I’ve started IF just a few days ago. I eat only from 08:30 to 14:30. Fasting is easy and I feel great in the morning. I could go on I think, but I make a point to eat nonetheless as I’m not sure I wouldn’t get any craving in the afternoon otherwise.
Eating is the problem. I enjoy the food, but then when my blood glucose rises I feel completely hammered. I have to sleep for an hour or two each early afternoon. It only goes away once my blood sugar has dropped again. Strong coffee after lunch doesn’t have any effect either.
Any advice? Should I start my fasting in the evening instead? But I have too much stress right now to be able to skip breakfast, I think.
For me, I get the same exhaustion you describe if I overdo carbs or sugar when I first break my fast. My eating window is noon-5PM, and I will usually have two meals in that window. I stay alert/avoid the exhaustion if I limit my first food item to fat/protein, like a boiled egg, and my first meal is limited to being tons of veggies, lean meat, avocado or nuts, and no more than 1/2 cup whole grain rice and 1/2 cup legumes. If I add sugar or carb over that amount, I feel exhausted. For example, I experimented and broke my fast with a banana - almost immediate, total exhaustion followed that. My second meal I may have potatoes and gluten free bread (higher carb content)along with more veggies and 1/2 cup legumes or a few times a week, fatty fish like salmon. I will get higher sugar in the second meal: cup of berries and sometimes ketchup on potatoes, and it doesn’t make me feel tired to have higher sugar/carb.
Feeling lethargic after eating is a common complaint. On OMAD it was several months before I saw tangible improvement in that regard. I don’t own a CGM though so I can’t confidently say whether it is predominantly blood glucose swings that are responsible or if it’s just a side-effect of altered circulation during digestion or some sort of electrolyte imbalance. Assuming that it’s for the most part the fault of glucose, the natural work-around is to eat more slowly and rearrange the order of the foods you consume in an effort to smoothen, albeit prolong, the absorption curve. My own workflow (again note that it comes from an OMAD perspective) is to start with a grand serving of green vegetables or generally speaking a food / dish that’s fiber-heavy, proceed with something protein-rich (e.g. meat), and, only after those two plates at a minimum have been emptied will I turn my attention to whatever “fast(er)-burning” carbs I may have lying around (grains, starchy veggies, fruits, …); when something particularly carb-heavy is on the menu, say a risotto, I may even alternate literal bites of salad / veggies and the main dish. There are of course countless other tactics, some much more nuanced, seeking to accomplish the same result; e.g. the frequently quoted sip or two of apple cider vinegar before eating. Maybe check out the work of Glucose Goddess and others investigating that front.
As for skipping breakfast and eating until later in the evening, I believe that your complaint is precisely one of two main reasons why many tend to prefer such an arrangement (the other being social / family life). Maybe give it a try and see for yourself whether the benefit would justify the cost (perhaps you’d sleep better and therefore feel a tad less stressed in the morning despite not having breakfast, and more productive until the afternoon? just complete and utter speculation of course – it could turn out the polar opposite).
The more carbs in the meal the bigger the sugar then insulin spike.
Gradually cut your carbs in the meal way low and see if the carb crash is a thing of the past.
What you eat is still more important then when.
Eat OMAD dinner. I completely understand what you are saying. But after I eat dinner I’m relaxing anyway. Not going for a 5 mile hike. I have great energy all day long and love living and eating this way. (I’ve done this for 4 years)