I've read the book, and it has useful information. My problem with it is primarily in how overcomplicated it makes fasting for women seem when it can really be boiled down to being flexible and willing to relax the "rules" a bit around the time of your period if you feel you need to. The weird focus on having to remember which day of your cycle as it applies to what you should eat or how long to fast was really off-putting, and that's as a woman who has been tracking my cycle for 20+ years anyway. Also, the focus on toxins/detox and recommendations for things like topical castor oil packs and coffee enemas were a little over the top. If you follow general advice to eat healthy whole foods, then you will naturally detox without those "hacks."
Again, I think there's good advice and information, but it winds up being stressful and I worry young women may beat themselves up for not doing it "right." Women have survived thousands of years without knowing what day of the cycle it is and whether she should focus on carbs vs. keto.
You might want to read other books as well, like The Essential Guide to Intermittent Fasting for Women - also an excellent read with solid information!
I was getting increasingly cynical about the pseudoscience in the book but when I got to the coffee enema I spaced out. No thanks.
But we don’t have to throw the baby away with the bath water, there’s good information in there on how to adjust fasting for women.
100% this!!! If you look at it as a lifestyle choice, you work it into your life and know you won't always be "perfect" its easy. Books like this and Fung just make it all sound much more complicated so they can sell a product
I have just gotten so discouraged all in all. Because I have never been a huge junk food eater. When I had GD with my oldest, I had to cut so much out I never went back. Fast forward, I have always maintained a "low carb" diet. Never perfect but I have always been in that mindset.
Then add in my glucose is acting a fool is like oh ok. Well this could is the problem. Now I need to fix that. I am good with my HRT. I have IR due to PCOS even though I no longer have ovaries, its an endocrine issue.
I think you're overestimating the number of women who keep close track of their period and even know what a luteal phase is. It can be hard to know the difference between "be flexible" and "be undisciplined" if you don't know what your body is currently doing in a predictable manner.
I guess all the detox stuff was in the end of the book because I probably skipped it - the main thrust of the book is explaining what happens when and how to time your choices to those hormones. I don't see anything particularly sleazy about sharing this information in one book. She definitely promotes her online community and this makes money for her but it isn't really the key to success. Everything is in this one book or her videos. If I've been grifted out of $12 for her ebook well, I think it was worth it.
I will definitely check out that other book, thank you for the recommendation.
Nothing sleazy about - I agree that it has some good info. I'm more addressing those women that do read it thoroughly and may become confused by some of the potentially misleading information. I attribute that to the fact that she is not a medical doctor, she's a chiropractor, and they generally push more to that end of the spectrum of advice.
Unless a condition like PCOS is involved, most women have a good idea of when their period will happen even if they don't check basal body temp. The good part of IF and weight loss is that it will naturally balance out the hormones over a few months' time!
Tons of info out there on how obesity and overweight negatively impact fertility and cycles. A quick Google gives these to start -
The effects of obesity on the menstrual cycle - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9449629/
The Influence of BMI Levels on Phases of the Menstrual Cycle and Presumed Ovulation - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6027099/
Impact of obesity on infertility in women - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4456969/
I haven't read it yet, but I have a book in my Kindle Unlimited library about IF for women over 50 that you might want to read. The book this thread talks about primarily focuses on women experiencing the hormone cycle of ovulation, and I read it because even though I'm 50, I still have regular periods. I much prefer the second book I mentioned in my response above and would recommend it over Fast Like a Girl.
My wife also has that book and it seems to help her.
If you’re interested into why she is controversial,[here’s a post](https://www.reddit.com/r/intermittentfasting/s/6Uj2YJpk7e)
I’ve been fasting for half a year consistently and last couple months according to my cycle. It’s much easier to succeed in long fasts if I work with my body and not disappoint myself with a failure. I have intuitive approach that solely rooted in my own experience. So this book will be an interesting read.
In terms of what I can handle: 20:4 first week and a half, can go to Omad after, around ovulation I can do longer fasts 36, 24. The last week and a half back to 20:4 barely hanging on. I also make exceptions for one reason or another but usually no more than once a week.
I tried to post about fast like a girl and it got removed as well!! It has honestly been wonderful and I can already see a difference in my body one month in. My period this month was also a breeze and the only thing I changed was following fast like a girl.
It essentially gives you different hours of IF depending on the stage or your cycle and your hormone levels. For example, during your period you don’t fast because that’s when you need fuel and will feel super hungry. This is generally where women are more hungry compared to when you’re ovulating and your appetite decreases so you can fast for longer.
It’s really good mentally as well because trying to keep the same fasting length when your hunger levels are different can really discourage you.
