Intuitive Fasting: The New York Times Bestseller by Will Cole

Intuitive Fasting: The New York Times Bestseller Reviews

• 
  Diana

  I stumbled upon this book that I wasn't even looking for but when I saw what it was about, I ended up picking it up. My interest in this book comes from various times in my life where I found myself "accidentally" fasting, so to speak. We all handle stress differently and no one is immune to the occasional bouts of stressful times in our lives. We are all human. I am a person who finds myself with a complete lack of appetite during stressful times; therefore, inadvertently "fasting" during those times. I did not follow Dr. Cole's Four-Week plan he outlines in this book. I read this purely as an informational tool about fasting.
  
  It was refreshing to read this book full of facts based on research about how fasting affects the human body. It's often drilled in our heads to eat 6 times a day, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, do not skip meals, etc., etc. This book by no means is telling anyone to starve themselves or put their health at risk or anything like that; rather it is nice to hear a different spin on eating patterns that many of us seem to have been raised on. When you go 12, 14, or even the occasional 24 hours without eating you are not harming your body and in fact some bodies benefit from this fasting. I was amazed to read about diabetics no longer requiring medication after practicing a regular 12 or 14 hour fast into their routines. Also, those with various "gut" issues such as IBS found relief with intermittent fasting.
  
  Most of my life I have avoided drinking tea but over the last couple of years I have begun to found I enjoy an occasional hot cup of tea. I was surprised to find a section of this book completely dedicated to tea in which the author lists several different types of tea and their specific health benefits. Nice bonus.
• 
  Lindsay Nixon

  Pushes keto + fasting; that’s not why I’m rating it poorly.
  
  Nothing new here. If you’ve read an article on fasting or keto in the last 10 years, you’ve read the info here. Oh, and sugar and processed stuff is bad, in case you didn’t know... 🙄
  
  The title of this book caught my eye... i thought, “is someone suggesting fasting a la intuitive eating... as in, you listen to your body about how and when to no eat/fast???”
  
  Nope. 👎 This book suggests you try the 4 kinds of IF already out there and regurgitates his previous books which restate info you’ve already heard and read 100x but he’s friends with queen goop so...
  
  Overall, there’s nothing “intuitive” about his approach, rather it is all “do what I say” and “do this week 1” and you’re put on a keto diet with various “styles” of the fasting w/ the goal of ketosis.
  
  I suppose the upside is I took his quiz that evaluates if you are addicted to sugar/carbs/insulin resistant/inflamed/need help and had a score of 3 out of 70? 100? Point is, my score was so low I didn’t need any help, at all... and I don’t do his plan (keto + fasting)
  
  I’m either a rare special unicorn 🦄 or the reality is I am living the way most humans used to, the way most Asians and Europeans still do...
  
  aka eat an appropriate amount of energy for your size (not too little, not too much), that energy comes from Whole Foods, most or all of which are plants, sleep enough, drink enough water, have joy/hobbies, strong community, less busywork, life is manageable, move in a way that feels good (walking daily for me) and you “fast” a minimum of 12 hours but 14 is better, overnight.. 8am to 6pm
  
  I would recommend the obesity code instead.
• 
  Mystereity Reviews

  I'm no stranger to fasting; I lost 50 lbs with fasting/keto but then 2020 happened and I fell off the wagon. Ugh. When I saw this on Netgalley, I requested it, as my goal for the new year is to get back on the weight loss train and I was interested in seeing if there was anything new I could add to my routine.
  
  I'm not sure where the idea that fasting is bad for you came about, but it's not true. When I started fasting, I had a lot of people spouting off untruths - everything from how fasting will "slow your metabolism" to "it's not healthy" to the head scratching "you'll become malnourished". Seriously? None of those things are true.
  And adding low-carb eating along with fasting cuts down on cravings, which means once you get past the first week or 2, you'll find it easier and easier to do.
  
  As far as all of the information in the book goes, I did learn a few new things that I intend to incorporate into my new program. Things like staying away from diet sodas (I'm not going to pretend I'll give up my beloved Pepsi Free entirely, but I will reduce the amount I drink substantially) and also from dairy (As a cheese addict, this one will be tough. Goodbye Pepper Jack, I'll miss you) so I've got some challenges in the weeks ahead as I adjust my eating plan.
  
  If you are new to fasting (or are interested in learning more about it) then this is a great place to learn more. All the information is easy to understand and would be a great resource for people who want to begin fasting but don't know where to start. Included in the program are recipes and sample plans for what the author calls "Ketotarian" - in other words a high fat/moderate protein/low carb diet that includes lean meats and vegetables, combined with a 4 week get started plan. The program is simple enough to do (although the first week may not be easy) and I recommend it for people to at least try.
• 
  Donna

  This is Nonfiction Health. The author gives his 4 week plan for intermittent fasting (IF) in this short book. If you are a total newbie to IF this might be the book for you because the author walks you through each step and he covers the "why" of it all. Also if you want a diet that is 50% fat, 30% protein and 20% or less of carbs, again, this might be the book for you (which I'm not a fan of). I also liked that he used new studies that I haven't heard before. So many Health books use the same studies over and over again. So yay for the newness he provided.
  
  I liked this author's flexible approach to this plan. He stressed the "low-stress" approach. However, I'm not new to this type of eating and the macro ratio isn't one I believe in for the long run. You don't need that ratio to practice IF. While I liked the rehash of the benefits of IF, the author clearly was addressing newbies. So 3 stars.
• 
  Lisa Butterworth

  I dislike many things about this book, first and foremost, it would require so much time, labor, energy and money to eat like this that only a tiny fraction of the the world's rich, privileged, and comfortable could even consider it.
  
  I would have been more okay with this book if it hadn't used the word "Intuitive" There is exactly zero ZERO zero "intuitive" things going on in this book. Intuitive eating advocates not creating a scarcity mindset through creating "forbidden" foods. This whole book is about making most food forbidden. Intuitive eating is about listening to your body and honoring it's hunger and satiation signals, this book mentions "eat until your satisfied" exactly one time that I noticed but gave no further information about how to do this (blerg, it should be easy but it's not, we are broken by this stupid world). Intuitive eating is all about not focusing on weight loss but on feeling healthy both mentally and physically, this book is 100% about weight loss, when it says "healthy" it really means "skinny".
  
  I am just seriously not a fan of celebrity doctors who use "sciencey" sounding reasons for giving completely speculative nonsense advice. And while I think intermittent fasting is an interesting and intriguing area of study, this book is full of so much nonsense i don't even have the energy to start.
• 
  Kammy

  Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this book via netgalley!
  
  This books really explains well how to fully get the benefits of intermittent system. It clearly shows you how to get yourself to the level of being able to do omad. Also teaches you how to continue beyond the four weeks. Clearly and concise with lots of information! Back of the food gives you good tips on what to eat and lots of recipes! I have to say the chicken salad stuffed celery got my curiosity! As someone who hates peanut butter but loves celery, looking forward to making my celery stick more interesting!
• 
  Laverne

  Knowing Your Body
  
  Eating recommendations from the experts have always been very confusing for me. It became even more so when I was diagnosed as diabetic Type 2. If I remember correctly in 2008 I was told to eat 6 small meals good grief to me that was too much eating. More than ten years later I feel like I've finally got it; for my body it IS about when I eat not so much what I eat.
  Dr Cole shares a 4 week intermittent Fasting plan in this book that might not be so ground shaking for those who have fasting in the past, but it might be for first time IF'er (Intermittent Fasters)
  
  The first two weeks I thought my scale was broken, but week after week the numbers keep going down. I like that Cole says this is a way to recharge your metabolism and that is exactly what I feel is happening. The idea of "Intuitive eating" is something we all can do and Dr. Cole shares how in his 4 week plan. I won't go into the details because you need the book for support but the weeks are set up as such:
  Week 1 - Reset
  Week 2 - Recharge
  Week 3 - Renew
  Week 4 Rebalance
  
  I great read and I am sure I will be purchasing copies for family & friends.
  This book was provider by the publisher in exchange for my thoughtful & honest review.
  
• 
  Sharon

  He raises some good points about eliminating sugar from the diet as well as intermittent fasting. I find that for a book that sells itself as intuitive it is far too prescriptive. As well for someone who is eliminating sugar there’s a lot of Stevia there. People should eat a plant-based diet, and avoid processed foods. Michael Pollan and had it right: eat food, mostly plants, not too much.
• 
  Cassandra

  DNF
  I DONT DO KETO. I DON'T WANT TO DO KETO. THEY SHOULD OF TITLED THIS BOOK INTUITIVE KETO FASTING
• 
  Sarah

  Okay, 2 borrows from the library during covid interlibrary loan shipping/wait time and we finally are finished this book!
  
  This is nothing overly new. It is a Keto/intermittent fasting hybrid diet/life change hybrid system. It kind of gives you a gentler way to get into a modified keto hybrid without turning into a carb crazed lunatic. In theory. If you are huge on carbs, this is going to be a bit of a struggle for you. they want you to cut down to 25-55 grams of carbs per day and throw in a day of 75-125 grams of carbs after the first couple of weeks in order to have "carb-up" days to help your body not become the craving lunatic. But you can't have just any carbs! No no, they must be keto friendly carbs, like higher fructose fruit and some more starchy veggies or a bit of rice. Kiss pastries, bread, pasta, etc goodbye.
  
  They can have everything BUT my pasta. If I can't eat a bowl of spaghetti every other week, life's just not worth living anymore. lol Seriously though, this diet is probably only going to be viable for anyone who either has excellent self control long term or doesn't love any type of carb or sugar. Sugar is just an automatic "duh" for the no no train. I don't even think the author bothers telling you point blank to ditch the sugar. Of course I started this book over a month ago..
  
  There's a quiz at the beginning to let you know where you sit in terms of 'healthy' living, let's say. I was 3-4 points off being there already (stops for a moment of reflection). Unfortunately my after dinner snacking did me in and I obviously need to figure out how to quit that. The book does talk a little bit about ways to try to curb these habits, specially if it's due to stress/emotional eating.
  
  The author encourages you to try journaling, mediation, stress breathing techniques, etc. He also suggests that all electronic devices such as tvs, phones, computer, tablets, etc be turned off at least an hour before bed. I honestly can't remember if he says you should try reading but I hope he knows people like me have a nasty habit of completing book a started just before bed and then it'll directly impact his demand that you get AT LEAST 7 hours of sleep at night...which I already struggle with. Honestly I know I'm not allowed to start reading anything after 7pm cause I am perfectly will to not sleep in favour of a great story. I have no self control once I get going with something I like.
  
  Like all diet books, this one recommends exercise. It doesn't matter so much what type, just so long as it is something your enjoy and is therefore sustainable. What a nice change. He even goes so far as to tell you to take it easy on certain fasting days.
  
  There is a large section (and I mean a few pages only) devoted to herbs and such that can go into tea and what their medicinal properties are. Much larger than any other diet book i have yet to come across. Most diet books only give tea a line or two worth of text. Do note that this author is anti-caffeine which flies in the face of general fasting practices.
  
  The last quarter of the book is devoted to recipes, the majority of them I find either unappealing, expensive or lacking in filling qualities. If you are telling my one chicken breast (4 ounces) with 2 ounces of mushrooms OR 2 cups of kale with two eggs is suppose to be a filling meal that will keep you full for hours, you got another thing coming I think. I mean 4 ounces of chicken with a few slices of orange on it and some chia seeds.... you know I might actually eat this as a lunch because I have my life backwards and enjoy a light lunch and a heavier dinner, but this would in no way keep me full from 5-5:30 till 10:30 at night (when I generally fall into bed) as a dinner. I don't like trying to sleep if I'm hungry, which will conflict with his relaxation and sleeping improvement sections.
  
  Anyhow, some of it looks interesting. I like the idea of the Chicken, Cabbage and Sunflower Seed Salad, but 2/3s of the things on the dressing list I do not own and 1 of them will have the keto people at each others throats as to whether or not it's good for you, artificial sweetener. I would probably look into either replacing the dressing with a vinaigrette or a creamier dressing. And I'd probably eat both servings if it was dinner...
  
