You’ve likely heard all the rage about intermittent fasting. If you’re not quite sure exactly what it is that’s because it isn’t exactly one thing or another. Many people partake in intermittent fasting, but not everyone does it the same way—nor is there a “right” way to do it. Some people fast by skipping an entire 24-hour period of food, and returning to regular eating the following 24 hours. Some people fast by going food-less for a 16-hour period, every single day. So they’ll have their last meal at, say, 4pm, and not eat again until 8am the following day. The whole idea behind intermittent fasting is simple: to get you to consume fewer calories. Alright, there are some schools of thought that believe it also improves your energy levels, mental clarity, and other things like that. But, for some individuals, intermittent fasting can be problematic. Here are ways intermittent fasting can mess you up and reasons you shouldn’t do it.
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If you’ve had an eating disorder
If you have suffered from an eating disorder in the past, then intermittent fasting is likely not a good idea. Some say that we never really recover from an eating disorder—it just lies dormant within us. Intermittent fasting can trigger some old, unhealthy behaviors.
