Why I learn’t to fast like a girl
Full Transcript
So, I learnt how to fast like a girl.
Why would a guy learn to fast like a girl?
Well, university taught me hormones. And hormones are about a lot more than reproduction. They influence appetite, energy, stress, recovery and metabolism. That includes women who are cycling, women who are not cycling, and women who are in perimenopause or menopause.
It became clear to me that fasting is an ancient tool. It is as old as many religious teachings. But a lot of the research, or most of the research I could find, including when I was completing assignments at university, was based on men.
And women are not small men.
In contrast, Dr Mindy Pelz, the author of Fast Like a Girl, has considered fasting in harmony with the phases of the hormone cycle. She talks about the nuances of fasting for women and has developed specialised protocols for women across different life stages and conditions.
I was impressed with her work.
So when an opportunity came up to become certified as a Fast Like a Girl coach, I jumped at it.
Like anything, fasting often gets simplified. People say things like, “Women shouldn’t fast.” But that is not a simple no based on sex.
It is not that women should not fast. It is that there are more nuances. You are dealing with more hormonal variables. Context matters, and fasting is not for everyone.
But for the right person, at the right time, and under the right conditions, it can be a very powerful tool.
One of the biggest things I have learnt over the years is that fasting is not just about the fasting window. It may be even more important to consider the eating window.
If you are reducing the time that you are eating, then it becomes especially important how you are fuelling and what nutrition goes into that window. That impacts how easy it feels when you are not eating, how you feel overall, and crucially, how your metabolism responds.
It is similar in some ways to managing nutrition alongside a GLP-1 medication, such as Mounjaro or Ozempic, and other appetite-suppressing weight-loss medications.
When there is a smaller eating window, there is a smaller opportunity to refuel and nourish your body. That means you need to be more precise about what you are eating.
So yes, I am a qualified clinical nutritionist, and I am a certified Fast Like a Girl coach.
Whether you are male or female, I can help manage those pieces so they work together, rather than against each other.
For the right person, at the right time, fasting can be a powerful tool to help manage health. And importantly, similar to a GLP-1 medication, it can help with appetite management.
But it is not a magic trick.
It is a tool.
And like any tool, you need to know how to use it properly to get the best out of it.
If you would like to know more, let’s connect for 15 minutes and talk further in a free discovery call: