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Success with the 18:6 IF?

I started IF only a couple weeks ago, where I fast 9pm to 3pm, 5 days a week, however I’m finding that my body naturally wants to fast during the day now which is good. So even on the days I gave myself “off” I usually end up fasting. I’m mostly just trying to get in control of my eating, but weight loss would be nice too. I got way too comfy binge eating during 2020, then I got sober so I also turned to food :/ ugh. Anyway, i was just wondering if anyone has had luck with these hours? When did you start seeing results? Should I change my hours? I try to eat fairly healthy and eat fruits and veggies daily once I break the fast. Thanks for your help

Answer

I highly recommend trying an extended fast. 24 then 48+ water fast. Eat dinner early and go to bed. You should be able to skip breakfast pretty easily. Now just power through Lunch and eat when you get home. After success with 24 you should find the 48+ water fasts might get easier. Some people say yes, others get headaches. I find that extended fasts really make your IF much easier. You might be able to switch to 23/1 after an extended fast which will probably help with your goals.

Good luck!

Answer

I started OMAD last year. Like you, it didn’t take long for my body to adjust and stop giving any kind of hunger signals until close to meal time. It controlled my eating a bit… but admittedly I only fast because of health reasons, not food or weight related ones so it wasn’t a concern. I jumped into alternate day OMAD recently and did see another jump in food control and less “bad” cravings again (and it’s been very comfortable for me so I’ll stick with it for a while to see what happens)

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In my opinion, if you’re comfortable with 18:6, slowly bump it up over time as you get used to things. Experimenting and adjusting to find what best works for you and your lifestyle is ultimately what will stick. Maybe 18:6 is your ideal schedule. Or maybe it’s something else. One thing I can say for sure is when you find things that work - they’re going to feel fairly effortless and comfortable for you to sustain

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Good luck