  He talks about replacing carbs with fat but some of these recipes have so little fat in them I can't figure out how you would be sated eating 4 ounces of chicken thigh with the skin off, 1 tablespoon of avocado oil with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Yes my friends, that's a freaking recipe in here. Admittedly there are better examples in here for recipes. Another has 3 tablespoons of oil for 2 skinless chicken breast? Hmm. Most keto cookbooks tell you the leave that skin on for the fat content and throw more fat on.
  
  Anyhow, I have a question for folks. How on earth do you know if your cow is grass fed 93% lean sirloin??? My local grocery store just says things like : Extra lean ground Beef, Lean Ground Beef, Regular Ground Beef. Do not answer that question. I'm just pointing something out here. Like avocado oil...where is that in a small town grocery store? I have extra virgin olive oil and that's about as good as it gets.
  
  First meals range between 200 and 500ish calories. Second meal, 300-550ish calories. Third meal 250-560ish. Snacks and sides 120-440ish calories. Flipping back to look at the 4 week meal plan you rarely get over 1600 calories. The largest is a calorie day is a carb up day and it just so happens to be at the very end of the four week (1826 calories). Fasting days are barely over 1200 calories. In fact, the whole thing goes like this week one: 1391, 1512, 1694, 1624, 1406, 1569, 1557 Week 2: 1607,1554, 1536, 1308, 1584, 1297, 1413 Week 3: 1204, 1635, 1213, 1599, 1242, 1519, 1281.
  
  Conclusion
  
  What this author says conflicts a bit, now that I am reflecting. Because he does tell you NOT to count calories and to keep eating if you're hungry, but you go in and read the recipes and half the time any recipe that's 2 servings I think "I would just eat the whole thing." I could eat 2 eggs and 2 cup of lettuce for dinner no problem. Obviously the reason you're not counting calories is because the majority of these 'meals' are under 500 calories. Fasting will keep you from eating more than 2-3 of these meals (with luck) and keep you below 1500 calories in a day. Calorie restriction is auto-built in.
  
  So while it's not a terrible book, I wouldn't recommend it as THE diet book. It's super general and not overly sustainable if you eat recipes similar to what he gave you in this book. I don't think it's sustainable long term without running into some problems. If you're interested in Keto and IF, I recommend you go read books like the Obesity Code and a couple of Keto books (I haven't found one to rave about yet).
• 
  Laurie

  So I’ve been doing intermittent fasting for a little over a month now. I like it. This book just reinforces a lot of the things I’ve previously learned while adding in an option to do a ketotarian diet while intermittent fasting. I’m not sure that is something I’d want to do long term but I like having info in “my toolbox” if I want it.
  
  It’s a flexible 4 week plan and there is even a menu complete with recipes so anyone who would choose to do it it makes it as easy as possible. I might give it a try at some point or I might just incorporate some of the recipes into what I am doing well.
  
  Either way, if you are looking into intermittent fasting or already do it and are interested in keto I’d say if this book a read. If nothing else, you’ll gain a few recipes to try.
• 
  Onceinabluemoon

  3.5
• 
  Sheri

  One of the best books on IF I’ve read so far. Week 3 is too extreme for me, but I picked up some great information from the book as a whole. Would definitely recommend!
• 
  Emily Davis

  I love this take on intermittent fasting. I had dabbled in it and through this book I realized I had been doing it all wrong! It should not be a punitive practice, but rather a form of self love and self respect. I loved learning of all of the science backed benefits to IF, and how to do it in a loving intuitive way that honors your body’s natural signaling.
• 
  Sam

  Quick and clean summary- ketogenic dieting is partnered with fasting.
  
  Mind you I did not pick this up with intentions of following the plan. I just have been looking into intuitive eating and have heard about fasting done right being beneficial. I liked its explanations of why its good and exactly what happens at the cell and protein level within your body. I think itd be easy to mess up fasting though and probably dont have the follow through to do it right. I appreciate that this book was more about content than pictures and nonsense of that sort.
  
  Half the book was recipes. I... hate recipe books that cant say words common in my kitchen. Say butter. Oil. Fat. W.e. but I dont have any "ghee" and I aint going to go looking for any either.
  
