Why Intermittent Fasting If You're Over 40?
Ready to burn some fat and reach your ideal weight? Intermittent Fasting (IF) is a great way to burn fat and get healthy. Women over 40 can benefit in busting through belly fat. I didn't start until I was over 50!
Intermittent fasting (IF) is a quick way to turn your body into a fat burning machine and improve your health while losing weight, without starving yourself.
You can practice IF at any age or gender, but women over 40 tend to be looking for something to help bust through stubborn weight and IF is a great solution.
When you first heard about intermittent fasting for weight loss and health benefits, was your first thought “Are you kidding me??? No way!”
That was this girl's reaction. I was addicted to food and was hungry pretty much 24X7. As a result, I couldn't imagine going an hour without food, much less several hours.
The good news is fasting combined with KETO helped me NOT be hungry all the time and I lost 45 pounds as a result.
Learn about Keto here:
Keto Diet Review, Before and After and How to Start
I didn't start intermittent fasting until I was 52, so don't worry if you are over 40 and want to try IF. |
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Learn more – policy page.
Fasting – Backed by Science
After I read Dr. Jason Fung’s book “The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss”, it seemed like a sensible approach I needed to try.
Turns out, it's a great lifestyle and intermittent fasting has actually broken my food addiction, helped me break through a plateau and improve my health.
Order your paperback book The Obesity Code here.
Dr. Fung zeroes in on why insulin resistance has become so prevalent in our culture and why this keeps us hungry all the time. As a medical doctor in Canada, he has helped patients drop thousands of pounds.
The book covers the reasons he has elected to take this controversial approach and will help you learn the science behind fasting.
Dr Fung's book is also on Audible, so you can listen while you work or ride in the car.
Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks with this link!
Listening to Audible helps me listen to a lot more books than if I had to sit down and read.
Why is it so hard for a woman over 40 to lose weight?
Many factors play into why weight loss stalls after age 40. Many times hormones play a part, stress, a lifetime of bad eating habits, and many other factors.
I was actually overweight most of my life until I finally made lifestyle changes, including fasting after age 50. I wish I had learned about fasting a LONG time ago, not just for the weight loss, but all the health benefits also.
Can Intermittent Fasting Make You Look Younger?
The answer is YES.
This is due to autography, the recycling of cells in your body.
One of my clients was asked by friends and family on several occasions if she was using Botox or new skin care! It was all about her fasting and improved diet.
I think I look younger now than I did 10 years ago, thanks in part to fasting, along with other lifestyle changes.
You can read more about the other health benefits of fasting here:
19 Awesome Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
History of Fasting
Fasting was practiced by ancient philosophers and religions (apart from Zoroastrianism which prohibits it) and is referenced in the Bible and other religious documents.
When referring to fasting, the Bible says “WHEN you fast not IF you fast”. (Matthew 6:16) |
Weight loss is the main reason people practice intermittent fasting, but it also has many health and spiritual benefits. There have been reports by followers of decreased blood pressure, lower blood sugar levels and increased energy.
Read 19 Awesome Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting Here
How Does Intermittent Fasting Work?
Dr. Fung's book goes into scientific detail, but here is my simple take on intermittent fasting as related to your health and weight loss.
The body burns glucose the first 12 hours after a meal for energy. If you can go beyond 12 hours, your body will be forced to start tapping into fat storage for energy.
Fasting for 16 hours allows for a good 4 hours of fat burning. You may think 16 hours seems like a long time, but if you sleep for 8 hours, that's half of it.
| I usually fast from 7 PM until 11 AM the next day. |
We have all been taught that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but prolonging it has not reduced my energy level. This proves to me that intermittent fasting has added health benefits.
Did you know that one of the more popular studies that touts eating breakfast is a healthy way to start the day was funded by a cereal company? Well of course a cereal company would fund a study that encouraged you to eat cereal each morning.
