I have an irregular work pattern. I work part time, so I have some days off (for my studies - I’m a student). I’ve been doing IF 14:10 but thinking of stepping it up to 16:8 now I’m used to it.
Its easy to do IF on study days as I can eat when I want. But for my part time job it’s sometimes more of a challenge: Some days I work 12-4, or 11.30-17.30, 9.30-17.30 or even 8 30-17.30.
Currently I use a fasting app and just start a fast whenever I finish eating and aim to eat whenever the app says I’ve gone 14 hours. I roughly stick to the same eating times, but its not always possible,. So I give myself some leniency in those cases to go a bit longer or cut my fast a bit shorter (usually less than an hour tops).
Can’t help but feel 16:8 would be difficult to do on days when I am at work, especially on my nine hour shifts which mean that I can only eat during my lunch break (I work in retail so can’t just eat when I want), or on my 11.30-17.30 lunch less shift would also be cutting it fine in terms of an eating period as I’ve got to start eating breakfast at latest 10.30am and afterwards get home and cook and eat food before say 6.30pm.
If you have an irregular/long shifts like me, how do you work around it for IF? How much leniency do you give yourself to end your fast early if you need to for schedule reasons? Any advice for me to step up to 16:8? Or should I stick to 14:10?
Fortunately you can adjust IF however best fits your lifestyle. If it’s been working for you so far, you can stay 14:10 on days you work. Then 16:8 or longer on off days.
Is it possible to eat your main meal before you start work in the morning then have a snack midshift then start fasting already? If you skip dinner you can do 16:8 or even 18:6 on workdays.
Some prefer to have dinner and skip breakfast instead, so it can be midshift + dinner as your eating window.
I vary my fasting periods depending on my sched throughout the week. Sometimes I just eat one meal. More often, a meal and a snack. Sometimes two meals.
Changing fasting length doesn’t seem to affect me as long as I get the sustenance I need in whatever eating window I have that day.
Good luck!