Intermittent Fasting

[ChasingShadows]

Right, can anyone explain why I've yet to find my physical limits when fasting (an hour's hard workout in the evening & half an hour of intervals before breakfast the next morning feels great) but having to use my brain in the evening has me running for the kitchen? (Honestly, I just ate chickpeas while I waited for the toast that I put on while I waited for the pasta, and I still feel hungry!)

 

[mokaman]

Right, can anyone explain why I've yet to find my physical limits when fasting (an hour's hard workout in the evening & half an hour of intervals before breakfast the next morning feels great) but having to use my brain in the evening has me running for the kitchen? (Honestly, I just ate chickpeas while I waited for the toast that I put on while I waited for the pasta, and I still feel hungry!)

Your physical limits should be the same as before you started IF...sounds like you may not be eating enough during your 8 hour eating window making you hungry later or your just not adapted to IF yet since its only been a few days since you started.

The more carb heavy your diet the more of a shock the change will be since your forcing your body to depend on fat burning for a longer portion of the day. Our bodies don't like change so they let us know...yours is saying where are my carbs... I don't want to burn more fat at this time of day.

 

[ChasingShadows]

Hmmm, when I say physical limits I'm meaning being able to carry on without feeling limited by a lack of food. I will sometimes have a moment where I start just feeling a little weak/unfocused, but I find it easy to push through & it's gone in less than a minute. This approach did not work on my brain. May well be an adjustment period thing I guess. Also I know I'm bad for eating for energy when what my body is after is sleep, so it may be a bit of that too.

 

[mokaman]

Hmmm, when I say physical limits I'm meaning being able to carry on without feeling limited by a lack of food. I will sometimes have a moment where I start just feeling a little weak/unfocused, but I find it easy to push through & it's gone in less than a minute. This approach did not work on my brain. May well be an adjustment period thing I guess. Also I know I'm bad for eating for energy when what my body is after is sleep, so it may be a bit of that too.

You could also play around with the timing on your workouts...example do your hardest workout right before you eat and the easier workout when your not going to eat afterwards. Your doing 2 workouts a day every day? Just running or weight training?

You could also make your eating window a bit wider to help adapt, I see you have a 6 hour eating window not 8 hours...really anything from 10 hour or less is pretty good.

 

[NickW]

ChasingShadows, I've found for me, the evening slowdowm of the brain is best combatted (in my own personal experiance anyhow) by the types of foods I eat. I don't really fast, but I generally eat in a 9-10 hr window just naturally. The more processed foods and breads and pastas I eat the worse my brain is at night. The more fruits, veggies, and meat that I eat however, makes me feel sharp as a tack. I'm curious if foods mess with other people in the same way.

 

[ChasingShadows]

Mokam - two workout a day some days - others days one, and at least one full rest day a week. Running & then a mix of gym classes/swimming. Intensive exercise has always killed my appetite, so the harder workout in the evening actually suits. Saying that, I've done nothing since Monday night this week as there was some work I needed to get done, so that may also not have helped.
The 6 hours suits within the other constraints I have, i.e. work not looking favourably on people trying to take an 11 o'clock lunch break, followed by another at 2. I'm too full after lunch for further snacking.

Nick - you may well have a point there. Last week I had more time to prepare heaps of veggies (not that I tested my brain outside work, admittedly), this week I needed quicker food, which did end up carb heavy.

I guess it's a long time since I've properly listened to my body's response to food & it is fascinating, I just need to stop expecting to instantly get it right & enjoy the journey.

 

[mokaman]

Mokam - two workout a day some days - others days one, and at least one full rest day a week. Running & then a mix of gym classes/swimming. Intensive exercise has always killed my appetite, so the harder workout in the evening actually suits. Saying that, I've done nothing since Monday night this week as there was some work I needed to get done, so that may also not have helped.
The 6 hours suits within the other constraints I have, i.e. work not looking favourably on people trying to take an 11 o'clock lunch break, followed by another at 2. I'm too full after lunch for further snacking.

Nick - you may well have a point there. Last week I had more time to prepare heaps of veggies (not that I tested my brain outside work, admittedly), this week I needed quicker food, which did end up carb heavy.

I guess it's a long time since I've properly listened to my body's response to food & it is fascinating, I just need to stop expecting to instantly get it right & enjoy the journey.

Sounds like you have this thought out pretty well...just go with it for awhile. I'm very low carb nowadays but did IF for years hi carb...still works either way as long as your liking your diet. Like NickW said this really doesn't feel like fasting to me but its suppose to have about the same benefits as fasting for a day or two.