| | Water Fasting

Not sure of what is happening to me….

Been IF and OMAD for about 1 month, first started with the will of doing 16:8 and following the principles of keto lightly(new to it) and 16:8 almost immediately converted to 20:4 - 22:2 without consciously trying…… My job requires me to walk at speedy pace (3-3.5mph) for the whole shift so I clock in around 15k steps 4 times x week, at around 110-140(peak) bpm, this is the only exercise I have been putting in during this IF month. I had 0 cravings, specially for sweets (never really had a sweet tooth) and was simply not really that hungry that is why I went from 16:8 the first day to 20:4 - 22:2 on the second day of starting IF UNTIL……… I started jogging again on my days off! Even a light jog gives me the worst sweet tooth and cant seem to hold a fast anymore. I seem to be going backwards and at this point I am looking for ideas of what might be happening? I am considering stopping my jogging and stick to my work routine until I can get the cravings under control again BUT I am terrified of these not subsiding 😶😖. Any ideas, help, encouragement is highly appreciated. (F:42, SW:132, CW:122, GW:115 + maintenance, 5’5)

Answer

I have been fasting for years on and off and in December 2022 I started for the first time cycling consistently every morning about 20 to 25KM and I went through something very similar.

Since I always believe that it takes 2 weeks for things to hold and adjust, what I did was scale down my fasting from 22 - 26 hours to about 16 - 18 hours max, I increased my protein and carbs a little, and gave in to my sweet tooth (dark chocolate and the occasional egg tart were my cravings) during my fasting window - delay don’t deny. I did this for 2 weeks and I even skipped a day or two but kept the work out and other activities like long walks.

After two weeks, once I felt my body got used to the activities, I went back to a fixed 20:4 or more. Pumped in some extra electrolytes in and out of the window on the first few days. And so far, all the “symptoms” are gone.

Even recently, I fell sick for a week and was worried that I would struggle to get back to that routine but it was okay I am just making sure to take in enough protein and a bit of extra carbs especially if I’m doing more cardio.

I didn’t see your diet plan in the post but it sounds a bit like not enough calories (or a type of food group) and maybe lacking in electrolytes or even a bit of dehydration.

My advice: Don’t give up, scale down the fasting first for 2 weeks, tweak your diet, maybe keep a journal to track.

P.S. Craving is gone now so kids are eating up the dark chocolate.

Answer

Cravings can be a result of vitamin or mineral deficiencies or certain gut flora demanding sugars, the mechanism of which is still poorly understood. Don’t try to drop weight too fast, giving your body some fuel when you burn calories is good, specially after being sick for a while.