Intermittent Fasting with WeFast
I was introduced to FRESHR’s app called WeFast thanks to Nikki!
WeFast is an app supporting women with Intermittent Fasting for optimal health. IF, also known as timed eating, is eating within a specific window of time, then giving your body a break for the remaining hours of the day.
Why do Intermittent Fasting? It’s been shown to significantly support weight loss, blood sugar regularity, and autophagy (aka cellular renewal). You end up feeling slimmer, less brain fog, more energy, a flatter tummy, and a mood boost.
My experience with Intermittent Fasting prior to WeFast was doing it on my own, but only here and there. So I decided to give myself a challenge and do timed eating every day during the holidays! Probably sounds crazy, but it ended up being a lot easier than I anticipated and supported me tremendously!
WeFast provides recommendations within the app for your fasting window based on how new you are to the process, your age, and other related info. There’s a helpful timer so you know where you are within a chosen fasting window, when you are burning fat, and communal support online to keep you on track!
I’ve always liked that anyone can make IF fit their routine and schedule. If you are someone who needs fuel first thing in the morning, you can end dinner earlier in the day and start your fast late afternoon/early evening. If you are someone who doesn’t feel hungry in the morning/doesn’t care for breakfast, skip it and wait to have your first meal or snack of the day mid-morning or around noon depending on when you finished dinner.
What I experienced doing IF over the holidays is feeling that “flat tummy” with no bloat first thing in the morning, as well as clearer glowing skin! I love that I’m building a great habit by stopping food intake at least 3 hours before bed. That is such an important ritual so that I get quality sleep to support me the next day, give my body time to digest the foods I ate before lying down, and prevent indigestion, acid reflux, and more. Best of all, my sleep time of 8-9 hours takes the majority of the fast! I don’t feel “starved” nor overly hungry.
What I’ve learned that I feel is most important for women to consider when doing IF is where they are in their cycle. For women who weren’t aware prior, you have 4 Phases to your cycle! Menstrual (when you bleed, Day 1 is the first day of bleeding), Follicular (the 7-10 days after you stop bleeding), Ovulatory (3-4 days you Ovulate mid-cycle), and Luteal (10-14 days leading up to your period). During my Luteal Phase, I don’t do more than a 12 hour fast. I notice that my body needs a little more food for fuel – but I still stop eating 3 hours before bed. That’s a non-negotiable. However, the best time to push my fast up to a 14:10-16:8 window is in my Follicular and Ovulatory phases. I feel more energy and less need for extra food as fuel.
It really is an individual’s preference and journey! But I’ve really enjoyed the app for accountability and support. Logging my fast each day felt rewarding when I’d finish and could see my progress all week long. It made such a difference compared to doing IF without the support of the app.
It’s very important when doing IF to still eat quality whole foods during your eating window, and to not restrict your caloric intake. IF was based on studies done on rats. The rats attained the benefits of lowered blood sugar and weight loss without restricting calories! They simply ate within an 8-hour window and weren’t grazing on food all day, every day compared to the control group. This was also only done 5 days a week, with 2 days off and they STILL received the benefits.
I’ve had people express blood sugar instability from eating poorly or not enough within their eating window and therefore, increased stress and anxiety within the body while doing IF. It’s great if you are a beginner to start small with just 12:12, which is very manageable. Simply stop eating 3 hours before bed and sleep 8-9, then have breakfast at the 12-hour mark! Seek guidance from a Nutritionist and your Doctor if you are uncertain what’s right for you or what to eat within your eating window!
Also, please note that intermittent fasting/timed eating is NOT right for you if you are pregnant, seeking to get pregnant (you’ll need some guidance), have an eating disorder, or have hypoglycemia.
We definitely recommend trying the WeFast app for women to feel supported with losing weight and stabilizing blood sugar! Check out my video journey on our IG channel @naowellness.
