Hi, I'm new to this community but I'm not new to IF. I'm 5ft 3 (160cm) female and I've been trying to get back into IF. I did IF consistently for a couple of years during the pandemic because I was doing WFH and I was able to stick with it (16:8) without any issues with hunger or anything.
I stopped doing IF last year because I started doing shift work and I had to get back to working on site. Since I didn't know what time I could consistently eat, I felt like I was starving instead of fasting and it was unhealthy for me, so I gave up on it.
Now I'm trying to get back into it because I have put on a little weight, I have PCOS, and my doctor recommended it. Plus I have a very consistent schedule. The only issue is that now my feeding period has to be from 12 PM to 8 PM. The hunger hasn't been bothering me because I'm used to IF already. But yeah, on my previous IF schedule I was eating from 8 AM to 4 PM. I find now that when I don't eat in the morning, I get horrible painful gas and bloating until I eat. So I've been breaking the fast regularly because otherwise I can't exercise or work.
In case it's relevant, I'm eating around 1200 calories a day, which is what I need to eat to lose weight because I'm quite short. I don't eat dairy, not even milk in coffee/tea, so it's not that. I know this sub can't give medical advice but I was just wondering if anyone on the sub has been through something similar and had something that worked for them.
Like should I change my feeding period? Do I need to take something for the gas or wait it out? Is it even normal? Thank you
Answer
Are you saying you have gas in the morning if you don’t eat? As in, the rest of the day and evening is fine?
Do you eat any different than you did during the pandemic, apart from the schedule itself?
You say your window has to be 12-8pm, but also that you’ve been breaking the fast and eating in the mornings. What keeps you from doing 8am-4pm?
Answer
You can take anti gas pills like beano to help you add digestive enzymes that break down gas since you eat such gassy foods. Beans and fruit for example can build up gas in your system.
You can try less gassy foods and see if that helps? Try lean protein and a lettuce salad. No gassy cauliflower or broccoli or beans etc.