  
  Some notes I took:
  
  Key Benefits to Intuitive Fasting
  
  1. Ketosis- metabolic state that kicks into gear when there's not enough glucose. Use of stored sugar in the liver then stored fats. Creates ketone -a macronutrient- that the brain can use. Encourages Ketogenic diet.
  
  2. Hormesis- Positive stress. Increase energy production by working out mitochondria.
  
  3. Autography- activates in time of fasting. The body starts to consume, recycle, or destroy damaged cells or proteins. Makes room for new healthy cells.
  
  4. Fighting inflamation- first 3 items combine to decrease it and bring balance to the immune system. Also reduces release of monocytes (which pro inflamatory cells). Possibly also related to adpidonectin (decreases with fasting) which is a hormone related to sugar control.
  
  5. Fat loss.
• 
  Jenn

  3.5 stars
  
  I have been following the intermittent fasting style of eating for about 5 years now. So when I saw this book up on NetGalley, I snapped it up. I am always looking for new or nuanced ideas about diet and eating to help optimize your body system.
  
  Reading the blurb on the book, I expected to read about a new approach to fasting with an emphasis on listening to your body's natural cues to signal a more natural start/stop to the approach or something very similar. What I got was a blend of the general intermittent fasting styles blended with a keto diet. While this is not anything new or groundbreaking, it may be a good approach for some. So, mileage may vary. I personally don't do well with a high fat/very low carb diet. Plus, I personally have my own educated thoughts on the diet that has nothing to do with this book, so I will omit them.
  
  Intuitive Fasting does provide a quiz that evaluates for addiction to sugar, carbs, insulin irregularities/resistance that may help to discern if you might benefit from this approach. So that can be a useful tool.
  
  Like I said before, I have followed an intermittent fasting syle of eating for many years now. I really like it and find benefits with regulating my eating, keeping from night binging, and it has positively helped regulate my hormones and helped with my gut issues. I just personally don't blend well with Keto. But, I am typically a special case. I think many may appreciate and might benefit from this book.
  
  *ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
• 
  Kate

  Overall, I really liked this book. The author's writing is engaging and I love that he brings things down scientifically along with interesting studies. I don't necessarily agree with all of his assertions, as he speaks of some medical conditions I have and my body does not react how he claims it should using certain eating patterns of certain foods. Therefore, I think the benefits are overstated and unfortunately, what works for one, doesn't necessarily work well for another. However, he does say that everyone needs to adjust according to their body. Some of his plan I can utilize while other parts do not benefit my health, so it is important for the reader to be mindful and realize they will need to find what works for their own body.
  
  While the recipes sound good, there are no pictures, so there is zero chance I would get around to actually making them. This is a bummer since nearly half of the book is recipes from carefully planned meal plans that the author compiled. I have zero motivation to make things that I can't see beforehand.
  
  There is some helpful info to be gleaned and I did find it to be an enjoyable book.
• 
  Ross Mitchell

  I was hoping this book would delve into what the title suggests, and that is using intuition more on when to eat, when not to eat, and what to eat during eating windows. But I found it lacking on this, which was disappointing. I mean, it outlined parameters for these things, but it did not teach how to use one's own intuition in making an assessment for one's own purpose. Nonetheless, the book held a few insights I didn't get from the other book on fasting I read.
  
  Items I noted:
  
  Oils to use for cooking - avocado, coconut, ghee, hazelnut, macadamia, palm fruit and kernel, dark roasted sesame oil, 0live oil(not virgin)
  
  Gut health: DGL licorice, peppermint, marshmallow root, slippery elm
  Immunity: Rose hips (RA and IBS)
  
  Make lists while fasting (metaphysical meals):
  10 things grateful for
  10 things that make you feel nourished
  10 things you're looking forward to
  list of things you want to let go of in your life
• 
  Nikki

  Intuitive Fasting: The Flexible Four-Week Intermittent Fasting Plan to Recharge Your Metabolism and Renew Your Health by Dr. Will Cole
  Publisher: Rodale Books
  Genre: Health, Mind & Body
  Release Date: February 23, 2021
  
  Intuitive Fasting by Dr. Will Cole is a great resource for intermittent fasting. I've been curious, but afraid to try it on my own. Dr. Cole explains it in a way that seems much less intimidating!
  
