Intermittent fasting is fast becoming a popular health and weight loss protocol. But if you’re a woman in your fifties, should you be doing anything different than younger fasters? After all, your body isn’t the same as it was when you were in your thirties. Intermittent fasting for women over fifty looks a little different.
The truth is, there are lots of different ways you can practice intermittent fasting. The trick is finding what works best for you, whatever your age.
Starting intermittent fasting in your fifties can seem a little overwhelming at first. But with a few tips, you can be very successful with it. Read on for the top five tips for successfully implementing intermittent fasting for women over fifty.
Tip 1: Give Your Body Time to Adjust to Intermittent Fasting
If you’re like most people, you like to see immediate results when you start something new. But that’s not how intermittent fasting works. Your body is complex and it will take time to adjust to your new intermittent fasting lifestyle.
When you give your body the attention it needs, it will correct itself naturally and in its own time. You can’t expect to snap your fingers and have instant success. Be patient and let your body take the necessary time to repair and rebuild.
Fasting requires your body to switch from burning glucose as fuel to burning stored fat as fuel. This doesn’t happen overnight. You’ll want to give your body at least thirty days to gradually adjust. It might even take longer for you. You are a unique individual, so your timeline will look different from others.
You might feel a little more tired and drained of energy during this adjustment period. Listen to your body and learn to give it what it needs. Enjoy the process as your body learns how to start dipping into its fat stores for energy. Once you make that switch, you’ll be so glad you were patient and didn’t give up.
Tip 2: Eat Nutritious Foods When Intermittent Fasting
Nutrition is so important, but even more important as we age. Intermittent fasting isn’t an excuse to eat whatever you want. A proper diet is key to fueling your body with the right nutrients so that it can repair itself.
Your body has many nutritional needs. When you practice intermittent fasting, it’s even more important to fuel it correctly with nutritious foods. That’s not to say you can’t enjoy treats now and then, but they should be the exception, not the rule. Even if you fast perfectly, what you eat still matters.
When you open your eating window, open it with something that is both nutritious and satisfying. A good mix of protein, fat, fiber and carbohydrates is the perfect combination to give your body the fuel it needs while feeling satiated.
Many people find that a lower carbohydrate diet or keto plan works well. You may need to experiment with a few different things to find what works best for you. An intermittent fasting coach can help guide you through proper nutrition choices.
Tip 3: Let Intermittent Fasting Help Balance Your Hormones
As a woman in your fifties, you’ve probably felt your body go through many hormonal changes. The good news is that intermittent fasting can help you keep your hormones balanced as you age. Let’s go over two hormones you can balance through intermittent fasting.
Insulin
Insulin is one of the hormones that intermittent fasting can affect. When you fast, you help your body become more insulin sensitive. Insulin sensitivity means your body is able to process the glucose in your bloodstream very efficiently.
The opposite is insulin resistance. When you are insulin resistant, you have higher levels of insulin in your bloodstream. This can cause inflammation, high blood pressure, weight gain, and even Type 2 diabetes.
Female Hormones
As you age and go through the menopausal process, your levels of estrogen and progesterone start to decline. But as estrogen levels decline, insulin levels go up. This can create insulin resistance and make you hold onto body fat while losing muscle at the same time. That doesn’t sound good, does it?
Intermittent fasting helps you keep insulin levels in control and balance your female sex hormones. It helps you become insulin sensitive instead of insulin resistant. And when that happens, you’re able to release the extra fat your body is holding on to. Your metabolism becomes healthier and your body starts running the way it was meant to.
Tip 4: Don’t Treat Intermittent Fasting Like a Diet
You can forget about all those silly diet rules. They don’t apply here. Intermittent fasting is not a diet, it’s a way of eating – it’s your new lifestyle. When you fast there are a few things you don’t need to do anymore:
- You don’t need to restrict calories.
- You don’t need to “work off” those cookies with extra exercise.
- You don’t need to drink protein shakes and diet drinks for every meal.
- You don’t need to stop eating bread.
- You don’t need to make pizza crust out of cauliflower.
When you practice intermittent fasting, there are no diet rules. You get to decide when and how long you’ll fast. You get to decide when to open your eating window and what you’ll eat.
Of course, you’ll want to provide proper nutrition for your body – see Tip #2. But intermittent fasting gives you the freedom to have a cookie without the guilt. It allows you to become more in tune with your hunger and satiety cues.
That’s because intermittent fasting is not a diet. You’re simply allowing your body to switch where it gets its energy from. When you fast, you tap into your fat stores. When you eat, you’re using the glucose from your food for energy.
Intermittent fasting allows you to be in control. It really is that simple.
Tip 5: Find an Intermittent Fasting Support Group
Everything in life is easier when you have support. Whether it’s your sister, your best friend, or your significant other, having someone who supports you in your intermittent fasting lifestyle will help you stay on track.
Social media groups for intermittent fasters can be tremendously helpful too. In these groups, you can ask questions, find new friends, and learn new things about health and fasting.
An intermittent fasting coach can offer support, accountability, and expertise. Intermittent fasting coaches have the experience of working with many women of all ages. When you hit a plateau or hit a stumbling block, you and your coach can troubleshoot your regimen. Together you can discover what might be holding you back from getting the results you want. I professionally coach intermittent fasting for women over 50, I help all ages.
On the flip side, not everyone will understand your newfound way of eating. You may have some friends or family members that think you’re crazy for fasting eighteen hours a day. And that’s ok.
If someone doesn’t support you, recognize that they simply don’t understand yet. When they see how healthy and happy you are, they’ll eventually come around. You’ll be the first person they come to for advice.
Finding Success With Intermittent Fasting When You’re Over 50
You can be successful with intermittent fasting whether you are thirty-five, fifty-five or sixty-five. The trick is to find the intermittent fasting schedule that works best for you and your life.
There are many different ways you can fast. Intermittent fasting for women over fifty is no different. When you keep these tips in mind as you start your intermittent fasting journey, you will have success. You’ll have better health throughout the rest of your life and you’ll lead a better quality lifestyle.
If you’re still unsure, I can help. If you’re questioning if intermittent fasting is right for you, sign up for a free 20-minute consultation. I’ve worked with many women just like you – women who are fifty and older who want more out of life.
You want to thrive, not just exist. You want to age well and have more energy and vitality. If that sounds like you, click the button below. Together we can find the right intermittent fasting protocol for you to become the best, healthiest version of yourself.
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Let’s start changing your habits and creating a healthy lifestyle for you.
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