Should you fast the same when you change your fitness goals? | Women Over 50

Hello, I'm Dy Ann Parham, creator of the online Intermittent Fasting For Today's Aging Woman Course and Community. Today, we're diving deeper into how fitness and fasting, two critical components of our trifecta for aging successfully, can powerfully support each other.

The Synergy of Fasting and Fitness

As we age, particularly for women in the menopausal phase, integrating fasting with fitness can seem daunting due to common fears about cortisol levels and injury. However, these concerns often prevent us from living our most authentic lives, especially when we're capable of more than we believe.

Understanding Energy and Metabolic Flexibility

When leaning into fitness, it's crucial to assess our energy status:

• Are we in storage mode?
• Are we becoming metabolically flexible?
• Are we supporting our body nutritionally and energetically for the demands we're placing on it?

These questions help us understand if we're efficiently using and storing energy, which is vital for maintaining an active lifestyle as we age.

The Role of Nutrition and Supplementation

To meet the physical demands we set, it's essential to consider:

• Nutritional intake: Ensuring a balanced diet that fuels our bodies.
• Supplementation: Adding vitamins or minerals that support metabolic health and energy levels.
• Hydration and sleep: Fundamental elements that affect our overall fitness capacity.

By addressing these areas, we can better prepare our bodies to handle the stresses of exercise and recovery.

Personal Journey into Fitness and Fasting

At 58, with grown children and more personal time, I've embraced my fitness journey with renewed vigor. As a lifelong runner, I've found that fasting and fitness beautifully complement each other. Here’s how I integrate these elements into my life:

Intermittent Fasting as a Supportive Tool

I use intermittent fasting strategically to enhance my fitness goals. Knowing when to fast and when to feast helps me maintain energy levels and supports my body’s healing and nutritional needs. This approach has allowed me to:

• Reverse early diabetic conditions.
• Improve mental clarity and reduce inflammation.
• Maintain a healthy thyroid function at 58.

Setting Achievable Fitness Goals

This year, I've dedicated each month to running a 5K. This distance is manageable without overwhelming training commitments, making it a perfect fit for my lifestyle. It’s about setting achievable, yet challenging goals that keep fitness enjoyable and rewarding.

Adjusting Lifestyle for Optimal Performance

To support my increased physical activity, I've had to make adjustments in my fasting routine:

• Modifying fasting durations: Reducing fasting hours to ensure adequate nutrient intake.
• Increasing focus on nutrition: Particularly, adjusting macronutrients to support energy needs for running.

These changes are crucial for sustaining energy and performance, especially during intensive training periods.

Embracing Flexibility in Fasting and Fitness

In my approach to a balanced lifestyle, I emphasize the importance of three key levers:

• Fasting Long: This lever involves extending fasting periods to enhance metabolic health.
• Feasting Well: Ensuring that the eating periods are filled with nutrient-rich foods that support overall health and fitness goals.
• Training Smart: Adapting exercise routines that align with our body’s capabilities and recovery needs.

This year, I've focused more on the 'Training Smart' lever, which necessitated adjustments in the other two, particularly 'Feasting Well' to ensure my body receives the necessary nutrients for recovery and performance.

The Importance of Mindset in Lifestyle Changes

Adapting our lifestyle to our current needs doesn't mean abandoning previous practices. It's about making informed, flexible adjustments. For instance, while I've reduced my fasting hours, I haven't abandoned intermittent fasting. Instead, I use it strategically to complement my fitness goals. This adaptability is crucial, especially as we age and our bodies' needs evolve.

Health Improvements Through Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting has not only supported my fitness goals but also brought significant health benefits:

• Reversal of diabetic conditions: Early in my menopausal phase, fasting helped manage and eventually reverse my diabetic symptoms.
• Reduction in inflammation and brain fog: These common menopausal symptoms were alleviated through careful fasting and dietary adjustments.
• Improvement in cholesterol levels: Through fasting and targeted supplementation, I managed to significantly reduce my cholesterol levels.

These health milestones underscore the power of integrating fasting with a mindful approach to diet and exercise.

Conclusion: Embracing Change and Encouragement

As we navigate through different seasons of life, it's essential to remain flexible and open to adjusting our lifestyles to fit our evolving needs. Whether it's tweaking your fasting schedule, modifying your fitness routine, or adjusting your diet, the goal is to find what works best for you at any given time.

I hope my journey inspires you to explore and adapt fasting and fitness in ways that feel right for you. Remember, it's not about following a strict regimen but about making lifestyle choices that enhance your health and happiness.

Thank you for joining me in this exploration of fasting and fitness. I look forward to continuing this journey together, sharing insights, and celebrating our successes. Stay tuned for more updates, and don't hesitate to reach out with your thoughts and experiences. Let's keep striving to look and feel our best and live our most authentic lives!