Mary Dellios, from Werribee, didn’t eat from 9pm until 2pm the following day over the course of a year.
“I thought ‘OK, I’m going to go all in’,” she told 9News, adding she kept up a heavy exercise routine during that time.
“All the health things that were supposed to come with intermittent fasting just weren’t coming for me,” Dellios said.
“I was very drawn in the face, I looked real haggard. I had really crappy sleeps. The next thing I noticed was hair loss, that was probably towards the very end.”
The 53-year-old decided to stop fasting and instead eat throughout the day and almost immediately noticed health benefits.
Fasting has been shown to help some lose weight but it can backfire, especially for women, according to health coach Kitty Blomfield from NuStrength.
Read Related Also: Love Island Australia star Erin Barnett gives health update following hysterectomy at age 27
“I think we’re addicted to the quick fix, rather than actually taking the time to learn and understand our body and what works for us,” Blomfield said.
She says fasting can result in a reduction of sex hormones and bloating and suggests tracking calories and protein is a better way to lose weight and keep it off in the long term.
“Women can still have a sexy body and a strong and toned athletic body without starving yourself and you can eat real food,” she said.
University of Queensland Associate Professor Ingrid Hickman points to more positive research about intermittent fasting.
“Even if people don’t lose weight, a reduction in fasting insulin seems to happen straight away,” Hickman said.
Reducing insulin levels can help improve metabolism and lower the risk of disease.
Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.