Always look for who funded studies before you buy too much into them.
| I'm more energetic now than when I was eating 3 meals and 3 snacks each day. |
Make sure your meals contain plenty of protein and fat, especially the last meal. This will help hold you over until you break your fast.
Have you ever thought about the word “breakfast”? The first meal you have for the day literally breaks fast.
How to Start Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is basically creating a window of time for eating and outside that window you don't eat.
In one YouTube video by Dr. Fung, he points out that this is the easiest plan you can follow because basically during your fasting window the process is pretty easy – don’t eat.
You literally don't have to DO anything, you just don't eat.
There are many different ways you can practice intermittent fasting, but for me I keep it simple.
I only eat from 11AM – 7PM each day, the rest of the time I am “fasting”.
As mentioned in a previous post about the Keto diet, “How to start a KETO Diet or Way of Eating”, the combination of Keto and intermittent fasting has had a huge impact on my weight loss and the way I feel.
Different Types of Intermittent Fasting
A popular question is “How many hours should a woman do intermittent fasting?”
Here are the different ways you can practice intermittent fasting broken down by ##:## (hours you fast : hours you eat)
- 16:8: This is the one I practice and have had great success
- 20:4: Gives you more time to burn fat, but I don't feel satisfied only eating for 4 hours
- 14:10: Allows for 2 hours of fat burning, not quiet enough for me
- OMAD: One meal a day. It is too hard for me to wait on that one meal and then cram all my calories in. Some people really like this because it is easy to just fix one meal a day and they have success.
- Extended Fast: Going for 24+ hours. Dr Fung uses this for extreme obese patients that are under his care. I went 24 hours the first day just to prove to myself I could do it.
What To Eat While Fasting
During the fasting window remember what Dr Fung says “Don't Eat”, it's that simple. You can drink 0 calorie drinks, but no artificial sweeteners.
Artificial sweeteners spike the insulin in our body and “break the fast”. For this reason I stick to water, unsweetened tea (you can have black coffee), apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and electrolytes.
Get more drink choices in this article:
What Drinks Can I Drink While Fasting?
What Breaks My Fast?
The only way to truly know if something breaks your fast is to test your blood.
This MOJO Meter is the best meter on the market for testing your blood for glucose and ketone levels. (how to measure if you are in a fasted state)
Test when you get up in the morning and record your glucose and ketone levels. After having consuming something you are questioning, test after 30 minutes and again after 60 minutes.
Any significant changes?
- If yes, you've broken you fast.
- If no, you can probably continue to have what you consumed.
Electrolytes While Fasting
Electrolytes are important to keep your potassium, sodium and magnesium in balance.
If you experience leg cramps or muscle pain, you could be low in electrolytes.
I use this Ultima brand from Amazon, with no additives, sweeteners, or calories. They taste really good and will hold you over until your first meal.
When I first started fasting, I used another brand, Lyteshow, that was cheaper but didn't taste as good. To me, it tasted really salty, but they worked!
Speaking of salt, you can take a pinch of pink Himalayan salt and add it to a glass of water to help with electrolyte balancing.
They come in either a tub you can spoon out of, or my favorite, the little packets I can throw in my purse and take with me.
I use them each morning and when I feel hungry or lightheaded. If you get a headache or dizzy your body may be asking for electrolytes.
It only takes a 1 packet in water to give your body much needed magnesium, sodium and potassium. These minerals are also very important while on the Keto diet.
Another source of electrolytes is pickle juice. Pickle juice is acceptable during fasting because it has 0 calories.
Pro Tip: Freeze pickle juice in an ice cube tray with toothpicks and have a pickle pop. Because I had a few more carbs yesterday than normal, I was hungry this morning while writing this and had to have some!
What to Eat During Your Eating Window
Basically, it depends on your chosen way of eating. You can eat whatever you want during your eating window.
There is disagreement among intermittent fasting followers on whether or not calories count.
Dr. Fung actually supports that if your body is burning fat, calorie intake is not important. I still try to stay within my allotted calories and you definitely want to make sure you are getting enough calories for your body to function.
