Ladies, we have made some amazing strides in a short amount
of time. We’ve moved from pink weights to swinging kettlebells almost as heavy
or heavier than we are. Women of all types and ages have taken the leap from
weak to strong. Congratulations ladies, we did it! We are still doing it!
More women are embracing strength as a necessary part of
their training. We are clearly not afraid to be strong. The movement of females
lifting heavier, while still keeping their feminity, realizing they can feel
better without looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger is spreading like wildfire.
It was uncommon years ago to see females, much less new moms, swinging around
heavy weights or doing pull-ups while smiling at their new baby. It has been an
honor to be an integral part of the female movement towards kettlebells, which
opened the flood gates to strength and the mastering of pull-ups, dead lifts,
and so much more. But have we taken it too far? We train like men and pound for
pound some of us are even stronger than men. The question is: are we supposed
to eat like men too?
Ladies, ladies, ladies, we are very special creatures. We
have unique nutritional requirements that keep us running efficiently. After
the age of thirty it becomes imperative to feed those special needs. Otherwise,
as the years go by, you may be setting yourself up for major hormonal
imbalances, deficiencies, and adrenal fatigue. After all, we look different
than men, we have menstrual cycles, we can reproduce, and we are beautiful. Let’s
focus on what a woman needs to eat and not just on what all people should eat.
Here is a quote directly from Stefani’s write up:
MDA cites this
article as a ‘great overview’ of the health benefits of intermittent fasting.
This startled me because the article MDA cited was for me one of the strongest
proponents of sex-specific differences in response to fasting. This occurred in
two striking areas: a) women in studies covered by the review did not
experience increased insulin sensitivity with IF regimes and b) women actually
experienced a decrease in glucose tolerance. These two phenomena mean that
women’s metabolisms suffered from IF.The men’s metabolisms on the other hand
improved with IF across the board.
Recall that the review was reported by MDA as ‘a great overview of
benefits [of IF].’
I decided to do some of my own research and spoke to a few
healthy, respected, and strong female coaches about their foray into
intermittent fasting or some sort of caloric restriction. The ages of these
females range from 29 to mid-40s.
Let’s begin with Keira Newton, owner of DKB Fitness and
mother of two. Keira practiced IF for a four-month period. She had her blood
work done prior to her IF as well as after. The blood work after IF showed that
her blood sugar was lower, but her cortisol levels were high and adrenals were
stressed. Newton said, “I had irregular periods, hard time sleeping, was
stressed, and irritable. When I started eating normally again, I packed on five
pound instantly, and have had a hard time getting it off ever since.” Another
trainer at her gym had the same experience. She initially lost weight, but then
gained ten pounds in one month once her body adapted.
What happened to Keira appears to be very common in the
majority of females going head first into IF. Many women begin to drink an
incredible amount of coffee to sustain their energy and suppress their appetite
in order to get through their fasting window. Needing to get through the day
with an excessive amount of caffeine is enough of a warning bell to run the
other direction. I, too, developed a coffee addiction that I’d never had before
experimenting with fasting. If you didn’t have a coffee addiction before IF,
you will after. Not that there is anything wrong with a cup or two of joe, in
fact it has many benefits, but on the flip side, to live on caffeine in order
to suppress your appetite and get that high everyday can put you into adrenal
fatigue very quickly.
Adrienne Harvey, owner of Girya Girl Fitness, RKC Level 2,
and super strong, petite, lean female shared with me her view and experiences
with fasting. She has found it to be counterproductive for her and after some
nightmare experiences years ago, which lead her down a seriously unhealthy
path, she will never fast again. “A disturbing trend I keep seeing, even from
fellow female fitness professionals is the confession of some kind of binge or
cheat quickly followed by IF. Back and forth, over and over,” said Adrienne. Ask
yourself, does this seem like a healthy pattern? Splurge and then starve is an
eating disorder waiting to happen. Adrienne calls it “self punishment” and
wonders if females are really doing this for health.
Adrienne thoroughly enjoys eating a Primal-Blueprint type of
diet, which works wonderfully for her. She recognizes there are many people who
can also flourish with vegetarian, vegan, paleo, and other types of eating. In
regards to fasting, though, she explained:
Everyone will have
some moment of weakness or splurge, but why follow it with a round of what
really looks like some form of punishment? If you aren't enjoying your food
now, and loving how it makes you feel, please keep searching for what will
ultimately work for you…After seeing so many people talk about how IF is
central to their fat loss, I wanted you to know that you can get and stay lean
WITHOUT doing it, too. Choose foods that are natural and that nourish you and
your activities.
Written by Lauren
Brooks
Lauren Brooks is the creator of On The Edge Fitness and one
of the leading pioneers with kettlebells. She has worked with and is
responsible for inspiring thousands of people to pick up a kettlebell and use
them without fear. With her laid back and non-intimidating teaching style, she
has been sought out all over the world to teach kettlebells safely. Due to her
educational background and years of experience, she has developed a keen
ability to quickly be able to assess movement patterns and break down
instruction in an easy to understand, yet gentle and motivating approach.
