Would intermittent fasting work well with graves job?

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Hello everybody.

I've recently been more open to the idea of intermittent fasting. From what I understand, It's recommend you fast roughly 14-16 hours a day. For example: 8pm to 12pm the following afternoon.

I have been unknowingly adapting to this style of eating because of my job. Very often, roughly 3-4 days of the week, I work a job from 10 pm to 3 am.

In turn, this causes me to wake up very late, i.e. 11 am or noon to get a full nights rest.

Would I benefit from fasting these 3-4 days a week? The remaining days I would more than likely have a normal style day with 3 square meals. I know it really doesn't matter what time you eat, so this all might be a big waste of time, but I was curious. I've heard of positive effects of IF.

Also this is coming from somebody who was severely undereating by a good 500 or 600 calories a day before I became educated on here. Since then I've been slowing upping my cals to proper 500 deficit and been hitting my macros perfectly.

Replies

  • white_rushin
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    This is like the 3rd topic I've posted without a single reply… I don't think my questions are that worthless haha.
  • SnazzIT
    SnazzIT Posts: 215 Member
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    Hi,

    I am currently on Fast 5 (a five hour eating window) that can be adjusted to any time of the day, and on non-caloric liquids/water for the rest of the day. I first started at 1200 calories, from 5pm to 10pm but changed it because I work full-time and the only time to do my daily walking would be about the same time I eat. Since then I adjusted my eating window to btween 1.00pm - 6.00pm and now do my walks straight after work (esp now that it is getting darker and colder) so that I can catch some sunlight. It fit perfectly with some lunch and dinner, since I was never a breakfast person anyway (a habit learned from being a mum of 3 school aged kids and wife to a hard working husband, I am usually the house alarm, chauffer etc, etc). I also adjusted my MFP food diary to show only five hours rather than the normal daily meals.

    I eat whatever I want (though tend towards more healthy choices) as long as I am within my calories (which is now at 1600), and never feel deprived. I use my weekends as "cheat days" to eat and enjoy family (starting Friday night and ending Sunday evening).

    So far I have been losing between 1 - 2lbs a week...and I feel younger, healthier and more energetic than ever in my life.

    However, everyone is different so I suggest you do some more research on Intermittent Fasting, as there are many different versions. I personally chose Fast:5 because of its simplicity and I am a great believer in fasting (having done a 15 day water fast only in the past but needed something that I can do permanently).

    All the best :)
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
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    I work 7p to 7a an IF works for me very well. I only have to cook twice a day, I like the big meals, and I feel it fits the nightshift schedule quite well. You won't know how you'll like it until you try it. Give it at least 2 weeks as you might hate it at first as you adjust to the schedule. If after 2 or 3 weeks you like it, keep on it, otherwise just go back to your regular eating schedule.
  • white_rushin
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    Thank you both for the reply. I'm mostly on board with the idea of IF except for the fact that I hear you're supposed to go 20% above your TDEE on workout days and 20% below on rest days.

    This in the end feels like it would nullify any deficit.

    I guess maybe I'm more skeptical because I want to remain on the cut I'm on..
  • rm33064
    rm33064 Posts: 270 Member
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    As long as you feel ok doing it then go for it. Your body will tell you to knock it off it doesn't like it. I juice fast a few days every month or so and will juice fast a couple weeks once a year. I never really bought into the whole your body heals itself because it doesn't have to digest food thing. For me I think I feel so good on the juice fast because Im getting a million times more vitamins, minerals, and enzymes than I normally do and my body puts them to good use. What is your body using to heal itself when you fast? It just doesn't make sense to me. Who knows though. I don't think it's harmful. We are built to go without food for quite a while. Truth is humans have been fasting for one reason or other as long as there have been humans.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
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    Thank you both for the reply. I'm mostly on board with the idea of IF except for the fact that I hear you're supposed to go 20% above your TDEE on workout days and 20% below on rest days.

