How do you guys make it work?
My Mom + I just drink during our eating window if we’re gonna drink. She lost 60 pounds last year and I lost 20 so it’s definitely still possible to do IF and lose weight while drinking. Just make sure to drink in moderation (aka not every day of the week) and track your weight/how you feel afterwards to make sure you’re keeping on track with your goals. I like drinking, I like IF, and I like losing weight - Find a balance that works for you so you can do all 3 in harmony.
I mean if you drink during your eating window it’s fair game but aside from calories, alcohol has a number of deleterious effects that mitigate weight loss efforts even if consumed on an IF schedule. But sometimes I’ll drink and eat until 10pm and then not have anything other than water until 3-4pm the following day. It’s not fun but it’s the price you pay.
Your fast won’t start until the alcohol is out of your liver. That’s a few hours after you’ve finished drinking. Keep that in mind. I have a couple drinks every day. I do OMAD but given the alcohol processing time, I probably do an 18 hr fast daily.
Best is nothing second best is strong spirit due to lower calories.My go to were my own gin tonics.. Sparkling water, some sugarfree sweetners, bit of lime juice and ofc gin. I didn’t over do it and kept losing weight overall.
I love wine but found when I had a couple glasses during the week I startedmaking really bad choices about food (Uber eats anyone??lol) - soooo just gave it up almost completely because I’m really invested in losing my Covid weight. I still drink during special occasions when I just take a day off from OMAD which has been my routine for the last few months (with occasional 48 hour fasts). I find taking a day off every once in a while helps me keep going.
Not drinking during my fasting window seems to work. Partially because it forces me to stop drinking at 8, lol. It has made me cut back a lot which is a significant component of my weight loss. It works well without being too restrictive.
Moderation is very good. I do 36 hour fasts 2 x a week, which allows for more drinks than everyday fasting. That said I probably have 1-4 drinks total most weeks, sometimes none and it is working well. If you really struggle with no booze, maybe that’s something to tackle on its own and with support . I took a year off booze a few ago and it really changed how I think about it, I tend not to just have a drink for no reason. Similarly to how fasting has changed how I eat these days