Intermittent Fasting for Menopause Made Easy

As women, it often feels as though our hormones are fighting against us as we age, especially when it comes to weight. Luckily, there are smart people working hard to pinpoint exactly what strategies work best to regain a healthy weight using intermittent fasting for menopause. In fact, Canadian clinical researcher Megan Ramos discovered the best intermittent fasting approach — what she calls the “sweet spot” — for women over 40. And she’s successfully tested it worldwide with 20,000 fans. Keep reading to find out more about the perfect fasting approach during menopause, plus inspiring success stories and insider tips to speed your results.

What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting is a practice that reduces the number of hours during the day in which you consume food. It is a way to give the body time to rest and digest. Some menopausal women ease in by first cutting out snacks, then gradually extending the time between their last meal of the day and their first meal the next morning. For example, some women aim for around 14 hours between eating — say, from 7 pm to 9 am daily. From there, with a doctor’s approval, they can extend to a longer fast.

The science of intermittent fasting and weight loss

Intermittent fasting gained popularity, in part, thanks to the work of Jason Fung, MD. He saw the link between insulin spikes and weight gain, two problems that are common among menopausal women. When people ate, their insulin levels rose, and the hormone inhibited weight loss. The physician and bestselling author of The Obesity Code, explains, “Insulin completely blocks fat burning. When insulin is high, your body wants to store calories, not burn them.”

Over the years, Dr. Fung has prescribed intermittent fasting to thousands of patients, many of them in menopause. And it works: When you limit the amount of time you eat throughout the day — even without limiting portions or calories — you better control the release of weight loss–blocking insulin. He says, “Fasting is simply the fastest, most efficient method of lowering insulin.”

Intermittent fasting worked for Megan

Dr. Fung's work inspired a coworker in a research lab. Several years ago, Canadian clinical researcher Megan Ramos was facing serious health issues, including fatigue, fatty liver and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). She overhauled her diet by eating six small meals spread throughout the day and began exercising with a trainer. And she still gained 80 pounds and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Then she tried intermittent fasting based on the inspiring results she was seeing from Dr. Fung's work. Fasting worked: Ramos reversed her type 2 diabetes, PCOS and fatty liver and lost 60 pounds in the first six months. Flash-forward 10 years: “I’m still free of all my medical conditions and have maintained an 86-pound weight loss,” Ramos reveals in her new book The Essential Guide to Intermittent Fasting for Women. Now Ramos has become a major leader in the world of fasting, helping thousands of people master the technique.

Using intermittent fasting for menopause

Women over the age of 40, Ramos says, can enjoy a wide range of benefits from fasting. Among them: You'll speed slimming, improve estrogen dominance, prevent or improve insulin resistance, reverse conditions like type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, protect against muscle and bone loss and even improve vaginal dryness and libido.

Ramos, who outlines various fasting protocols in her book, also offers what she says is the best strategy for women over 40 who are entering the perimenopause and menopause phases of life. It may sound radical, but she says, “A sweet spot is three 36-hour fasts per week.”

How extended fasts help women during menopause

This schedule of extended fasts, Ramos explains, is a gold-standard approach for weight loss and type 2 diabetes reversal for older women. This approach works by lowering insulin levels and jump-starting fat loss to the tune of about half a pound of weight each time. “If you are following this protocol, you’ll find yourself typically losing 1.5 pounds of fat per week,” says Ramos. Note the word fat — this isn’t water weight, this is body fat, so you’ll be experiencing the true weight loss that transforms your body and your health.

How to practice intermittent fasting for menopause

The approach Ramos recommends, fasting for 36 hours three times a week, has you enjoying breakfast, lunch and dinner four days a week, then fasting three days. That might look like fasting on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but you can switch things up by scheduling your fasting days on your least busy or strenuous days to make it easier. Ramos explains, “Don’t get discouraged — fasting will get easier.” She advises giving your body a month to adjust.

3 tips to make intermittent fasting for menopause easier

Ramos has found nutritional assists that can help women in menopause see better results with less struggle. Try these three gems to get the most out of a fasting routine:

1. Eat more fiber

“Fiber is an excellent appetite suppressant,” Ramos says. Add it to your diet and “you’ll experience physical fullness, which sends strong satiation signals to the brain. This really helps combat temptations.” And since fiber isn’t fully digested by the body, “consuming it maintains the integrity of your fast.”

One source generating buzz is the fiber from the “superfruit” baobab. Dr. Fung says, “Baobab fruit is high in fiber, but may also have other benefits due to its antioxidant and polyphenol content.”

