Is fasting the answer to festive feasting?
Intermittent fasting looks like a simple fix for festive overeating: we just balance the extra food and booze by scheduling specific days of the week – or hours of the day – when we restrict kilojoules or avoid eating altogether.
But which of the many versions of intermittent fasting might work best?
The first thing to know is that preventing weight gain over this period is smart: keeping weight off is easier than shifting it once it’s glued to your middle.
‘‘Some studies have found that when people put on weight over the Christmas period they don’t always shed all the weight they’ve gained, despite good intentions of losing it later,’’ says Australian dietitian Alex Parker.
‘‘The weight that lingers can contribute to the gradual kilo creep that results in weight gain across the lifespan.’’
‘‘If you want to try intermittent fasting to avoid weight gain – cutting food intake down to 2100-2500 kilojoules on a couple of days aweek – could help balance out a few parties,’’ suggests Associate Professor Leonie Heilbronn of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute.
Her research into the shortterm effects of intermittent fasting has found that it produces slightly greater weight loss and better improvements in heart health and diabetes compared to continuously restricting kilojoules.
‘‘We humans are well adapted to fasting and we haven’t seen overeating in our research, although we have excluded people with disordered eating from the studies.’’
What about the 16:8 approach, in which you restrict eating to a window of eight hours in each 24-hour period – 10am to 6pm or noon to 8pm, for example – and fast for the remaining 16 hours?
Although Heilbronn thinks this might have more potential for overeating, Parker thinks its flexibility might be more effective for festive eating.
‘‘You can time your eating ‘window’ for the middle of the day or for the evening, depending on the event.
‘‘But if you’re using the 5:2 approach, where you restrict food intake to 2100-2500 kilojoules on two days a week, you might miss out if your fasting day coincides with a special lunch or dinner.
‘‘But my concern is that intermittent fasting doesn’t show people how to moderate their food intake,’’ she adds. ‘‘There are better, more sustainable ways to maintain weight at this time of the year. You may have days where you overindulge, but it’s unlikely to be every day.
Alex Parker’s tips for navigating eating and drinking events
■ Choose what you love, leave what you don’t. In other words, be selective about the foods you eat. Don’t eat something just because it’s in front of you.
■ Avoid arriving at an event on an empty stomach. If you’re ravenous, you’re more likely to eat too quickly and overeat.
■ Eat mindfully. If possible, sit down to eat – it will help you take smaller bites, chew your food slowly and enjoy the experience.
■ Be conscious of eating more vegetables and try to make them half of your plate– they’re packed with fibre and low in kilojoules. If you’re asked to bring a dish, make it vege.
Apart from those with a history of disordered eating, who else should avoid fasting?
‘‘Anyone on medication that needs taking with food; teenagers; women who are pregnant or breastfeeding; people with diabetes and anyone who’s doing a lot of exercise.
‘‘If you’re doing sessions of strength training or going for a run, you still need to consume something rich in protein and carbohydrates within 45 minutes to an hour of finishing exercise [to replenish energy stores].’’