One of the biggest mistakes I see my clients make is eating TOO LITTLE calories. This will stall out your metabolism so when you eat, be sure you eat enough.
Skipping a meal does help keep the calorie count down.
Breaking Your Fast
There are some people that need a light meal after coming off a fasting period to keep from getting sick.
It doesn't bother my stomach to eat a normal meal but you may be different. If you have a prolonged fast, a light meal would probably be best until you see how you react.
Keto Paired With Intermittent Fasting
I elect to stay Keto while practicing intermittent fasting. For me, this has been the winning combo.
Dr. Fung mentions in his book that if you are trying to get your body to burn something besides glucose, then you wouldn't want to fill up on glucose, or high carb foods.
By eating a Keto diet, you are giving your body what it needs and encouraging it to burn fat.
Read about starting a Keto Diet here.
This is a visual of what a typical day looks like for me:
Alcohol and Fasting
Alcohol Warning: Alcohol will have a faster affect on your body while practicing intermittent fasting.
I have stories of folks that got a buzz on half the alcohol they normally consume. They said intermittent fasting turned them into “lightweights”.
Keep in mind that alcohol is one of the first fuels your body will burn and you are trying to burn fat. Most believe that consuming alcohol will decrease your fat burning, but this is another controversial topic among the community.
If you want a drink while practicing IF, of course only during your eating window, see Keto friendly drinks in this Keto Diet blog.
Intermittent Fasting For Women Over 40 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
During my fasting window can I:
- Chew sugar free gum?
- Eat a banana?
- Have creamer or artificial sweetener in my coffee?
- Put stevia in my tea?
In my opinion, the answer to the above questions is NO, they all raise your insulin, breaking your fast.
During my fasting window can I:
- Have lemon in my water?
- Drink water with 1-2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar? (believed to burn fat)
- Have unsweet tea or black coffee?
- Add electrolytes to water?
- Drink pickle juice? (excellent source of electrolytes)
- Take required medicines such as a thyroid pill that must be taken in the morning on an empty stomach?
- Exercise?
Does sleep count as fasting?
The answer to the above questions is YES!
Exercise and Fasting Over 40
The last question asked often about intermittent Fasting For Women Over 40 is about working out while fasting.
Exercise while fasting helps speeds up the fat burning process.
The first time I worked out during fasting, I was worried I would be light headed, but I wasn't. It was a great workout and I felt awesome afterwards.
If you have an intense workout session planned, pickle juice or this delicious Grape Flavored Ultima Electrolytes will help replenish your body.
Intermittent fasting, Keto and exercise are a powerful trio.
Before You Start Intermittent Fasting
- Take before pictures. (I know, I know, but you'll be glad you did, I promise!)
- Wear tight fitting clothes, such as shorts, sports bra, tank or swimsuit. This is a MUST.
- The scales are not always accurate and this can motivate you as you go along.
- Take progress pictures once a week, same time, same place, same lighting and same clothes. Please don't skip this!
- Measure your waist. If you are not sure how, you can learn how to in this helpful article with a video.
If you need a tape measure, I found this inexpensive one on Amazon.
- Weigh – Word of caution – I didn't see the scales move for a few weeks but my pictures were looking better and my waist was decreasing. This is why the first 2 steps are so important!
If you need a new set of scales, you will LOVE the Renpho Bluetooth Smart Bathroom Scales.
I was shocked at how inexpensive the Renpho scales are since it keeps up with not only your weight, but also your BMI, Body Fat %, biological age (which started out a few years older than I was and now is younger!) and other trends.
It's really fun to watch the changes on your phone.
Intermittent Fasting and Social Life
Don't let Intermittent Fasting get in the way of your social and family life. Skipping a day here and there does not stop the progress you've made.
Intermittent fasting is a great way to save money, especially when traveling.
You can read more about staying healthy while traveling here.
Be careful telling everyone that you're practicing fasting.
