— Kimberly Zedalis

What my experts went over this and through this whole process, we really cu through a a lot for the whole Food Coach Academy and the culinary medicine textbook, uh, over 3000 references. So when we look at intermittent fasting, some research suggests it helps. Um, but what they also say is it, it doesn't work any better than having less calories at your meal. So let me explain that Kimberly, whatever works for you is gonna work for you. There's, I explain weight loss is like a boulder at the top of the hill, right? And there's a lot of ways to get that boulder rolling down the hill, losing weight there, there is one thing in common a lot of these have, which is eating less calories. So whether that happens from intermittent fasting or you decrease the amount of one of the macronutrients in your diet like fat or processed grains, something like that, losing weight, what is even more important is how to keep that weight off, maintaining weight, right? And so intermittent fasting, as long as you're getting enough of your essential nutrients throughout the day and not using, 'cause some people I know, and I'm not saying this to you, but some people like to think, uh, if I just eat one meal a day, I can eat whatever I want and actually not eat healthy food. So if you're intermittent fasting, healthy food needs to be there and a good source of protein, um, to keep you satiated as well and making sure that you don't become nutritionally deficient in something, right? When we look at the data on weight, actually eating less calories and being a little underweight, um, is related more to long-term health and longevity. But if intermittent fasting is something that you like, there's different ways to do it. You could, you could either not eat on a one day a week or you'll only eat between certain hours, whatever works for you. Some people can't do it because they get really lightheaded. They might have, you know, some sort of reactive hypoglycemia or something like that. So if it works for you, you're getting all your nutrition in, then absolutely as long as it works for you. And then trying to get back to a place where food isn't a chore so much anymore. And if it is for losing weight that you get to a place where you don't have to think about it so much 'cause you're in a self-loving place.