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Are you wondering why you’re not losing weight on intermittent fasting? Do you find yourself keeping your designated fasting schedule with no resulting weight loss?
Reasons you might not be losing weight with intermittent fasting include:
- Having too low of a caloric intake
- Hormonal shifts resulting in metabolic changes
- Microbiome shifts
- Binging
- Thyroid changes
- Emotional hunger
The longer the length of time in which you fast can make it more likely that you will experience symptoms which will prevent weight loss or even result in weight gain while intermittent fasting.
This article will explore some of the common reasons you are not seeing weight loss with intermittent fasting, how intermittent fasting compares to other diets, and the alternatives to intermittent fasting for improving your overall health.
What is Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting (IF) is a diet where you allow yourself to eat for a certain portion of the day and restrict your eating outside of the designated time window for eating.
Some of the most common ratios of fasting to eating for intermittent fasting include:
- 19/5 Intermittent Fasting
- 18/6 Intermittent Fasting
- 16/8 intermittent fasting
- 14/10 intermittent fasting
- 12/12 intermittent fasting
The idea behind intermittent fasting is that it can shift the fuel substrate used for energy in the body (for example using fats vs. carbs). It is proposed that intermittent fasting can also reduce total calorie intake, because you don’t have as much time to eat during the day.
Many people use intermittent fasting as a way to try to lose weight.
Intermittent Fasting Calorie Intake
If you are intermittent fasting, chances are you are reducing your total calorie intake. A reduction in calories can sometimes result in weight loss.
However, if you are reducing your calorie intake too far this might be why you are not losing weight on intermittent fasting.
Very low calorie intake can also lead to weight loss rebound if you do end up losing weight with IF. Weight regain could be greater than the original amount lost with IF.
Low Calorie Intake and Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting can sometimes lead to lower calorie intake because
- There is less time to fit in the calories you need
- Your body feels full from eating so much in a short amount of time
- You might be restricting certain types of foods such as cutting carbs
- You might be filling up on high volume foods reducing total intake
While creating a slight calorie deficit can sometimes produce weight loss, going too low in your calories is sure to halt weight loss and slow down your metabolism.
Extreme calorie restriction that can occur as a result of intermittent fasting will not only not produce weight loss, it could lead to weight gain.
Extreme calorie restriction can halt weight loss because of delayed digestion and hormone shifts that will prevent weight loss. If you are not counting calories with intermittent fasting, there is a good chance you are having way too few calories to produce weight loss.
Yo-Yo Calorie Intake Stalling Weight Loss with Intermittent Fasting
One common reason people don’t lose weight with intermittent fasting is because they are eating more some days than they are others.
Eating more some days than others causes:
- Metabolic shifts that make your body store energy
- Delayed digestion
- Altered hunger and fullness hormone levels
- Altered gut microbiome
People might intentionally or unintentionally eat more some days than others due to hunger levels, work schedules, or the ability to plan.
Intermittent Fasting Binging
Binge eating is very common in intermittent fasting. There are several reasons that you might binge during intermittent fasting which can stall weight loss or cause weight gain.
Reasons you might binge with intermittent fasting include:
- You have a fear of being hungry because you’re going for long periods of time without eating
- You binge, restrict, and then binge again because you restricted your food
- You have food rules about what you can eat and how much
- You constantly feel guilty about what you eat
- You can’t stop thinking about food
The longer the duration without eating for your Intermittent fasting schedule, the more likely it is that you will binge.
Hypothyroidism in Intermittent Fasting
When you significantly reduce your calories, or lose weight your thyroid hormones can be impacted. Spikes and drops in food intake and weight loss can also alter thyroid function.
Intermittent fasting can trigger hypothyroidism by:
- Decreasing TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)
- Alterations in rT3 which causes us to conserve energy
- Changes in T3 and T4 thyroid hormone levels
Changes in thyroid function can lead to stalled weight loss or weight gain.
Intermittent Fasting Vs. Keto
Intermittent fasting and keto are both forms of food restriction intended to produce weight loss. Here are some similarities and differences between the two diets.
Similarities between Intermittent Fasting and Keto
Some similarities between intermittent fasting and keto include:
- Calorie restriction
- Both often have rapid weight regain
- Low energy
- Potential binging
Both intermittent fasting and keto can have rapid weight loss results. However, the faster the weight comes off, the more likely it is to also come back on rapidly.
Differences between Intermittent Fasting and Keto
Some differences between intermittent fasting and keto include:
- Keto requires your body to be in ketosis for weight loss
- Keto is a high fat low carbohydrate diet and IF does not restrict food choice
- You can eat at any time on keto where as IF your time for eating is restricted
Alternatives To Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting doesn’t work to achieve long term weight loss or improvements in health. Most weight loss that occurs during intermittent fasting will be regained at some point.
Instead of intermittent fasting try:
- Intuitive eating
- Practicing food neutrality
- Honor your hunger and fullness
- Plan and prep healthy meals and snacks
- Ditch BMI standards of health
- Do exercise you enjoy regularly
- Ditch the scale entirely
If you want food freedom, stop intermittent fasting and heal your relationship with food.
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