I used to do 16:8 and 18:6 often (pre-2020). These recent fasts have been significantly more difficult than when I did them a few years ago. I don’t know if I’m not eating enough during my eating window or if my body is just very attached to my new weight gain. Has anyone taken a long break from IF and felt this way coming back? I would love to know I’m not alone!
I think it’s just a part of aging! Just keep playing around with things you can do! Try removing added sugar from your diet, eating out less, or having longer fast periods.
Personally, my weight doesn’t even budge when I’m doing anything less than 22:2. I also seem to have to do either extended fasts or increase my calories suddenly before I decrease again to stop from hitting plateaus.
I started back after a similar break about three weeks ago. It was surprisingly easy at first, but the last few days have been more difficult. I think my cycle is playing a role here — I started during that time of the month, and now I’m about a week away from it beginning again. Curious if others also find fasting harder around this part of the cycle.