Does IF help with binge eating? I’ve tried it for a week but the increased hunger within the limited time frame makes me snack like crazy. I don’t know if I should still continue this as my goal is weight loss and maybe it’s not for me? Or does anyone have tips on how I can make IF sustainable for the long term?
OMAD helps, because it’s difficult to gorge in such a short time frame.
That’s just my experience, though. I should clarify that OMAD for me could also be described as 23/1. I have a small snack, dinner, and a latte/coffee in the feeding window.
I find that snacking is too easy in a 6 hour feeding window.
Start with a 12/12 fast. Eat what you want gradually work you way to 16/8 then 18/6 if you’re feeling it. I do 19/5. I was a binge eater and now I don’t even think about food. IF changes your mind and body. I wish I would have known about it before I gained 50 pounds. It’s a life changer and the easiest thing I have ever done. I’ve been on it a little over a month and a half and I am already down 14 pounds. I eat what I want but I don’t really want junk anymore. Hope this helps.
When I first started, I definitely binged during my fasting window, but now it’s much easier and I don’t binge. I think the binging is the bodies way of communicating that’s it’s noticing something is different and it’s trying to compensate. If you can train your body to get used to the fasting window and trust that in a couple weeks the binging will subside.
Also - water. Water all the time. Hungry? Say: if I drink 16 ozs of water, wait 15 minutes and still want a snack, I can have it. (Assuming it’s in the eating window).
When you say binge eating are you referring to the snacking you mentioned? Or are you binging on large amounts of food? I think as others mentioned OMAD can help with binge eating because you can have such a big meal in kind of satisfies that binging urge each day. However a lot of binge eating is ultimately caused by restricting so although OMAD might work initially it could cause binge eating behaviours in the long term. Perhaps something like 16:8 where you have two big meals and a planned snack in between? It’s hard to tell you what will work for you- you may just have to do some trial and error ❤️
Plate pushes.
Edit: I was kind of being an asshole with my original comment even though it’s true. After further thought here’s some useful information. If you want to IF start with 16:8. You need to find what timing best works for you. After you figure this out you will need to use your determination and willpower to stay strong for a good week or two. You will feel hungry at certain times even if you’re not. Feeling hungry and actually being hungry are two different things. Hunger is dictated by hormones. So, if you’re used to eating a snack at 9pm when you stop eating those snacks the hormones are used to this pattern and will make you feel hungry around the same time. You’re not actually hungry. It takes about 2 weeks for this to subside. If you’re not eating enough calories during your window you will be hungry and you will snack and binge. Its your body craving energy. What foods give the most energy? The foods that are the worst for you. So, if you’re really serious about this get a food scale. Weigh all your food and track your calories meticulously. Weight yourself every morning at the same time after using the bathroom before consuming anything. Take the average weight for the week and see if you’re losing weight. You can adjust calories accordingly. If snacking is a huge problem don’t buy any foods you can snack on. Buy foods you need to cook and aren’t easily snacked on. I do this. All the food in my house needs to be cooked and doesn’t really go well by themselves. They are all a part of a meal. So when I feel like snacking I have to actually cook something. That thought of having to take 15-30 minutes or more to cook something gives me pause to think do I really need this. The answer is always almost no.