Since we have all been conditioned to eat breakfast and 6 times a day, others may not understand the process and be concerned. They mean well, but will try to tell you that you're harming your body.
Intermittent Fasting is great for women over 40 in my opinion so be careful of others that may say you are “too old”.
Listen to your body. Only you know what is best for your body and what works for me and some others may not work for you.
| It's important to let your doctor know if you decide to practice intermittent fasting, especially extended fasting. |
Fasting is not recommended for anyone with a serious medical condition, pregnant women (I have heard of some practicing 16:8 with their OBGYN's permission), or anyone that has struggled with an eating disorder.
This way of eating is not intended to help you go completely without eating.
Please, PLEASE, if you suspect at all that you may have an eating disorder seek help. (Resources below this post)
Your body still needs its daily caloric requirements met regardless of how you choose to process them.
Last Words of Advice for Fasting Over 40
Best advice for intermittent fasting For Women Over 40 – cut back on carbs before you try to fast. Carbs are addicting and your body will crave them by signaling hungry and a headache.
Make sure you ‘re already eating low carb for a few days before trying to fast.
Even now if I have a “cheat day” and have more than 30 net carbs, I notice I'm much hungrier the next morning.
Conclusion Intermittent Fasting For Women Over 40
You now have the basics on intermittent fasting and you can continue to study and learn more about the benefits if it sounds like a plan for you.
- Have you ever tried intermittent fasting?
- Any suggestions?
- Do you have plans to try it?
Let me know in the comments below.
There are a LOT more benefits to intermittent fasting for Women Over 40 than just weight loss.
Read 19 Awesome Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
Grab Free Resources by Clicking Here Such As:
- Keto Eating Out Guide
- Free 5 Day Video Training – Prepare to Blast Your Belly Fat!
- 23+ Keto and Gluten Free Recipe Download
- Keto Snack Ideas
- Keto Drink Guide
- MORE
Keep it healthy!
Jamie
Medical Disclaimer: I'm a health coach, not a licensed medical professional and the advice on this page is from my personal experience, health coach certification training or from the experience of my clients. You should talk with your medical professional when seeking advice about a medical condition, new diet or exercise program.
Resources for Eating Disorders
U.S.:
- National Eating Disorders Association
- www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
- 1-800-931-2237
UK:
- beat (beating eating disorders)
- www.b-eat.co.uk
- 0845 634 1414
- 0845 634 7650 (youthline)
Canada
- National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC)
- www.nedic.ca
- 1-866-NEDIC-20 (1-866-633-4220)
- 416-340-4156 (Toronto)
Australia
- The Butterfly Foundation
- www.thebutterflyfoundation.org.au/
- 1800 33 4673
Hi Jamie! Your post was Super helpful for me. I’m just beginning IF although I’ve tried it for a few weeks before and sadly fell off the wagon . I’m more determined and dedicated to lose the label ” morbidly obese “. Besides my age I have a body full of arthritis from broken bones and have had a full thyroidectomy SO I’m super round and the weight is becoming a real burden. I want to be able to play with my grandkids without needing to rest or catch my breath .
Thank you for for such an informative and motivational blog.
Wow, Jamie, this is such a helpful post! I’ve been following a low-carb, keto diet for a year. I do IF also. Since the beginning of the month, I’ve been experimenting with vegan keto, but I found that I was unable to get enough protein and it was difficult to stay under 20 net carbs. I have been adding MCT oil, heavy cream and stevia to my tea in the morning, but I will try drinking plain tea until lunch so I don’t break my fast too early. I thought I understood the macros, but I’m not sure how many grams of protein & fat I should be attempting to hit each day, or what is the right amounts of macros and calories to lose weight. I’ve been stuck at the same weight for 6 month. My calories are usually around 1200 per day, but sometimes to to 1500. Your blog and your writing are very impressive!
