Intermittent fasting has become a very popular eating style for losing weight and maintaining weight loss. There’s no mystery why that is the case. Celebrities and regular everyday people alike have reported substantial results when using this method.

While using intermittent fasting, it allows dieters to avoid having to count carbs, eliminate foods or food groups, or make other drastic changes. Instead, it simply provides individuals with a window of time within the day in which they can eat. For many people, this is just the strategy they need to make sure their eating remains under control and they can consistently lose their unwanted pounds.

Intermittent Fasting for Active People

At the same time, as is the case with every diet, intermittent fasting isn’t necessarily appropriate for everyone. Individuals with certain health conditions such as low blood pressure or low blood sugar, diabetes or even pregnancy are among those who should speak with a doctor before restricting the hours in which they eat.

That said, people following highly active lifestyles also often wonder if they should be using intermittent fasting to control their weight. After all, people who are very active are typically advised to eat more frequently, not less frequently. Therefore, even if someone in your running club happens to rave about this method, it’s important to learn more about it before you jump on the bandwagon.

While many athletes use certain forms of intermittent fasting to help them to train harder and enjoy faster recovery, the methods used for those reasons are different than the methods used for people trying to lose weight. Therefore, it is very important to understand your goals before you choose the specific type of fasting you’d like to use in order to get there.

Drawbacks of Intermittent Fasting

As helpful as intermittent fasting can by when you select the right strategy for your goals, there are downsides. These are important to know so that you won’t be taken off guard if they happen to you.

The most common downside to intermittent fasting is overeating. Since people know they will need to go without eating for a certain amount of time, they will often eat more than they usually would at a meal in order to compensate for that and to try to prevent hunger. This completely defeats the purpose of the fasting period in the first place.