  There is so much information in this book, that it definitely warrants reference book status for me! I was so grateful that this includes a 4-week flexible fasting plan, as well as recipes and a meal plan.
  
  I'm so grateful to Dr. Will Cole, Rodale Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.
• 
  Jonathan

  4/10
  
  Eat less often. Eat in intervals. Eat in an 8-hour block, and don't eat outside this time. Eat more natural foods. Eat keto stuff. There, now you don't have to waste your time reading this.
  
  Nothing new here, it's a modified keto diet. Intermittent fasting seems to be a genuinely wise approach in certain circumstances, but hardly seems to be the cure-all Cole claims. I've done it myself for quite a while, and though there are benefits, it's hardly life changing. Still, if you are truly new to the world of intermittent fasting, there are probably worse books. Still, Cole's unreasonable confidence in his correctness irks me. He also has a different understanding of "Intuitive" then most of the world.
  
  
• 
  Dru

  Interesting book about intuitive fasting! Different compared to intermittent although there’s a lot of similarities. I learned a lot although I feel a bit uncertain about how to take it since it felt a bit like the author was selling the concept to me (which is their purpose of course). However I do feel like I can at least take away the intuitive aspect, regardless of the fasting or not. Mindful eating is essential and this provides some insight of why, both spiritual as well as medical.
  
  I always enjoy learning about what’s going on and different approaches; doesn’t mean I’ll apply it. Who knows!
• 
  Jacqueline Wheeler

  I really enjoyed reading this book, because of how well Will Cole writes his books. I have read and completed his Ketotarian diet before, and this book focuses on that diet again, along with a beginners plan for fasting. You start out the first week with 12 hour fasts, and the next week extend to 14-18 hours, until you get to 22 hour fasts. I love how he makes a slow approach to fasting, and still emphasizes a mostly plant based diet, with some eggs and fish included. I'll be doing the meal plan in September and then can touch base on how well the recipes are.
• 
  Rachael

  Not a lot of new information for me, and pretty dry and repetitive, but a slightly different take on getting your body into ketosis with carb cycling and fasting. I've pretty effortlessly lost 15 lbs doing regular IF this year with no specific food changes, and am at the point where I really need to push to get the last 5-10 off. So I might try out his 4 week plan to see how it goes. A few good new recipes to try too.
• 
  Marie

  Intermittent fasting is limiting how often you eat, or not eating at all, during certain times of the day, week or month. It has nothing to do with counting calories, chronically restricting food or eating less overall.
  
  Week one you easily eat withing a 12 hour window and fast for 12 hours every day.
  
  Week two you extend your fast for betwen 14 and 18 hours.
  
  Week three fasting lasts 20 to 22 hours.
  
  Green tea rather than water during fasting.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  J Adele LaCombe

  This book is the perfect one to follow A Case for Keto. It expands upon what I learned in that book and adds intermittent fasting to the equation. Clearly there is lots of research showing how todays simple carbs are wreaking havoc on our bodies and causing us to gain more weight than ever before. I enjoyed this book and am beginning the journey of IF and low carb. It's not too hard to to since hubby and daughter have done it on and off for last several years.
• 
  Ankie Renique

  As usual I like Will Cole's ideas but this book felt a bit same same. Was hoping for a bit more science. A good book if you are new to vegetarian/flex keto and intermittent fasting but if you know your stuff this will be old news to you. I'm also not sold on the "intuitive" aspect. While it is true that eating this way gets easier the longer you do it, for beginners it is, and remains a significant diet change.
• 
  Erin

  I liked it. I'm not doing Keto, so it's only so helpful for me, but I do try to fast for at least 12 hours every day (and have for the past few months), and this was a good guide for doing so (and the benefits of doing so). Not necessarily the most realistic book, but not a bad read. It feels like it's for a very narrow subset of people (keto fasters), so I didn't take the recommendations all that seriously since I won't be able to replicate most of them.