While there are benefits to intermittent fasting, it isn’t right for everyone. For example, some people find it leads to uncomfortable levels of hunger or decreased energy levels. It’s also not recommended for people who have experienced disordered eating, pregnant or nursing moms, teenagers, or those with diabetes or blood sugar issues.
If you don’t feel good when fasting, then don’t. Studies have found that simply creating a calorie deficit throughout the day can be as effective for losing belly fat as intermittent fasting. So, choose what works best for you—what leads to greater feelings of health, well-being, and energy levels as well as decreasing belly fat.
That said, many people do find that intermittent fasting leads to greater brain clarity, focus, improved health status, and weight loss. It can also make eating healthy easier and more convenient. Simply by eating fewer meals throughout the day, you can save time and energy on preparing and eating food.
If you do want to try intermittent fasting to lose belly fat, it can help to ease into it. For example, start by waiting an extra hour before eating breakfast in the morning and then add on more time as your body adapts. For example, if you usually eat dinner at 7 p.m. and then have breakfast at 6 a.m., make sure you don’t have any nighttime snacks and then wait until 7 a.m. before eating breakfast for a few days. Then wait until 7:30, 8, etc., until you have extended your fasting window to the 16-hour mark. It can take time, patience, and practice to make it work, but gradually increasing the fasting window is easier for most people.
At the end of the day, the best eating pattern for you is the eating pattern you’ll stick with, long-term—whether that’s intermittent fasting or another healthy eating regimen.