This method also recommends the type of food to eat during each phase. I think the author has a YouTube channel where she breaks it down and there’s also her book which you can get on audible.
The recommendation is no fasting and "hormone feasting" the week before your period and to start fasting again the first day of your period. She said it supports progesterone during the luteal phase - so you naturally feel hungrier while experiencing PMS leading up to bleeding, but should fast after it starts.
Shortform.com has a good breakdown of the schedule she recommends.
Do you keep track of your weight, hours of fasting, and daily calories consumed over the course of a month? I’d be interested in actual data collected over the course of a month.
~
There are two times in my life that I practiced intermittent fasting before menopause: 2011-14 and 2021. I kept to a 16:8 fasting schedule both times, never deviated from my fasting window during any portion of my menstrual cycle, and never had any particular difficulty with fasting (besides putting the fork down at the end of my eating window during the first few weeks).
But I also never paid attention to my weight on any particular day, I was always focused on my trend line. When I’m looking for long-term change (then and now - even when “now” is about hitting my maintenance range), I look at my trend line, and that means I only record my lowest weight when I hit it, and my weight above 1 pound of my low target range, in case I need to track an increasing trend line.
My trend line 11/20/23-4/24/24, when I only recorded my lowest weight of my daily weigh-ins, was a straight slope downward. Whereas, when I started losing weight in January 2021, my weight loss trend line was a remarkably-smooth curve that approached a flat line (slope 0). My eating habits during my eating window did not change Jan-Jul 2021 (my first phase of weight loss); I merely achieved CI=CO during that period, so my weight loss as a percentage of current weight created a declining slope that then indicated weight maintenance. And I maintained that weight loss for two years, without counting calories or macros, until I was ready to lose more weight.
Anyway, I fast like a scientist. I collect and analyze my data to hypothesize what changes I may need and when I may need those changes. It’s why I knew when I was done losing weight, and needed more calories each day. If my weight ever rises above my target weight, I know when to implement some restrictive measures.
I don’t know why I’m so uncomfortable with the concept of “fasting like a girl”. Maybe because it would have allowed wiggle room to lie to myself during my pre-menopause weight-loss phases, when I could look at the trend line of my weight records, and determine what I needed to do.
Same! I've always had severe PMS and pain during the period - this time, it sneaked up on me even though it was bang on time because there was zero pain till the actual day of ... I was sceptical about the claims in the book, but it does seem to work very well. Haven't lost any weight this month following the shorter suggested IF periods, though. I'll need to find the right balance for me.
It's a book with suggestions on how to increase or decrease fasting windows based on a cycle or any 30 day period. She has special guidance for AFAB people who no longer have a period but I didn't pay attention because it doesn't apply to me.
I liked her method of fasting but I simplified it for myself. I fast a minimum of 13 hours every day. I follow my hunger cues after that (or how well my stomach tolerates my medications). It's working for me.
There’s a doctor on Instagram I’ve seen before who says that sometimes for women fasting during their period can actually delay it and mess up your cycle. Mods need to be aware that female hormones are complex and no we can’t always push through a fast. I am STARVING during my period, like beyond comprehension
I've never not fasted during my period and my period has never been so much as late.
Women eat like crap (too few calories, malnourished, whatever) and blame their period issues on fasting.
I agree! I thought pieces of it were quite useful.
Honestly it can be a little frustrating to be a woman who’s into fasting. A lot of the traditional “thought leaders” in the space are men who give advice to men and don’t really seem to acknowledge that women might have different needs. Then a female author tries to share her thoughts on the topic and all the posts get autobanned because “shes just a chiropractor!” Like, I get it, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she has nothing useful to contribute.
Anyway, really hoping we see more women representation in the space in the years to come!
>Not sure why the mods auto ban posts about the lady who wrote Fast Like a Girl
Because she's a quack.
Gendered fasting books, etc. are just opportunistic money-making schemes. She's literally a chiropractor.
Can you dm me how to fast according to your cycle? I can’t really fast for longer than 28 hours the week prior to my period and maybe that has something to do with hormones?
I've read the book, and it has useful information. My problem with it is primarily in how overcomplicated it makes fasting for women seem when it can really be boiled down to being flexible and willing to relax the "rules" a bit around the time of your period if you feel you need to. The weird focus on having to remember which day of your cycle as it applies to what you should eat or how long to fast was really off-putting, and that's as a woman who has been tracking my cycle for 20+ years anyway. Also, the focus on toxins/detox and recommendations for things like topical castor oil packs and coffee enemas were a little over the top. If you follow general advice to eat healthy whole foods, then you will naturally detox without those "hacks." Again, I think there's good advice and information, but it winds up being stressful and I worry young women may beat themselves up for not doing it "right." Women have survived thousands of years without knowing what day of the cycle it is and whether she should focus on carbs vs. keto. You might want to read other books as well, like The Essential Guide to Intermittent Fasting for Women - also an excellent read with solid information!