Oh I’m so glad you found it helpful and have been following IF and a low carb diet. Make sure you are getting enough electrolytes in for sure to keep you going. You can read https://healthywithjamie.com/keto-diet-frequently-asked-questions-answered/ to help with understanding the macros a little more. I help clients tailor their macros to their needs but as an example, mine are < 30 net carbs/ day which works out to about 5% carbs, 25% protein and 70% fat. I cycle also, meaning 1 day a week, I eat more healthy carbs, like a sweet potato or apple, etc and try to stay under 50 net carbs that day. Avocados are super foods on Keto. Full of good healthy fat and magnesium. Try to include 1/day if you can. Take care!
Whoa! This article is very timely. I’ve been contemplating on intermittent fasting. Been reading about it lately and this is by far the most detailed and helpful blog I’ve read. Thank you for sharing
Hi Alita! (love your name) So glad you found it helpful! I think you’ll love fasting! Let me know how it goes and if I can help.
What are your thoughts on the liquid form of Splenda Zero? It says zero carbs, zero calories and zero sugar.
Hi there! I am not a fan of Splenda. Even though it has 0 calories, carbs and sugar, it is a processed item made by man with chemicals. I prefer monk fruit or Stevia and even erythritol since it is a natural occurring sugar alcohol. Hope that help!
I’m extremely impressed with your writing skills as well as with the layout on your weblog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself? Anyway keep up the excellent quality writing, it’s rare to see a great blog like this one nowadays..
I am not sure where you’re getting your info, but great topic.
I needs to spend some time learning much more or understanding more.
Thanks for magnificent info I was looking for this info for my mission.
Thank you for stopping by Audry. Come back often and come join the facebook group “Healthy with Jamie Women Supporting Women”. Would love to see you there!
Thank you for all this great info! I have been doing keto and now starting the intermittent fasting. You answered a lot of my questions.
Oh I’m so glad it helped Lisa! Come join our facebook group Healthy with Jamie Women Supporting Women for more tips and support. Take care!
Definitely, what a splendid blog and illuminating posts, I surely will bookmark your site.All the Best!
Thank you, come back often!
Does Fung specifically mention pickle juice as being ok? I’m new to fasting. On my second long fast (7 days first one, now I’m on day 4 of #2). Definitely don’t want to break my fast. My sister, who’s read way more, was worried about pickle juice. So, to come back to the question, does he mention it as being ok to drink pickle juice during a fast?
Hi Mark. Thanks for stopping by. Pickle juice has 0 carbs and maybe a trace of calories, but probably closer to 0. Fung mentions that anything under 25 calories won’t break a fast. He is also OK with drinking lemon and vinegar in water so I think pickle juice is OK. It is also good to help stop leg cramps. Hope this helps!
Finally found my answer to the pickle juice question!
Thank you!
Just standard dill pickles from the can, no added sugar.
Hi! Glad it helped!
I Love your info- thank you so much- Very important question -Can I put 1 packet of stevia in my coffee?
Hello Cat! If you are fasting it is best to drink your coffee black during your fasting window. Some people try a little pink salt in their coffee and says it helps with the bitterness. Some even put a little butter or MCT oil in it and report that it does not break their fast. Unfortunately, the stevia, during a fasting window, will spike your insulin and break the fast. You could also. move your window to say 6 PM to 10 AM so you could have your coffee with stevia at 10. I drink unsweetened tea in the morning to get my caffeine. Best of luck to you and stop again by soon!
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Thank you! Hope to see you back soon!
You look great! ? Looking forward to following your journey as I too hop on the IF/Keto wagon!
Thank you Julie! I feel SO much better now. I hope your journey is going great!
Hi Jamie,
Thanks for the inspiration. I’m still trying to figure out where I am messing up. IF/Keto/weightlifting/menopause/58/ following you on Instagram hoping to learn more.
Hi Carolyn, thanks so much for following and I hope I continue to help you. Take care!
Thank you! Very inspiring!
Many Greetings from Frankfurt/Germany
Thank you and greetings to you too!
Enjoyed this !! Thanks for the tips !
Hi Dawn! Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you enjoyed it and I hope it helps. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more tips and hints.