Why The Pioneer Woman Doesn't Like Intermittent Fasting

One of the latest buzz phrases when it comes to weight loss and dieting is "intermittent fasting." According to Healthline, the concept is about limiting calories and burning fat through scheduled eating. For example, you may give yourself an eight-hour eating timeframe (such as from 10 am to 6 pm), and when you're outside of that window, you're fasting, including staying away from calorie- and sugar-heavy drinks like alcohol and soda. Typically, most people stick to a 16:8 ratio, equating to 16 hours of fasting and eight hours of eating. It sounds like a long time to fast, but keep in mind a good chunk of that is post-dinnertime followed by sleep.

Intermittent fasting can help break bad eating habits like boredom snacking and the infamous late-night munchies. It can also help reset your appetite, leading to better portion control (no more craving second helpings). The interesting thing about intermittent fasting is that, unlike gluten-free or keto diets, it doesn't abide by certain restrictive guidelines. So if you want a slice of pizza during your eating window, there's no rule saying you can't. Intermittent fasting has some leniency to it, which is why so many people gravitate towards it. 

In June, Ree Drummond revealed she'd lost 43 pounds in the last year, but it wasn't because of intermittent fasting, which she found counter-intuitive.

In a personal essay for her magazine, The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond opened up about the weight loss journey she's been on for the last year and why intermittent fasting didn't work for her. "I've tried it before, and it caused me to gorge during my eating window," she penned. "Since calories matter, this didn't work for me."

As explained by Healthline, calories do make all the difference in intermittent fasting. Just like Drummond's experience, fasting can lead to periods of "gorging" or over-eating, which is the exact opposite of what you want to be doing on a weight loss program. The objective of intermittent fasting is to help decrease your appetite so you crave less, rather than eat as much as possible in the eating timeframe because you know it's going to be another 16 hours until you can do so again.

To lose the weight, The Pioneer Woman did not hire a trainer or join a weight loss program. In fact, she didn't follow any fad diet or special regime at all, she just cut back on calories where she saw fit and stayed focused on her goal to feel better and more energized. Here is what worked for her, according to Drummond — eating less calories; weighing food; exercising; gaining muscle; loading up on protein; cutting out sugar when possible; saying goodbye to alcohol; and transitioning to a standing desk. She also used an app called Happy Scale to help her track her progress.