CAN I TAKE MY MEDICATIONS?
Of course you can take your medications!
I would go beyond that and say that you must take your medication. Medications are put in place for better health. If you don’t take them you risk your health
We don’t want that contradiction.
Though I’m not a doctor, I have enough common sense to know that if I take a daily medication to regulate my heart, I need to take it no matter what.
Even if you want to try intermittent fasting.
I would highly recommend discussing intermittent fasting with your doctor before trying it, especially with medications. They are the experts.
A lot of people think that they can’t do intermittent fasting if they have a daily medication regime, but they can.
You might not be able to do some fasting types like skipping breakfast if you need to take your medication with food, but you can do other types of fasts.
In particular, you can do fast mimicking programs like the 5:2 fast. I have experience doing the 5:2 fast. I lost 50 pounds by doing this program.
I joined a Facebook group from the UK and discovered many older people who have done this type of intermittent fasting for a while. Many have incredible stories of how they lost weight and overcame health obstacles.
The 5:2 fast originated from Dr. Michael Mosley. I like the fact that he is a doctor and knows what he’s doing when it comes to this type of fast. It’s dubbed a fast mimicking fast because you’re sort of fasting.
It’s a caloric reduction program.
You learn to reduce your calories two days a week and eat like normal for the rest of the week. This type of fast would work perfectly for those who must take their medication with food because you’re allowed to have 500 calories in your fasting window.
Just eat a light breakfast like a small bowl of oatmeal and take your pills. Track how many calories there are by using a calorie tracking app. There are many different ones available.
If you do that, and you stay under the 500 calories allowed for women, and 600 calories allowed for men, you will be able to stick with the intermittent fasting program.
The only caveat to that is that you have to track your calories. I don’t particularly like that part of it because when I did that it was a pain in the butt, but it is necessary if you must take medication to do intermittent fasting.
It’s crazy, but a lot of people have reported that they no longer need their medication after they’ve been doing intermittent fasting for a while. Their bodies have healed enough to chuck the meds out.
However, I would highly caution this practice. Make sure you run everything by your doctor so your health isn’t affected in a negative way. I can’t stress that enough especially if you are on medications for mental health reasons.
Fast mimicking fasts will work wonderfully for those who must take their medication with food. You will reap the benefits of intermittent fasting just like everyone else.
My only beef with fast mimicking fasts, is the attitude other fasters have with it. People put it down saying that it is not really fasting. If you’re eating food, then you’re not fasting. That is totally untrue!
If someone tells you that, then tell them other people have done it and still lost weight and reap the benefits of intermittent fasting. Heck, tell them Kathleen Morris did it. Hungry old lady. She lost 50 pounds during menopause by doing a fast mimicking regime called the 5:2 fast.
It’s what I cut my teeth on.
I hold fond memories of the 5:2 fast and give great respect to Dr. Michael Mosley for showing us all that it can be done, even when you’re older, even when you have health problems. Even when you have to take medications.
WHAT KINDS OF FASTS ARE BEST?
I cut my teeth on the 5:2 fast, and lost the majority of my weight doing it even though I switched from eating 500 calories in my fasting window, to strictly drinking water.
I can tell you that I lost about 20 of those pounds by doing the 500-calorie method. So, don’t let anyone say the only way to lose weight is by doing a water fast, because that is simply not true.
Just ask the thousands of people in the 5:2 fast Facebook groups out there.
I would say, for an older person, the 5:2 fast is the best way to get started with your intermittent fasting journey. It’s like a baby fast.
It helps you get started very slowly, and that’s what you need for an older person. The worst thing to do is jump too fast. I’ve seen people do it and it’s frustrated them to the point of giving up.
It’s okay to experiment with other types of fasts, just as long as you give your body time to adjust to the caloric deficit you’re creating.
Once your body gets adjusted you can start experimenting with another fast like the 16:8 where you skip breakfast every day. Or, the 18:6, or the 20:4, or even OMAD.
I’ve done intermittent fasting now for over five years and I’ve just now finally graduated into eating one meal a day. Don’t expect to be able to do something like that right off the bat especially if you’re older. It takes time.
That said, there is always an exception to the rule. You know your body better than anyone else. If you feel you want to try something different, that is totally up to you.
When you do intermittent fasting, you make the rules.
LENGTH OF FASTS
If you decide to experiment with other types of fasts besides fast mimicking, length of fast will become an issue.
You will have to decide how long your fast will be. For me, I decided to do a long fast once a month to detox my body. I could’ve done this right when I started intermittent fasting way back when, but it’s something I had to build up to.
I love my long fasts, and I usually go three or four days once a month. I always look forward to these types of fasts.
But you can make a fast as long as you want. The beauty of intermittent fasting is that you are in full control. Nobody is telling you what to do or how long to fast.
Make up your own rules, and feel free to break them too.
ACTIVITIES WHILE FASTING
A lot of people think that you can’t do anything when you fast. They say that you will be as weak as a kitten, unable to lift your head off a pillow. That is totally false.
Even as an older person, you will have enough energy to go about your day as normal.
