Can chaos work?

Hello! I’m pretty new to this, only been doing 16:8 fasting every day for about three weeks. It goes well, and I try my best to stick to a 12-8 eating window, but I schedule shifts around pretty consistently, so that’s been more of a general guide instead of a practice . When starting, I read that what really matters in 16:8 or similar fasts is that the fasting window is at least 16 hours. During the weekdays, I drink coffee and that keeps me pretty solid until whenever I go home or get hungry. (Usually not until at least after 2, sometimes I don’t eat anything until dinner) Thing is, my partner doesn’t do IF and our schedules clash often. Sometimes I eat dinner at 6, sometimes at 8, and occasionally not until 10. Whenever I do this, though, I always make sure to push my eating time the next day back to accommodate so that it makes AT LEAST 16 hours of fasting, if not more. Is this okay? I know consistent times and scheduling is better for my body’s expectations, but it feels almost impossible when my schedule varies so heavily from day to day. Ive already lost a few pounds, but want to make sure this chaotic way of doing IF can still work long term.

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The beauty of IF is that it is totally flexible to your needs. You are fasting for at least 16 hours that is great. Moving your eating times around is no problem the consistency is a set fasting length of at least 16 hours.

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Hey there, so I’m almost similar so I’ve been doing 18:6 and a 20:4 when I can. Thing is my husband doesn’t do IF so I understand the dilemma of trying to plan dinner at the same time. But for me it’s hasn’t always been the same time, and that’s what I’ve loved about IF. I have found that you can be flexible with the times given that you fast for 16hours+. So tend I tend break fast at 2pm and if I know that maybe we will be going out for dinner that night, or the electricity will be out from 6pm to 8pm(Gotta love South Africa) I will push my time to 3pm/4pm either that day or the next.

I have been keeping track of my hours with an app and my fasting hours varies between 18hrs to 20hrs and the time that I have broken my fast also varies between12pm to 4pm. So my times are not consistent at all. However I have had great results and I love how with IF you can be flexible, so that when events do happen you don’t have to worry you can just tweak your times.

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Totally fine! This is the way I’ve always done it (lost the weight, and about 2.5 years in maintenance now)…same schedule Sun-Thur, eat 12-6, Fri I don’t eat till 12, no cut off, but get 18hrs in before I eat Saturday. Same thing, no cut off, just get 18hrs in before I eat Sunday. Sunday tends to be Omad, or 2 quick meals cause I often can’t eat till 4 (I think today is around 3:30), then need to be done by 6 to get 18hrs in before lunch tomorrow