Intermittent Fasting and Brain Fog

Hey all, Advice question. I (26 M) am roughly 174 pounds and 5’11. I’d like to get to 160 for a goal weight. Puts me right in the middle of the BMI healthy range. I currently do only two meals a day, my first at 2pm, and my last around 8pm. So 18:6. Usually sleep 11 pm to 7 am. I’ve tried OMAD and would like to get back to it, because I’m currently maintaining weight, not losing and I’d like to get to 160. But when I fast (even my current regimen), I have very frequent and debilitating brain fog that only goes away when I eat. And it’s a problem compounded by the fact that I’m a PhD student (so I need narrow focused attention for research) and I have ADHD, which means I make VERY frequent errors in my work, but especially so with brain fog. I drink about 100 fluid oz of water a day, so I’m not sure more water would help. I’ve been playing around with diet, but that doesn’t seem to make much difference. Currently largely eating Mediterranean diet, and trying to eliminate all processed foods a bit at a time. What are your go to recommendations/tips/tricks on dealing with brain fog, especially on OMAD? I’ve always been envious of so many stories from people talking about how their mental alertness improves on OMAD. I’m wondering if there’s something I’m missing. One other note: I have to be on a VERY low sodium diet to treat Meniere’s disease, so I can’t use salt as an electrolyte, which I’ve heard helps some.

Answer

Your brain uses \~30% the calories you eat. But this statistic is probably about the average person; It makes sense that a PhD student might be more taxed during IF, and not enjoy the same experience.

But yes, most folks I’ve talked to that have tried IF & OMAD talk about more alertness after a few weeks of it.

If it’s been less than a week of it for you – keep going. It levels out, typically 2-3 weeks in.

If it’s been a month or more, adjust for practicality. OMAD vs. 2 meals is to instigate the fasting response more aggressively, not to lose weight faster. If 2 meals helps the brain fog, then adjust calories accordingly. Or, don’t diet while being a PhD student. You don’t want to get behind the curve, health-wise, when you’re taxing yourself long-term. Lots of losses in health are multiplicative; if hormones suffer, sleep suffers, nutrition suffers, and each one of those suffering causes the others to suffer more in turn.

And finally, brain fog is a symptom of a thousand other things, whether food affects it or not. Talk to a doctor anyway.

Answer

This is definitely something you should speak to your doc about. They’d know your history and you could also get you levels checked. Also, BMI is the kind of tool that i take with a grain of salt. It doesn’t account for muscle or health/fitness. I guess my only advice would be to increase your protein and fat intake during your eating window and decrease carbs as much as you can. Still speak to a health professional or nutritionist along the way.

Answer

OMAD+keto greatly reduced my ADHD symptoms. I stopped taking medication for it and currently burning through my college courses at an amazing (to myself) rate. Keeping my net carbs below 20 has made my focus incredibly sharp. I don’t consume a lot of sodium either, a lot lower than what’s generally recommended. My electrolyte mix emphasizes a greater ratio of potassium than salt. I also supplement with nutritional yeast to ease brain fog and mental chatter. Before studying or working, I get at least a 3 minute meditation session in to help focus. I also get by on at most a liter of water a day, plus a cup of coffee. The mental acuity is real, hope this helps.