Of course, it always depends on a person’s state of health. You always need to check with the doctor and run it by him first before you start intermittent fasting. But the average person can function just fine while fasting.
For example, I can walk for miles to work every day while fasting, and not collapse with fatigue. In fact, I find I have more energy when I’m doing intermittent fasting.
DOCTORS ORDERS
If you are considering doing intermittent fasting, it’s very important to run it by your doctor first. I’m not a doctor, and I’m not responsible for anything you may try, or any results you may get from it, negative or positive. You do intermittent fasting at your own risk.
That’s true for me as well.
Personally, I never cared what my doctor said but I’m a little bullheaded. I don’t recommend being as stubborn as I am, but it’s still good to think outside the box.
I did tell my doctor what I was doing at one point, but her reaction wasn’t very good. Most doctors don’t think that intermittent fasting is healthy for you, but I think if they read the Harvard studies on intermittent fasting, they would change their mind.
Most people don’t even know the Harvard studies exist. I will link it at the end of the article if you care to read it.
DOING WHAT YOU WANT
As I said before, I’m a little bullheaded so I tend to do whatever I want when it comes to my health. I don’t let doctors dictate my life. I adopted that philosophy of thinking for many reasons.
I struggled with certain health issues on and off throughout my life, and the doctors didn’t know what to do. I became frustrated and realized that I could do just as good of a job as they did, if not better.
I know that’s arrogant, but it’s how I feel. I don’t have a lot of hope in the healthcare system these days and I feel that we need to be our own health advocates.
So, I educate myself. I learned. I grew. And then I passed it along to those who would listen in hopes to help someone else that is struggling.
That’s my hope with this blog. If it can help someone else at least try the intermittent fasting lifestyle, then all my efforts will be worth it.
EXERCISE OR NOT
You don’t need to exercise with the intermittent fasting lifestyle. That said, you should. Anytime you move your body, you’re doing it a favour.
That doesn’t mean that you have to go out and buy a gym membership. It doesn’t mean you have to start a vigorous weight lifting program. You don’t have to play organized sports, or do anything organized for that matter.
All you have to do is move your body. Choose something you love and do it. Any activity will do, from walking, to square dancing, to jogging, or anything in between.
Just find something that will get your body moving, even if that means with limitation. Many of us have ailments like arthritis and injuries, but if we can just keep moving, even if it’s puttering in your garden, both your body and mind will benefit.
PROS AND CONS
The pros of intermittent fasting are many. According to research, intermittent fasting benefits span from preventing Alzheimer’s, to keeping your heart healthy.
It helps normalize blood pressure and prevent diabetes. Intermittent fasting has cleared up skin problems and taken away brain fog. It can lower cholesterol and normalized blood sugars in the body.
Intermittent fasting heals the gut and helps bowel regularity. It reduces inflammation and can reboot your entire immune system.
It can make you look and feel younger and boost your energy levels. It also promotes cell regeneration and increases human growth hormone.
There are so many benefits it’s hard to name them all.
The con’s, if there are any, are so few it’s barely worth mentioning. I say one of the cons would be that you have to listen to your tummy growl. Being hungry is not an enjoyable feeling but you’ll get over it. There is healing in the hunger.
That makes everything worth it.
RESULTS
I can only say my results. Other people may
have amazing results. You’ll have to look them up. But as for me, I’ve benefited
in a huge way due to my intermittent fasting lifestyle.
And I do call it a lifestyle.
Some would call it a diet, but it has never been that. Not for me. It’s a way of eating that has made me feel alive, youthful, and energetic.
I haven’t felt this way in a long time. Menopause started to suck the life out of me and drain me of every ounce of energy and youthfulness I had. I thought it was the end, but when I started intermittent fasting, I realized it was just the beginning.
Life for me is now full of beauty and strength, self-discipline and achievement. And I haven’t even listed the benefits that I’ve seen in my own body yet.
Let me tell you, my skin problems have gone away. I used to struggle with eczema all over my body. It has been so bad that a terrible bout of eyelid eczema lasted three painful long months.
But not anymore.
I used to struggle with severe dizzy spells for decades. But not anymore.
I used to struggle with the menopause middle. I was embarrassed to wear my clothing because I had gained 50 extra pounds of belly fat literally overnight. I thought I would never be able to fit into my clothes again. But I did.
I used to have a heart murmur, but not anymore.
I used to be so tired I could barely walk up a flight of stairs. I wondered how I would ever be able to keep up to my grandchildren. But I don’t wonder anymore. I run after them and play with them just like when I was young.
Intermittent fasting is responsible for all these things. I do not only feel young again, but it brought back my youthful glow. It brought back my youthful figure. It took my menopause brain fog away and brought meet clarity once again.
Intermittent fasting has given me my life back and I am so grateful!
If you liked this article, please consider pinning it on Pinterest by clicking the picture below.
For further information, go to the Hungry Old Lady Youtube channel by clicking on the video at the end. I hope you enjoyed this article and consider living an intermittent fasting lifestyle.
