{"id":459220,"date":"2026-02-05T03:28:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T03:28:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/459220\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T03:28:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T03:28:11","slug":"5-people-who-should-never-try-fasting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/459220\/","title":{"rendered":"5 People Who Should Never Try Fasting"},"content":{"rendered":"

These are the patients a registered dietitian would never recommend intermittent fasting to.<\/p>\n

Intermittent fasting (IF) has been a weight-loss method many individuals have turned to. It involves an alternating eating and fasting pattern with a goal of weight loss, better metabolic wellness, and reduced inflammation<\/a>. Some common patterns include fasting for 16 hours and restricting food intake to an eight-hour window. Others assume their regular eating pattern for five days straight, then limit their calorie intake to between roughly 500 and 600 for two consecutive days.<\/p>\n

While positive results can be achieved from IF, there are also risks. If you are pregnant or have certain chronic conditions, intermittent fasting<\/a> is not a viable choice for you. To learn more about this weight-loss method, we spoke with Ana Reisdorf, MS, RD<\/a>, Registered Dietitian and Founder at GLP-1 Hub, who shares why she tells certain clients to avoid IF altogether.<\/p>\n

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For those in their 40s, 50s, and beyond, IF can make it challenging to meet daily protein needs, which can lead to increased muscle loss<\/a>. This is concerning, as muscle mass already naturally decreases with age. In addition, it can decrease metabolic rate and increase cortisol (the stress hormone) over time.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e<\/p>\n

\tWho Shouldn\u2019t Intermittent Fast<\/p>\n

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While IF can be a successful method for some\u2014and there\u2019s a ton of supporting research behind its benefits\u2014it\u2019s not the right path for everyone.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn those with hormonal changes (menopause<\/a>\/perimenopause), high stress, or on GLP-1s, fasting can cause calorie\/protein intake to drop too low, increasing fatigue, muscle loss, or hormonal dysregulation,\u201d says Reisdorf.<\/p>\n

\tWho\u2019s More Likely To Experience Negative Effects<\/p>\n

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According to Reisdorf, women in menopause and perimenopause, those who have diabetes (especially type-1), those with greater nutritional requirements (i.e. athletes), and individuals taking GLP-1 medication are most likely to experience negative side effects of IF.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese groups have higher protein needs, hormonal imbalances, and can\u2019t really afford to underfuel,\u201d Reisdorf explains.<\/p>\n

\tHow Common It Is To Experience Setbacks With IF<\/p>\n

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Experiencing setbacks with IF is quite common, particularly in women who aren\u2019t already consuming sufficient calories or those under significant stress.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany don\u2019t realize they\u2019re not eating enough because of IF until they feel exhausted, their hair starts falling out, they lose muscle, or weight loss completely stalls,\u201d Reisdorf points out.<\/p>\n

\tMental and Behavioral Challenges You May Face When Fasting<\/p>\n

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IF typically increases obsessive thoughts about food, rebound overeating<\/a>, and \u201cblack and white thinking\u201d around eating habits.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor some, IF makes an all-or-nothing mindset worse,\u201d Reisdorf says.<\/p>\n

\u200b\u200bIf you\u2019re curious about what else GLP-1s can do, check out 5 Surprising Health Benefits of GLP-1 Drugs That Have Nothing to Do With Weight Loss<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Alexa Mellardo<\/p>\n

\t\tAlexa is a freelance writer, editor, and content strategist based in Greenwich, CT. She has 11+ years of experience covering wellness, fitness, food, travel, lifestyle, and home.\t\t\t\t\tRead more about Alexa <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"These are the patients a registered dietitian would never recommend intermittent fasting to. Intermittent fasting (IF) has been…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":459221,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[64,63,137,532,555],"class_list":{"0":"post-459220","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-nutrition","12":"tag-weight-loss"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/459220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=459220"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/459220\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/459221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=459220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=459220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=459220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}