Maybe this is just in my head but every time I try to stick to a simple 16:8 schedule I am STARVING and thinking about food the whole time. Some people say hunger makes them feel powerful and I want to feel that way, too. I want to almost look forward to the feeling of hunger because it makes me feel so powerful. How do you all do it?
I think depending on your metabolism hunger isn’t just a growl that can be put off until later, and for people with fickle blood sugar levels and high metabolism, hunger can drastically affect your mental clarity, energy level, attitude, and more. My boyfriend is in this category, if he is hungry I can watch him dissolving before my eyes by the minute. He is also naturally rail thin, struggles constantly to consume enough calories, has to actively lift to have muscle mass, and if he drops this routine he will be a walking rib cage in two weeks.
I’m the opposite. I do fasting because I have a very slow metabolism, my body naturally puts on weight, I have never EVER in my life had a problem of being ‘too thin’. Even when I’m highly active, I don’t crave food until late in the day, and even eating 1000 calories or less a day, I’ll always have a thick muscular frame.
I love IF but I’m not sure that it’s the right thing for every single person. Even if you’re overweight, it’s possible you have a blood sugar or metabolism situation that make make this diet unbearable. Don’t assume there’s something wrong with you if this doesn’t work for you. I know many people who couldn’t do it, either, and that I know would suffer if they tried.
Try drinking water, tea or any other zero calorie drink. Keep yourself busy. My fasting time is in the mornings when I am running around doing stuff and don’t really have time to think about hunger. I understand where you are coming from I can only do 16:8 when people talk about one meal a day I feel faint just thinking about it. Also I don’t feel powerful but I do normally feel better, better sleep, better digestion, less bloating etc.
Is there anyway you have an ulcer, even a small one? I have a small ulcer and, so long as I have water and tums in my stomach, it’s totally fine. But let the tank run dry, if you will, and I feel shot in the gut. Perhaps take 2 tums with water when you feel this way, or add a little bicarbonate soda to some water and sip it. If that helps it could indicate an ulcer or overactive acid.
If you suspect an ulcer, please talk with your doc. An ulcer can progress and cause a lot of damage longterm.
You dont ignore the hunger. You acknowledge that you are hungry by your own decision to eat at a certain time. You drink water and tea to physically sooth the stomack, but you are the master of your body. Always think about the meal you will have when you finish the fast. You got this, commander.
I don’t tend to feel hungry, and when I do I drink water (often we confuse hunger with thirst).
An adjustment to your timing may help. I break my fast at 12pm, drinking coffee (black, which is how I drink it anyway) and water prior to this time. I begin fasting again at 8pm. If I eat enough in my eating window, I don’t feel hungry after that.
Perhaps have a look at your schedule and see where you can adjust.
How long have you been doing IF? It’s normal to feel hungry in the initial days. Your body is used to being hungry at certain times. Work on your fasting stamina slowly - you don’t have to jump into the deep end immediately.