Thread by @mindmusclepro

📌 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

// THREAD //

🔴 Fasting in simple words is not Eating or Drinking for a period of time

🔴 Intermittent fasting is type of Fasting routine in which you are Not eating for certain hours in a day or week

🔴 The Period which you don't eat or drink is called the Fasting window

🔴 The Period within which you eat your meals is called Feasting or Eating window.

🔴 It is NOT a Diet, rather it's a way to eat food.

🔴 Rather than focusing on What & How much you eat, you are primarily focusing on how often you eat.

(What you eat is very important still)

🔴 After you eat food, your body is in Fed state.

✅ Insulin is High
✅ Glucose is High
✅ Body is using Glucose as energy
✅ Fat storing is ON

🔴 Fasted state or the post absorptive state, occurs after the food you eat has been fully digested, absorbed, and stored.

✅ Insulin is low
✅ Glucose is low
✅ Stored Glycogen is used for energy
✅ You are burning Fat

🔴 When you eat all the time, your blood sugar and insulin levels are constantly rising and dropping throughout the day.

🔴 The degree to which they rise and drop depends on what you are eating.

🔴 If you are constantly spiking your blood sugar and insulin levels throughout the day, it can eventually lead to Insulin Resistance & thereby a host of Metabolic illnesses like Type 2 Diabetes, Fatty liver, PCOS etc.

FAT LOSS

🔴 Excess Glucose you consume is stored as Glycogen for immediate use

🔴 The liver can store about 100−120 gms of glycogen, while your muscles can hold onto about 400−500 gms.

🔴 This process of Conversion from Glucose to Glycogen requires signalling from Insulin.

🔴 When Insulin levels are low (& Glucagon is high), the body starts using stored energy as fuel.

🔴 First the glycogen stored and then the stored Fat for Energy.

🔴 What this means is that, Fat cannot be metabolized without keeping Insulin levels low.

🔴 Fasting is NOT the same as Calorie Restriction.

🔴 Calorie Restriction if not done right will negatively effect your hormones over the long term & lead to Metabolic slowdown.

🔴 Fasting on the other hand helps balance hormones like Insulin, Leptin, Ghrelin etc.

🔴 This is why fasting doesn't leave you Hungry all the time unlike plain Calorie Restriction.

🔴 Intermittent fasting also increases production of human growth hormone (HGH), which breaks down fat and increases lean muscle mass, that helps you burn more calories at rest.

🔴 How Long to Fast?

Popular IF routines are 16:8, 18:6, 20:4 etc.

16:8 means you eat all your meals within an 8 hr window & don't eat for the rest of 16 hrs.

When starting out, try 12:12 & gradually work up towards 16:8 or more.

🔴 What can be had during a Fast?

Ideally just water

But other options are

✅ Black Coffee
✅ Black Tea
✅ Green Tea
✅ Plain Soda
✅ Apple cider vinegar

🔴 Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

✅ Fat loss
✅ Mood improves
✅ Cell rejuvenation
✅ Boosts Testosterone
✅ Boosts Immunity
✅ Energy levels increase
✅ Cognitive function improves

🔴 Will Fasting lead to Muscle loss?

No!

Hormones like Insulin, GH, Testosterone etc are Anabolic, while Glucagon, Cortisol etc are Catabolic.

The Key is to be enough Anabolic during your eating window to balance out the Catabolic effect of the Fasting window.

✅ Make sure you hit your Protein Targets, if not More during your Eating Window.

✅ Try to consume Protein just before or after your workouts.

✅ Don't Fast excessively too often unless you have enough Body fat to do that.

🔴 Do Supplements break my Fast?

Some do, some don't.

Supplements that can break your fast include

✅ Protein powder
✅ Gummy vitamins
✅ Sweetened liquid supplements
✅ Branched-chain amino acids
✅ Collagen

These supplements are usually safe to take during your fast

✅ Multivitamins
✅ Individual micronutrients (vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, etc.)
✅ Prebiotics and probiotics
✅ Fish oil
✅ Creatine

🔴 How to Break a Fast?

How you break a fast is less of a concern in Intermittent fasting than long term fasting.

However avoid Breaking the fast with Carbs.

Fatty Protein is best for Breaking a IF.

Even more Ideal would be to break the fast with Bone broth.

🔴 Who shouldn't Fast?

Generally Fasting is beneficial for everyone.

But if you are someone on Diabetes meds, then you need to do it under supervision or risk getting Hypoglycemic.

Starting slow is the key.

🔴 Women are more Sensitive to Fasting than Men.

🔴 Different Hormones are at play at different times during their Menstrual cycle, so Fasting (mostly longer ones) need to be planned accordingly to avoid stress on the body.

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