“I am not surprised baobab is having its moment, considering it is hitting on a number of trending areas within food and nutrition, sitting at an intersection of ethnically diverse cuisine, gut-healthy prebiotics and whole-food functional and natural nutrition,” says Kara Landau, RD, a registered dietitian with Gut Feeling Consultancy and nutrition advisor to the Global Prebiotic Association.

One study performed on 20 healthy individuals showed that consuming a smoothie containing 15 grams of baobab powder delivered impressive hunger-controlling benefits: Researchers from the Functional Food Centre, Oxford Brookes University, reporting in the journal Nutrition and Health linked the high content of dietary fiber and polyphenols in baobab fruit to increased satiety, which can have a positive effect on weight.

How to get fiber: Try a drink mix, like Kaibae baobab fruit powder, with 8 grams of the fiber per 1 Tbs. serving. Tabatha Johnson, of Vancouver, Washington, who lost 6 pounds practicing intermittent fasting, used a mix called Enzymedica Fasting Today and calls baobab powder “a game changer” in her intermittent fasting journey.

2. Consider electrolytes

These minerals — often sodium, potassium and magnesium—protect against fatigue, headaches, nausea and hunger, symptoms many women experience when fasting. Plus, they reduce stress on the body, which Ramos says improves fat loss. “During fasting, most people take little or no salt or other electrolytes, and that can lead to dizziness and muscle cramps,” Dr. Fung cautions. “Supplementing with sodium, potassium and magnesium can help reduce those symptoms.”

How to get electrolytes: Every 2 to 4 hours, drink 8 to 16 oz. of water with a little bit of salt added, and also take a daily magnesium supplement. (Or try a mineral blend like Liquid I.V. mixed into a glass of water.) The sodium and magnesium will help keep the other electrolytes in balance.

Read more: How An Electrolyte Water Like Liquid IV Can Help You Lose Weight and Have More Energy

3. Consume amino acids

“During fasting, some people worry about loss of muscle or other proteins, so supplementing with amino acids is one way of reducing that risk,” explains Dr. Fung. “And amino acids are the building blocks of proteins.” Plus, protein is critical for maintaining thyroid function, sex hormone production and muscle mass — all of which help ward off weight gain.

How to get amino acids: During your fasting window, sit down to a bowl of amino acid-rich bone broth, like Kettle & Fire ready-made broth. The liquid won’t break your fast, but spooning it up tricks your mind into thinking you’re having a meal, so it’s easier to stick with your plan.

Read more: Bone Broth Drinks Can Heal Your Gut to Boost Weight Loss: Top Doc Shares 3 Recipes

What do you eat during meal times?

That is fairly flexible, but the key is to stick to a nutritious diet low in sugars and refined carbohydrates, suggests Ramos. Follow a low-carb, higher protein approach. Ramos explains that limiting carbs is especially beneficial at the start of your journey to help you feel your best. As your body heals from insulin resistance and you become more active, you can eat more carbs and still remain in a primarily fat-fueling state. Ramos calls this ability to adapt “metabolic flexibility.”

Read More: The Power of Carb Cheat Days to Restore Metabolic Flexibility

To learn more, check out Megan Ramos’ new book, The Essential Guide to Intermittent Fasting for Women.

Intermittent fasting success story: Abigail Stansfield

Marooned on a park bench while her family played with the dog, Abigail Stansfield felt achy, tired and lost. She’d always been the healthiest person she knew — until an autoimmune disease stole her energy and piled on the pounds. She lamented, I’ve lost 10 years of my life to chronic fatigue. I have to find a way to feel better…

After seeing 28 doctors who couldn’t help her, Abigail began making changes to improve her blood-sugar regulation and reduce inflammation. With help from the Glucose Goddess, Abigail discovered she felt best when fasting. She enjoyed all of her calories in one meal per day. “Within three days, I felt a shift — less bloat and pain,” Abigail recalls. “At seven days, something happened in my mind. I had more clarity and more energy. The cloud lifted.”

Read more: ‘Glucose Goddess’: 4 Brilliant Hacks That Dramatically Improve Blood Sugar

Abigail started losing 2 pounds a week

Although Abigail had struggled to lose even a single pound over a decade, she began melting away weight every week. After a few months, she visited her rheumatologist and discovered, “My doctor didn’t even recognize me!” Abigail knew, “This is my second chance!”

What's more: Abigail's lab work experienced a makeover too. Her blood sugar dropped to a healthy, normal range, and her clothing size fell from 12 to 6. Now, she has zero autoimmune symptoms! She says, “I have been fasting ‘one meal a day’ since September of 2022 with life-changing results!” —Additional reporting by Lisa Maxbauer

This article originally appeared in our print magazine, First For Women.

This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.