After years of yo-yo dieting and struggling with her weight, 28-year-old Kendra Burke of Charleston, South Carolina, says that she's found success with intermittent fasting between meals.
Intermittent fasting, currently one of the world's most popular health and fitness trends, involves alternating cycles of fasting and eating. The fasting cycle involves not eating, while the eating cycle involves non-fasting, or eating. Proponents claim that intermittent fasting harnesses the power of humans' natural eating/not-eating cycles, skyrocketing their health.
Kendra is a happy example. “The amount of healing that happens when you're fasting is phenomenal,” she claims.
As an amateur bodybuilder who's concerned about keeping her metabolism high and not losing muscle, Kendra has shied away from more extreme versions of intermittent fasting. “I only do it between meals or snacks,” she explains.
Kendra does warn, however, that intermittent fasting can trigger dangerous drops in blood sugar levels for those who aren't careful. For that reason, she finds it helpful to keep a cooler on hand with plenty of convenient protein- and/or fat-laden snacks, like cheese sticks, deli meats, dark chocolate bars, and avocados. “It's important to keep your digestive system on its toes,” says Kendra. “That's where incorporating some variety into your intermittent fasting schedule can make all the difference.”
Kendra says that thanks to the power of intermittent fasting, she's gained over twelve pounds of muscle. “I would urge anyone to try it," she says. “It takes some discipline, but it's worth it.”
