Hello-today is the day I decided to finally go IF in addition to low carb.
Low carb has been relatively easy for me but I am not getting the results I want so my doctor encouraged IF.
I understand black coffee is ok during fasting hours, which was my big concern. I have 2 questions:
Question 1: Should I continue on my low carb diet and remain focused on carbs (as opposed to calories)
I was exercising consistently in the fall and then stopped in the new year. I believe that’s why I added 10 lbs on even though I was on low carb.
Question 2: what are your thoughts on exercise while doing IF?
Any advice or insight you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
With IF you can continue your regular diet whatever it may be, from what I understand. It’s a time restricted eating pattern and not so much a specific diet. Do stay hydrated while fasting cause it is essential for body functions and keeps brain fog away.
Since I train in my eating window after having had a day at work and one meal, I do feel a little tired but I’m sure it’s just me being a little rusty or short on sleep and good old rest which is also an important part of our health.
I would really like to train while fasted and it looks like the only way for me to achieve that is to get up a little early before work in the morning and do it then, while fasted but so far have failed to sleep early enough to wake up that little bit earlier to get that exercise action in before work.
Tonight, I’m gonna shoot for being in bed within and hour of this post, I can do it I can do it I can do it.
My understanding is that training/exercising while fasting (ie, before eating on any given day) aids weight loss by using up glucose or glycogen in your system so you get to burning fat more quickly. This is for short term fasting such as 16:8 etc. If you fast for 24+hours the effect may be greater. Fasting also promotes natural growth hormone so you can gain muscle from exercising in a fasted state. I’m a total noobie so this is book knowledge but in my very limited experience (2 weeks) it rings true.
I would keep low-carbing for at least a while. It makes IF a lot easier to learn/do! You are in a very good place for getting into IF!
Weight loss on IF comes from extended fasting windows - not exercise.
Doing some exercise still has great benefits though!
Doing too much exercise, tends to backfire with weight gain (make you more hungry and less able to keep fasting windows for very long).
I’ve been doing low carb/keto + IF since roughly around Thanksgiving I believe, I’ve seen results though at times it feels slower than I’d like sometimes. They’re still results and I’m pacing myself.
I do also do gym time, though I am kind of on the bandwagon of break the fast a little bit before going, with some easy to digest protein/limited carbs, to give you just enough to have some energy and also use up what’s on the body as well. More protein after to help with muscle recovery.