Advice for a mostly-plant-based IF newbie?

I started IF a couple weeks ago and am loving it - have lost 2 lbs so far (happy with losing about .5-1 lb per week, not needing/wanting to lose any faster). I'm currently doing fasts of about 15-16 hours, breaking the fast around 10/11am each day. I'd love to be able to fast for 16+ hours (and maybe even longer in the future!), but I'm just SO damn hungry between the 15th and 16th hour. It's really not a huge issue to make it to hour 15, but 16 and beyond is when the distracting hanger really kicks in for me. I also eat mostly plant based (for ethical/environmental reasons) and not looking to change that aspect of my diet. I've seen a lot of advice on here to deal with hunger through a keto diet, but keto isn't really an option for me since I very rarely eat meat and whole grains and legumes make up a lot of my diet. Any thoughts from vegetarians/vegans or others with plant-based eating inclinations? Have you had success with IF without adapting to a keto lifestyle?

Answer

I’m vegan and do either 16/8 or 20/4. I eat high protein breakfasts, tofu scramble, lentil sausages and if I’m having a second meal it’s usually beans greens and a grain. Seltzer and black coffee or tea really help to curb my appetite. I’ve been fasting for about 10 months and lost about 25 lbs…most of my gains are in energy and gut health. It’s so worth it. Feel free to dm me if you would like. I know its hard to find other plant based IF folks!

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I’m not doing well at the moment. But I’m vegetarian and have done 18 hour fasts.

I’d suggest working your way up to it. I found my body got used to the shorter fasts and stopped being hungry at breakfast time. So I was able to increase it.

Great news on the 2lb. I’ve just started back on the wagon today.

Answer

The first week or so I had black coffee to get through the hunger pangs. If you can’t have caffeine then try hot tea. Also you might want to increase fat in your last meal.

I did vegan keto and it was extremely hard because of the restrictions I put on myself (20 net carbs a day). I triggered an ED for a while. Now that I’m on IF (20:4) I don’t feel like I’m micromanaging my diet. My advice is to eat as fully with as much whole sources as you can and don’t worry about minutes.