IF: Intermittent Fasting 16:8 (Troubles)

elijahwilliams314

So I've been doing IF for a little over a month now, but now I'm finding it hard to stay within my eating window. My schedule varies throughout the week. On a normal day, my eating window is between 12pm - 8pm. That's lunch at work and dinner at home with my wife.

But then comes on Tuesdays, I don't usually get home, because of other obligations, until around 9:30pm (after the window is closed), and either I end up eating something, or suffer with hunger pangs. I can't really bring my dinner with me, because I go to my stated appointment directly after work and have no place to put food after work.

Has anyone else had an issue like this?

hansmdude

I haven't had this issue, but I think a couple of times a week it is okay to go 14:10... in fact I've read that it's good to change it up every once in a while... sometimes when I'm preparing my meals for the week, I just taste what I'm cooking and that'll be good enough for that day and then this weekend is my families annual Oktoberfest Party and I'll be Feasting and enjoying my favorite Bavarian Brews and the 'window' will be wide open.
If the majority of time you're staying on track, don't stress it.

Nony_Mouse

There's nothing magical about IF, or sticking to a particular eating window, other than it helps some people adhere to the calorie goal better. So you're fine having dinner late that day. It will affect your weight loss not a jot.

YvetteK2015

IF is just a schedule of eating. People tend to chose it because it helps them stay within a calorie goal, which is all that matters. So if on Tuesdays, you can't make your IF window, that's ok. Use whatever schedule you need. Just hit your calorie goal if that is your main objective. The timing matters not.

HoneyBadger302

What the others have stated is the case...there are times my "big" meal gets shifted around due to a work event or other event, travel, etc, and the main thing I do is stick to a similar eating plan. Working well for me, but I'm okay with flexing my "windows" around as needed.

Trick is to stay in a deficit as that's really the only thing that is going to ultimately matter when it comes to losing the weight.

NovusDies

Instead of thinking of it as eating inside a window think of it as eating 2 meals instead of 3. That is the essence of what you are doing. The windows are really only useful in studies which have all proven so far that IF has no measurable additional benefit in humans.

thebomb4043

just change your time according to whens the last time u ate

Nony_Mouse

thebomb4043 wrote: »

just change your time according to whens the last time u ate

Completely unnecessary.

amusedmonkey

You can do intermittent fasting intermittently. You don't need to do it every day. Use it when it fits your schedule, and just eat when hungry while keeping your calories in check when it doesn't.

psuLemon

Try not to complicate this.. just eat when you have the chance. There is nothing special that happens if you fast for 16 hours vs only 12.

huntersvonnegut

I wouldn’t stress about it. I can see it being problematic if your schedule was widely varied but one day a week? I wouldn’t sweat it. Your eating window is about identical to mine. If you would feel better about it, you said you can’t between work and your evening activity. Is it possible to have something with you at work like a couple of meal replacement bars or protein shake as sort of your evening meal?

J72FIT

You could try another IF protocol. Instead of daily 16/8 you could try one to two 24 hour fasts per week a la Eat Stop Eat. Remember, fasting is supposed to make the process of eating at a deficit easier, not harder. Be flexible with it and yourself.

Or you could just eat later when you get home and that's ok too.

elijahwilliams314

Okay, my main focus was trying to make sure I was putting enough time between meals. I do find that IF does make it easier to be in a deficit. I have been eating later on those days, but I just wanted to get other opinions. Both Dr. Fung & Dr. Berg both mention that the eating plan should be easier. Though I do think Dr. Berg can sometimes make it a little complicated.

Thanks for the replies

psuLemon

elijahwilliams314 wrote: »

Okay, my main focus was trying to make sure I was putting enough time between meals. I do find that IF does make it easier to be in a deficit. I have been eating later on those days, but I just wanted to get other opinions. Both Dr. Fung & Dr. Berg both mention that the eating plan should be easier. Though I do think Dr. Berg can sometimes make it a little complicated.

Thanks for the replies

Honestly, i would take advice from people in the field. Dr Berg is a chiropracter and Dr. Fung is an MD. Neither of which have formal education in the field of nutrition. Think of it like this, if you had a heart problem, would you rather go to a cardiologist or a dermatologist? Both are doctors but have significantly different backgrounds.

The same can apply to nutritional sciences. People like Eric Helms, James Kreiger, Brad Schoenfeld, Menno Hannselmann, and Layne Norton all hold PhDs in the field, are body builders/power lifters and run actual studies.

Having said that, if you like how Fung and Berg structure their diet recommendations and it helps you be compliant, than great, but from the stuff i have watch and/or read, i dont put much faith in how they interpret the science.

jessicagrey27

I’m new to IF and would love new friends who are also IF/ keto diet 😊

hroderick

Just don't eat too many calories and you will lose weight.

elijahwilliams314

psuLemon wrote: »

elijahwilliams314 wrote: »

Okay, my main focus was trying to make sure I was putting enough time between meals. I do find that IF does make it easier to be in a deficit. I have been eating later on those days, but I just wanted to get other opinions. Both Dr. Fung & Dr. Berg both mention that the eating plan should be easier. Though I do think Dr. Berg can sometimes make it a little complicated.

Thanks for the replies

Honestly, i would take advice from people in the field. Dr Berg is a chiropracter and Dr. Fung is an MD. Neither of which have formal education in the field of nutrition. Think of it like this, if you had a heart problem, would you rather go to a cardiologist or a dermatologist? Both are doctors but have significantly different backgrounds.

The same can apply to nutritional sciences. People like Eric Helms, James Kreiger, Brad Schoenfeld, Menno Hannselmann, and Layne Norton all hold PhDs in the field, are body builders/power lifters and run actual studies.

Having said that, if you like how Fung and Berg structure their diet recommendations and it helps you be compliant, than great, but from the stuff i have watch and/or read, i dont put much faith in how they interpret the science.

Thanks for the other references. I do like to have as many as I can get. So I can have the information I need to be successful in reaching all of my goals.