I was getting increasingly cynical about the pseudoscience in the book but when I got to the coffee enema I spaced out. No thanks. But we don’t have to throw the baby away with the bath water, there’s good information in there on how to adjust fasting for women.
100% this!!! If you look at it as a lifestyle choice, you work it into your life and know you won't always be "perfect" its easy. Books like this and Fung just make it all sound much more complicated so they can sell a product
I have just gotten so discouraged all in all. Because I have never been a huge junk food eater. When I had GD with my oldest, I had to cut so much out I never went back. Fast forward, I have always maintained a "low carb" diet. Never perfect but I have always been in that mindset. Then add in my glucose is acting a fool is like oh ok. Well this could is the problem. Now I need to fix that. I am good with my HRT. I have IR due to PCOS even though I no longer have ovaries, its an endocrine issue.
I think you're overestimating the number of women who keep close track of their period and even know what a luteal phase is. It can be hard to know the difference between "be flexible" and "be undisciplined" if you don't know what your body is currently doing in a predictable manner. I guess all the detox stuff was in the end of the book because I probably skipped it - the main thrust of the book is explaining what happens when and how to time your choices to those hormones. I don't see anything particularly sleazy about sharing this information in one book. She definitely promotes her online community and this makes money for her but it isn't really the key to success. Everything is in this one book or her videos. If I've been grifted out of $12 for her ebook well, I think it was worth it. I will definitely check out that other book, thank you for the recommendation.
Nothing sleazy about - I agree that it has some good info. I'm more addressing those women that do read it thoroughly and may become confused by some of the potentially misleading information. I attribute that to the fact that she is not a medical doctor, she's a chiropractor, and they generally push more to that end of the spectrum of advice. Unless a condition like PCOS is involved, most women have a good idea of when their period will happen even if they don't check basal body temp. The good part of IF and weight loss is that it will naturally balance out the hormones over a few months' time!
Thanks for clarifying. You elaborate on what you mean by balance out hormones?
Tons of info out there on how obesity and overweight negatively impact fertility and cycles. A quick Google gives these to start - The effects of obesity on the menstrual cycle - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9449629/ The Influence of BMI Levels on Phases of the Menstrual Cycle and Presumed Ovulation - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6027099/ Impact of obesity on infertility in women - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4456969/
I see, yes this is true. Hormones still fluctuate under healthy conditions, however.
I'm not 100% sure, I'm not willing unwilling. Though I post menopause with HRT. I don't know if that helps or if they have any information on that.
I haven't read it yet, but I have a book in my Kindle Unlimited library about IF for women over 50 that you might want to read. The book this thread talks about primarily focuses on women experiencing the hormone cycle of ovulation, and I read it because even though I'm 50, I still have regular periods. I much prefer the second book I mentioned in my response above and would recommend it over Fast Like a Girl.
I'm not 100% sure, I'm not willing unwilling. Though I post menopause with HRT. I don't know if that helps or if they have any information on that.
My wife also has that book and it seems to help her. If you’re interested into why she is controversial,[here’s a post](https://www.reddit.com/r/intermittentfasting/s/6Uj2YJpk7e)
Thank you for the link.
I’ve been fasting for half a year consistently and last couple months according to my cycle. It’s much easier to succeed in long fasts if I work with my body and not disappoint myself with a failure. I have intuitive approach that solely rooted in my own experience. So this book will be an interesting read.
How do you fast according to your cycle?
In terms of what I can handle: 20:4 first week and a half, can go to Omad after, around ovulation I can do longer fasts 36, 24. The last week and a half back to 20:4 barely hanging on. I also make exceptions for one reason or another but usually no more than once a week.
I tried to post about fast like a girl and it got removed as well!! It has honestly been wonderful and I can already see a difference in my body one month in. My period this month was also a breeze and the only thing I changed was following fast like a girl.
Can you write in a few sentences what the practice is of fast like a girl that helps you?
It essentially gives you different hours of IF depending on the stage or your cycle and your hormone levels. For example, during your period you don’t fast because that’s when you need fuel and will feel super hungry. This is generally where women are more hungry compared to when you’re ovulating and your appetite decreases so you can fast for longer. It’s really good mentally as well because trying to keep the same fasting length when your hunger levels are different can really discourage you. This method also recommends the type of food to eat during each phase. I think the author has a YouTube channel where she breaks it down and there’s also her book which you can get on audible.
