I am 40y / M / 5’9 / 220 lbs.
I started IF 3 months ago but unfortunately I failed to achieve any weight loss. I tried 20:4, 18:6, and 16:8 with either Keto / low carb diets without counting calories but I ate two meals per day that are high in protein, lots of veggies, no sugar, and no refined carbs (bread, rice, pasta, pastries, etc…). I always ate moderate meals until I felt just full.
During the day I don’t have any difficulty follow all recommended IF guidelines - I don’t cheat what so ever and I don’t feel the urge to
MY BIGGEST CHALLENGE - I wake up at night (1 to 2 hours after I sleep) hungry and craving for sugar and refined carbs. I would be half sleepy, still aware of what I am eating, but for some reason I cannot stop binge eating. This is killing the whole effort of the day.
Would highly appreciate any tips from community members who had the same issue and were able to overcome it.
Until I succeed, I will keep trying after every set back. Thanks for the help
You haven’t seen any changes at all in 12 weeks? The scale hadn’t budged? Your pants aren’t looser?
I had a similar issue in the beginning with binging in the evening. I was eating during an eightish hour window (breakfast, lunch & dinner) with 6PM as my cut off. The problem was I wasn’t going to bed until after 10PM. I often ended up snacking before bedtime. The solution was black coffee/unsweetened tea for breakfast and pushing back lunch and dinner with 8PM being my cut off. I either had diet cola with dinner or a keto treat (cheesecake, turtles, PB cups, ice cream, dark chocolate covered almonds) after to satisfy my sweet tooth. I didn’t have anymore issues bc I felt satisfied. After a while I didn’t even want it. It’s like I craved it more bc I couldn’t have it. Once I had the option to have it if I wanted, the cravings went away.
On dirty keto I had no appetite but started to crave carbs or something crunchy like chips or crackers. If it’s salty snack that you’re craving just have a serving of whatever it is. Work it into your diet. Keto is very restrictive but a low carb diet allows between 10-30% of your calories to come from carbs. Depending on your caloric intake that could be anywhere from 50-150 grams of carbs per day. Make room for the things you want. The successful diet is the one you can stick to long term.
Another option is longer less frequent fasts. Instead of IF, give ADF or 5:2 a try. Even without eating keto I still lost weight. Approximately .5 - 1 lb per 24 hour fasting period or about 1-3 lbs per per week. I have an easier time doing ADF than I did with 16:8.
There were also times I’d just have a glass of water and tell myself I’ll eat tomorrow. Sometimes I’d go to bed early on the more difficult days. If you don’t buy the foods you consistently binge on at night then there’s nothing to eat in the middle of the night.
Most importantly keep at it. I was doing great at the beginning of the year. I fell back into old habits because I was stressed out and gained back 2/3 of the weight I’d lost. It took six months of trying and failing many many times to get back on track. As of yesterday I’ve lost the weight I’d put back on plus 10 more lbs.
I watch videos on youtube by Dr. Lustig, Dr Berg, Dr Fung, Dr Chattergee, Andrew Huberman and others on topics of how bad sugar is for you, keto, IF, health etc, and also sometimes My 600lb Life and there are a few british shows like supersize vs superskinny and secret eaters which honestly helps so much to keep me on track. I dont keep food I cant resist in the house, it’s just easier.