    This in the end feels like it would nullify any deficit.

    I guess maybe I'm more skeptical because I want to remain on the cut I'm on..
    what your talking about is leangains. It's a diet that utilizes an IF eating window. Unless you want to do lean gains you don't need to do it. Nothing about your intake needs to change except when you eat your meals. Your calories and macros can stay the same.
  • white_rushin
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    Thank you both for the reply. I'm mostly on board with the idea of IF except for the fact that I hear you're supposed to go 20% above your TDEE on workout days and 20% below on rest days.

    This in the end feels like it would nullify any deficit.

    I guess maybe I'm more skeptical because I want to remain on the cut I'm on..
    what your talking about is leangains. It's a diet that utilizes an IF eating window. Unless you want to do lean gains you don't need to do it. Nothing about your intake needs to change except when you eat your meals. Your calories and macros can stay the same.

    Awesome. I didn't realize you could really separate the two. They seemed to go hand in hand. So is there any proven extra benefits to IF or is it just a preferred way to disperse your calories so you can enjoy them at a more ideal time during your day?
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
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    While there are several studies showing some health benefits of IF, there simply isn't enough information at present time to definitely say yes or no to that question. My guess is yes but minor.
  • 12skipafew99100
    12skipafew99100 Posts: 1,669 Member
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    I am a big fan of Fast-5.
  • GreatDepression
    GreatDepression Posts: 347 Member
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    You look too slim to be doing IM. Most of the people who do IM do it to restrict the number of hours they can consume food and therefore be less likely to overeat. It sounds like you want to do IM for convienence? I'm just concerned that for someone as slim as you, you might start losing lean body mass by doing IM.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
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    You look too slim to be doing IM. Most of the people who do IM do it to restrict the number of hours they can consume food and therefore be less likely to overeat. It sounds like you want to do IM for convienence? I'm just concerned that for someone as slim as you, you might start losing lean body mass by doing IM.
    If is just a pattern of eating. It won't make you thin or lose lean mass, your calorie totals determine that. I have done bulks on IF successfully and gained lbm. It's all about totals for the day, how you get there matters very little.
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
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    I do a IF type of eating. I work graveyard shift from 11pm-7AM. I found it works for me with my sleeping and workout habits. I typically eat my daily allowance of calories between 4am-noon.
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
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    Hello everybody.

    I've recently been more open to the idea of intermittent fasting. From what I understand, It's recommend you fast roughly 14-16 hours a day. For example: 8pm to 12pm the following afternoon.

    I have been unknowingly adapting to this style of eating because of my job. Very often, roughly 3-4 days of the week, I work a job from 10 pm to 3 am.

    In turn, this causes me to wake up very late, i.e. 11 am or noon to get a full nights rest.

    Would I benefit from fasting these 3-4 days a week? The remaining days I would more than likely have a normal style day with 3 square meals. I know it really doesn't matter what time you eat, so this all might be a big waste of time, but I was curious. I've heard of positive effects of IF.

    IF has e

    Also this is coming from somebody who was severely undereating by a good 500 or 600 calories a day before I became educated on here. Since then I've been slowing upping my cals to proper 500 deficit and been hitting my macros perfectly.

    IF is good for many people on many diff shifts. I have been doing it for about 6 weeks and enjoy it.
  • psych101
    psych101 Posts: 1,842 Member
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    You look too slim to be doing IM. Most of the people who do IM do it to restrict the number of hours they can consume food and therefore be less likely to overeat. It sounds like you want to do IM for convienence? I'm just concerned that for someone as slim as you, you might start losing lean body mass by doing IM.

    What is IM?

    .....
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
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    You look too slim to be doing IM. Most of the people who do IM do it to restrict the number of hours they can consume food and therefore be less likely to overeat. It sounds like you want to do IM for convienence? I'm just concerned that for someone as slim as you, you might start losing lean body mass by doing IM.

    Nope. I've retained quite lot of LBM while shedding lots of fat.