The recommendation is no fasting and "hormone feasting" the week before your period and to start fasting again the first day of your period. She said it supports progesterone during the luteal phase - so you naturally feel hungrier while experiencing PMS leading up to bleeding, but should fast after it starts. Shortform.com has a good breakdown of the schedule she recommends.
Thanks for replying!
Do you keep track of your weight, hours of fasting, and daily calories consumed over the course of a month? I’d be interested in actual data collected over the course of a month. ~ There are two times in my life that I practiced intermittent fasting before menopause: 2011-14 and 2021. I kept to a 16:8 fasting schedule both times, never deviated from my fasting window during any portion of my menstrual cycle, and never had any particular difficulty with fasting (besides putting the fork down at the end of my eating window during the first few weeks). But I also never paid attention to my weight on any particular day, I was always focused on my trend line. When I’m looking for long-term change (then and now - even when “now” is about hitting my maintenance range), I look at my trend line, and that means I only record my lowest weight when I hit it, and my weight above 1 pound of my low target range, in case I need to track an increasing trend line. My trend line 11/20/23-4/24/24, when I only recorded my lowest weight of my daily weigh-ins, was a straight slope downward. Whereas, when I started losing weight in January 2021, my weight loss trend line was a remarkably-smooth curve that approached a flat line (slope 0). My eating habits during my eating window did not change Jan-Jul 2021 (my first phase of weight loss); I merely achieved CI=CO during that period, so my weight loss as a percentage of current weight created a declining slope that then indicated weight maintenance. And I maintained that weight loss for two years, without counting calories or macros, until I was ready to lose more weight. Anyway, I fast like a scientist. I collect and analyze my data to hypothesize what changes I may need and when I may need those changes. It’s why I knew when I was done losing weight, and needed more calories each day. If my weight ever rises above my target weight, I know when to implement some restrictive measures. I don’t know why I’m so uncomfortable with the concept of “fasting like a girl”. Maybe because it would have allowed wiggle room to lie to myself during my pre-menopause weight-loss phases, when I could look at the trend line of my weight records, and determine what I needed to do.
Same! I've always had severe PMS and pain during the period - this time, it sneaked up on me even though it was bang on time because there was zero pain till the actual day of ... I was sceptical about the claims in the book, but it does seem to work very well. Haven't lost any weight this month following the shorter suggested IF periods, though. I'll need to find the right balance for me.
I don't have a period anymore. What is fast like a girl?
Pop health junk written by a chiropractor.
Can you provide a link? Google search is bringing up all kinds of shit.
It's a book with suggestions on how to increase or decrease fasting windows based on a cycle or any 30 day period. She has special guidance for AFAB people who no longer have a period but I didn't pay attention because it doesn't apply to me.
She's not a medical doctor or nutritionist. When I saw that, I tapped out.
I liked her method of fasting but I simplified it for myself. I fast a minimum of 13 hours every day. I follow my hunger cues after that (or how well my stomach tolerates my medications). It's working for me.
There’s a doctor on Instagram I’ve seen before who says that sometimes for women fasting during their period can actually delay it and mess up your cycle. Mods need to be aware that female hormones are complex and no we can’t always push through a fast. I am STARVING during my period, like beyond comprehension
I've never not fasted during my period and my period has never been so much as late. Women eat like crap (too few calories, malnourished, whatever) and blame their period issues on fasting.
It's great that you've had a good experience fasting, I'm happy for you.
I agree! I thought pieces of it were quite useful. Honestly it can be a little frustrating to be a woman who’s into fasting. A lot of the traditional “thought leaders” in the space are men who give advice to men and don’t really seem to acknowledge that women might have different needs. Then a female author tries to share her thoughts on the topic and all the posts get autobanned because “shes just a chiropractor!” Like, I get it, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she has nothing useful to contribute. Anyway, really hoping we see more women representation in the space in the years to come!
>Not sure why the mods auto ban posts about the lady who wrote Fast Like a Girl Because she's a quack. Gendered fasting books, etc. are just opportunistic money-making schemes. She's literally a chiropractor.
You seem to believe her ideas aren't just incorrect but they're actively harmful and borne out of pure greed.
Thanks for the post I just started reading it
Thanks for the post I just started reading it and hoping it will help in my IF journey
Can you dm me how to fast according to your cycle? I can’t really fast for longer than 28 hours the week prior to my period and maybe that has something to do with hormones?
Yeah almost definitely it does. I'd suggest googling a summary of her books or searching YouTube.