Rethinking Fasting

Behavior Change and the Ripple Effect of Healthier Choices

Nat kicked off Episode 11 of The FitSister Podcast with a shocking confession: she’d been fasting. Yes ladies and gentlemen, my sister—the same woman who admitted to her Labrador-like enthusiasm for leftover cake—was suddenly talking about quitting late-night snacking cold turkey. 

How and why did Nat, the self-proclaimed “least likely person to even consider fasting” end up embracing the one thing that always felt impossible to her? And more importantly, what can we learn from her experiment?

​​Fasting: The Pros, Cons, and Complexities

I’ve never been a huge advocate of fasting, but not because I outright reject it. The science behind fasting’s potential benefits—reduced inflammation, improved insulin sensitivity, and cellular cleanup—is compelling. But there is still a lot we don’t know, everyone’s body will respond differently, and more research needs to be done on women - especially as it relates to our hormones at various life stages.

My primary concern with fasting is actually a lot simpler: I worry about women in midlife who feel pressured to lose weight, when in reality, many are under-muscled and under-nourished.

Society often places an unfair emphasis on weight loss as the ultimate marker of health, especially for women, while ignoring the importance of muscle mass, strength, and adequate nourishment.

During perimenopause and menopause, hormonal changes—including a decline in estrogen—can significantly impact bone density, muscle mass, and overall metabolism. In this critical life stage, adopting restrictive fasting schedules like the popular 16/8 method can inadvertently deprive women of the nutrients they need to maintain their strength, energy, and vitality, exacerbating muscle loss and fatigue.

I worry about women wasting away at a time when they need to be more proactive than ever about building themselves up. On principle, I have a hard time supporting something that could potentially make a woman weaker.

That being said, I will always approach any health concern with flexibility and an open mind. As I told Nat, as long as she’s able to meet her nutritional needs, and is not feeling any negative side effects, I am not opposed to her fasting journey. And although Nat was initially intrigued by the science of fasting, this experiment for her is more about solving a specific problem…

Finding the Truth

The tagline for our show includes the phrase: “we break down the truth behind the trends and hopefully help you make changes that actually work.” But we’re referring to your personal truth, not just the factual accuracy of the trending nutrition claim. And that’s what I was trying to get at with Nat—what are her personal reasons for fasting, and why would or wouldn't it work in conjunction with her specific habits, lifestyle, and goals?

“Just-a-Little-Something”

For Nat, it all boiled down to one specific habit that she’s been struggling with—we’ll call it the “just-a-little-something” effect. After dinner, she’d treat herself to “just-a-little-something”—a little ice cream, a small piece of Halloween candy—but this little something would inevitably lead to a lot sugary somethings that she didn’t want, didn’t need, and didn’t feel good after eating. 

When she heard about a thirteen-hour fasting window on a podcast, Nat was intrigued. It seemed like a straightforward way to put a hard stop to her snacking without upending her routine. Her family is usually done with dinner by 6:30, and thirteen hours didn’t really seem that long—she could still have her much needed breakfast before she left for work.

Why This Works

I’ll admit, I’m starting to get on board with fasting for Nat. It supports a new goal (no late-night sugar binges) without completely disrupting her current lifestyle and nutritional needs. Nat needs to eat before work because as a teacher she’s on her feet all day and doesn’t have an opportunity for a break to eat before about noon. She knows if she goes that long without eating she’ll be irritable and ravenous. All this to say, the 6:30pm to 7:30am fasting window supports her goal of ending late night snacking without interfering with other previously established nutrition habits that she has recognized as being vitally important to her mood, energy, and eating habits in general.  

I’m probably too stubborn to admit that it’s the fasting itself that’s working here— but I will give it credit for evoking other positive behavior changes. Unpopular opinion, maybe? I think that a lot of times the benefits that people think they're getting from fasting in general can actually be pinpointed more directly to a specific behavior that is a byproduct of fasting, such as: just don’t eat after dinner. 

Filling the Void with Something Better

There is another beautiful benefit of this specific fasting behavior. Now that Nat is not snacking after dinner, what is she doing? She’s probably feeling something like withdrawal - not just sugar withdrawal, but ritual withdrawal. There is a comfort that comes with preparing a treat for yourself at the end of the day, winding down, and creating a moment of joy.

But as we know, in Nat’s case, “a little something” to wind down starts off as self-care, but quickly spirals into self-sabotage. Without her dessert ritual, the anxiety was brewing and Nat was forced to figure out a new nightly routine. A struggle at first, this quickly became an opportunity to brainstorm and develop some healthier habits. 

Instead of snacking in the evening, Nat started going on walks with her daughter or reading one of the many books gathering dust on her nightstand before bed. As a result, she’s getting in more movement, improving her energy, reducing her stress levels, and spending time with her kids. Eliminating one unwanted habit has allowed her to discover so many meaningful ways to end her day.

The Real Lessons

Fasting isn’t just working for Nat because of what she’s not eating. It's working for her because of everything that she’s gaining. Is she experiencing all of the promised benefits of fasting? Is her metabolism regulated due to the removal of dysfunction mitochondria, thereby improving insulin sensitivity, and reducing inflammation? She has no idea. What she does know is that by experimenting with a thirteen hour fast, she has been able to eliminate a habit that wasn’t serving her and replace it with a whole bunch of beautiful new ones. 

This is the beauty of experimenting with nutrition and behavior and why it is as much an art as a science: it’s not about adhering to trends or labels like “fasting.” It’s about identifying your personal challenges and finding creative, sustainable ways to address them.

Will Nat Keep Fasting?

Highly unlikely (and totally fine). But not because she lacks willpower or discipline. I think she will continue to reap the benefits of the specific behaviors that she has learned as a result of fasting and potentially continue those for a lifetime. I think she will continue to be less likely to snack after dinner and more likely to go for a walk or get lost in a book. I think she will feel more in control when it comes to tempting desserts regardless of how many hours she goes without eating. I don’t have a clue what her mitochondria will be doing, but I’d put money on the fact that these changes will lead to a longer, more fulfilling life. 

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If you enjoyed (or completely disagreed with) this essay, I’d love to hear your thoughts. I’d also love for you to check out Episode 11 of The FitSister Podcast where Nat and I talk more about fasting and other polarizing topics like—CARBS!

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Love ya like a sister!