At the end of the month, she’d lost five pounds. It was for her a steady, sustainable loss. Beyond the weight loss, she felt more in control of her hunger and cravings, no longer driven by the impulse to snack constantly. She also appreciated how flexible the plan was—there were no forbidden foods, just a defined eating window that worked with her lifestyle.

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Rita began to understand the broader benefits of intermittent fasting some of which include

1- Her skin cleared up.

2- She experienced fewer digestive issues.

3- She felt more energetic during her evening workouts.

4- Rita noticed improved mental clarity and focus

4- It helped her reconnect with her body’s natural hunger signals. She found herself eating when she was truly hungry, rather than out of habit or boredom.

6- It reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, making the body more efficient at managing blood glucose.

While the benefits were significant, Rita started noticing the downsides of IF especially during stressful workweeks. Fasting became a mental and physical challenge. There were times when she felt lightheaded, irritable, and overly preoccupied with food, thinking about her next meal more than she cared to admit. On days when she had early meetings or intense deadlines, she found it hard to focus without a morning meal, which sometimes affected her productivity.

Rita also noticed that fasting might not be suitable for everyone because one of her close friends had tried the same pattern but quickly experienced a drop in energy and mood. This was linked to history of disordered eating, and the nature of fasting triggered old habits and anxieties. This opened Rita’s eyes to the realisation that while intermittent fasting had its benefits, it wasn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, and it could come with significant risks if not approached mindfully.

Over time, Rita learnt to listen to her body while on intermittent fasting but with more flexibility and at the end, it became less about weight loss and more about feeling in tune with her body.