IF and working out in the evening

Hey all! I've been thinking about hopping on the IF wagon. My problem is.. I workout in the evening after work. I get to the gym at 4:30 and workout for an hour then I usually eat a protein bar. The problem is, I usually want to stuff myself after a good workout. I'm not usually home to cook/eat until 7. I just don't know if I could go on just my protein bar until 10AM. I get up at 5AM so I'm ready for food by 7:30-8AM. Any tips or suggestions welcome! Do I need to fast at the same everyday? Say if I don't go to the gym one day could I start my fast earlier in the evening?

Replies

  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,847 Member
    I've no idea what your IF window is, based on that post.

    Anyway, my suggestion for when your preferred IF window and your workout window do not align is simple. Eat more around your workout so that you are adequately fueled for the workout and do not feel huge hunger after it. Take that calorie amount from your other daily calories as needed to meet the same daily goal. Ultimately, if you aren't meeting a specific IF eating window it's irrelevant for weight loss anyway, since it's total calories that matter.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,203 Member
    What benefits are you hoping to get from IF? Some people do it for health reasons, with various expectations. Some do it for appetite management. But it's not necessary for weight loss, if that's the key goal . . . and a plan that involves not fueling at times of highest cravings is probably not going to be successful long term, unless a person can retrain their body's appetite habits.

    As far as fast timing . . . it's hard to even have an opinion without knowing what you expect to gain by fasting. In general, there aren't "fasting police", so to a certain extent you can establish rules that suit your lifestyle. i
  • cynthiahill87
    cynthiahill87 Posts: 2 Member
    My goal is weight loss. After doing some more digging I really don't think its a good idea for my lifestyle. I appreciate the input. It made me think a little harder and research more.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,203 Member
    My goal is weight loss. After doing some more digging I really don't think its a good idea for my lifestyle. I appreciate the input. It made me think a little harder and research more.

    That's reasonable. IF is not ideal for everyone in every case. Finding an approach to accomplishing our personal goals that's suited to our individual preferences, strengths, challenges and lifestyles . . . that's pretty useful.

    Wishing you success!