Sep 9, 20224 min read

The Complete Guide To Intermittent Fasting For Women Over 40

Intermittent Fasting can be an excellent tool to help tap into fat burning and boost gut health. But what about for women over 40? Can it still be used?

It turns out that many women over 40 are using Intermittent Fasting and seeing (and feeling!) incredible results. But there are certain things to consider in order to be successful. Today, we're diving into everything you need to know about Intermittent Fasting for women over 40.

guide to intermittent fasting for women in their 40s

The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting For Women Over 40

Regardless of age, Intermittent Fasting has been studied to help improve insulin sensitivity, increase gut health mechanisms and boost fat burning.(1)

However, one benefit that's particularly useful for women over 40 is the improved insulin sensitivity perk. As we age, insulin resistance (the opposite of insulin sensitivity) tends to go up. This is usually due to muscle loss and other hormonal changes. Especially if you have had a pregnancy in the past, there could be possible lingering effects of increased insulin resistance from the pregnancy.

Insulin resistance can make it difficult to achieve a weight loss goal. So if your goal is to lose weight, then one major step is to help improve insulin sensitivity.

Psssst... curious how long YOUR Intermittent Fast should be? Take my FREE Intermittent Fasting Schedule Quiz by clicking the button below!

How Long Should A Woman Over 40 Fast?

How long you should fast will depend on a few factors, such as:

if you're exercising
how intense you're exercising
if you're new to fasting
your protein needs
if you're recovering from an injury
if you're insulin resistant

Generally speaking, I never recommend fasts longer than 20 hours. Any longer than this and it's easy to run the risk of not getting adequate protein for the body's needs. And interestingly, as we age our protein needs go up, not down. As protein intake is required for maintaining the metabolism and helping to prevent osteoporosis in the future, this should not be sacrificed.

That being said, I've found a good fasting length that balances the perks of fasting with the perks of eating to range (for most people) between 14-16 hours per day. Although, as I mentioned this can change depending on your specific circumstances. You can checkout my free quiz to help you determine your ideal fasting length HERE.

Looking for inspiration? Checkout Jeannette's interview below. Jeannette lost 47 pounds in her 50s with Intermittent Fasting!

How to Break an Intermittent Fast the Right Way

A common misconception with Intermittent Fasting is that you need to ease back into eating. This usually means sipping on some broth or having a piece of fruit before you eat a bigger meal. This is true for longer fasts, not shorter daily fasts. When you fast for multiple days with extended fasts, the GI tract has gone a while without having to process food. In this circumstance, easing back into eating makes total sense. But with Intermittent Fasting, the body has only gone 14-20 hours without eating. That's not a very long time - at least, it's not to the GI tract. It usually doesn't need to "ease back into eating" after these shorter fasts.

In fact, using this strategy could actually be hindering your progress. Let me explain.

Remember how we discussed that protein needs go up as we age? Getting adequate protein from high quality sources is vital to help maintain the metabolism and prevent bone loss. But protein is highly satiating. So if you limit your eating window even further by slowly easing back into eating, you run the risk of not allowing enough time to get all of your protein in.

Psssst - you can calculate your protein needs with my video below.

So rather than "easing back into eating", I've found focusing on 2-3 full meals during the eating window to be more successful. These meals should always be centered around high quality protein sources to make sure these basic requirements for the body are met. From there, the plate can be filled with fats and fibers to help further boost satiety and provide necessary micronutrients.

This protein, fat and fiber structure is exactly what I teach in the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle. The 100+ recipes included in the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle are also centered around this concept, so that you can eat delicious, satiating meals that help support your wellness goals.

Simple Intermittent Fasting Tips For Success

#1 Pick the right fast length

This is one of the most important factors, because contrary to popular belief - longer fasts aren't always better for weight loss goals. You can take my free quiz to help determine your fasting length depending on your age below.

#2 Incorporate resistance training

Some form of resistance training paired with Intermittent Fasting can be a game changer when it comes to breaking through a plateau. Resistance training can aid in improving insulin resistance by helping you develop additional lean muscle mass.(2) Because insulin resistance is a bigger concern as we age, incorporating resistance training can help to combat it.

You can use any form of resistance training that you enjoy and feels right for your body. This includes strength training, pilates, group classes, the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle workouts and so much more. It's important to find a form of resistance training that you enjoy and that works for you.

#3 Know your protein needs

Getting an idea of how much protein you need in a day and understanding which foods are considered high quality proteins can help to accelerate your progress with Intermittent Fasting. Checkout my video above for how to calculate protein needs.