Intermittent Fasting: Health Hack or Just Another Diet Craze?

The Obesity Guide with Matthea Rentea MD

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As more people explore new approaches to health and weight management, intermittent fasting has become a popular option. From time-restricted eating to alternate-day fasting, the idea seems simple enough: limit eating to a set window, and you’ll likely eat less overall. But for many—especially those dealing with Binge Eating Disorder (BED) or binge tendencies—the reality often looks quite different.

If it hasn’t worked for you, it’s not you who failed; it’s the method that’s failed you. In this episode, I’m diving into when and why intermittent fasting can fall short. Tune in to learn why it may not be the best choice for everyone—and discover more balanced, sustainable ways to nourish your body and find peace with food.
References
The Top 5 Mistakes That People Make When Starting a GLP-1
Audio Stamps
00:29 - Dr. Rentea explains what intermittent fasting is and how she sees it backfire for those with binge eating tendencies.
03:14 - While some feel energized by intermittent fasting, it often leads to unhealthy eating patterns and poor results.

09:33 - The ‘all-or-nothing’ mindset can lead to stricter eating patterns, like shifting from 16:8 fasting to alternate-day fasting, causing a loss of control on eating days.
12:58 - Dr. Rentea encourages you to assess whether your current eating strategy feels sustainable and beneficial.
Quotes
“If you are someone that at times really wants to eat larger quantities of food and you might have an ‘all-or-nothing’ side of you where you go from ‘I have to eat perfectly’ and then ‘I want to eat all the things’, intermittent fasting is not going to be your friend.”
“One of the biggest things that I work on when people have binge eating disorder, it's creating balance throughout the day for them so that their blood sugars can stay stable.”
“The best thing that's ever going to happen to some of you is just going to be to have cookies every day.”
“The goal is not zero. The goal is less often, and the goal is that you have a plan for what to do afterward. A lot of you have no aftercare plan for when you have a binge, and that is the thing that's killing you.”
“The most loving thing you can do after a binge the next day is to just go ahead and have your normal breakfast.”
“Be willing to change it up as often as you need to, to keep figuring out what works, to keep getting yourself results, to be willing to change things up at different stages in your life.”
“The cliff that every woman falls off is during perimenopause and menopause. What worked before doesn't work anymore.”

All of the information on this podcast is for general informational purposes only. Please talk to your physician and medical team about what is right for you. No medical advice is being on this podcast.
If you live in Indiana or Illinois and want to work with doctor Matthea Rentea, you can find out more on www.RenteaClinic.com