Would there be any negative effects of cycling between a 16:8 and 20:4 window every alternate day?
My schedule with classes and social obligations would make this alternation ideal and was wondering if this would have any negative effects on my body due to the varying feeding/fasting windows..
Also any tips on getting enough calories on 20:4 without feeling absolutely stuffed? I know a lot of people say “dont count calories, eat till youre full,” which is valid, but I also dont want to undereat as im doing IF for maintenance more than weight loss. Thanks!
Haven’t had problems with changing IF windows. I move my eating windows by 2 to 4 hours daily depending on my sched.
Some days I’ll get hungry earlier but I find I don’t notice it much when I’m keeping busy.
On getting enough calories without feelimg stuffed, I’m afraid I may not be helpful since I’m a volume eater.
I don’t think there’s any negative effects except your eating window increases or decreases.
I do 18:6 but so many times during the week I’m out on the road and don’t take my lunch till 2pm or later so I end up cutting my eating window shorter.
Today is one of those days, my guess is it’s allowing your body to further used stores energy which is good.
For your question about being able to consume enough food, I use myfitnesspal’s website and cellphone app to build my meals for the day ahead, it helps me see how much more or less of anything I need to consume to meet my goals on the app. Also I make sure I get as close to the number of grams of protein as possible that it’s recommending me to take in, if I go over a small amount of grams of protein I’m alright with it. I like to do it that way to help me have a plan and stuff. It’s trial and error but a little bit more progress everyday you know.
Its good to go with whole foods because they’re nutrient dense. Meats, poultry, fish, fruits and vegetables. Protein supplements and the like, if you get any, are to supplement the diet and not be a staple. Like if you need another 20 grams of protein or something like that, then yeah for something quick a protein shake could work.
Hope this helps out.
I’ve been able to stick with a small caloric deficit, and do fasted exercise in the mornings before work and also personally have a one day a week 20 hour fasting day Friday 6pm to Saturday 2pm regardless if I’ve had longer fasting days during the week.
I’ve been fasting 20:4/22:2 during the week and 16:8 on the weekends, haven’t had any problems with it. I think being a little flexible in your windows can actually help you from getting derailed by work/school or social stuff, this way instead of going off the rails if something pops up, you just switch to a little shorter window. That’s what I do, if I can only fast 18 hours one weekday it is what it is, can’t let perfection get in the way of progress. In terms of calories, play it by ear, eat until you are full for a few weeks and see if you’ve lost weight. If you have then maybe go from 20:4 to 18:6 to give yourself a little more time to eat without being sickly full.
>Also any tips on getting enough calories on 20:4
Fat and fiber.
In addition to being calorie dense (so it’s easy to eat enough without feeling too full), it takes a long time to digest fat, so you won’t feel as hungry while you fast. Most high fat foods also have a decent amount of protein, which is a plus.
Fiber slows down digestion and makes it more efficient. And on a high fat diet, you’ll need a lot of fiber.