Burning/Tingling after 2 weeks on IF

(Chris Perry) #1

I started IF two weeks ago and it’s been great. Lost between 15-17lbs. I kept my calories and macros identical to what I was pre IF. 16:8 had me feeling pretty good after some minor carb tweaks to improve my energy.

As I closed in on the two week mark I started having huge hunger pains about 2 hours into my fast each evening. I’m also experiencing a lactic type burning or tingling in my whole body constantly. I broke my fast and had a little protein to see if I could stop it and it helped just a little.

Today I am keeping my same meal plan but I am going to not fast and spread my food across my whole day like I did before IF. I felt great for a week and a half but now I feel like I’m dying and starting to panic a little because I’m not quite sure what’s going on.

Any ideas or tips would be greatly appreciated.

#2

Electrolytes?

(back and doublin' down) #3

Hmmm…define your IF? That was a significant loss in two weeks, how much do you have to lose? Were you fat adapted and/or in ketosis steadily before starting any long fasts? Mostly, I see people referring to intermittent fasting as having a short eating window, but still eating once or twice a day.

Hunger pains are a natural occurrence. The tingling…as suggested by @velvet, given the big drop in weight you’ve lost fluid. Could be dehydration, which throws off electrolytes and will prompt the body to ‘talk’ in some way.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #4

What is your current weight? How much are you trying to lose? Even assuming half to 10 pounds of weight loss was water, you’re losing too much too fast. Losing 7+ pounds per week is not healthy, even if most is initially water. If you’re experiencing ‘huge hunger pains’ at hour 2 of your 16 hour fast, you are not eating enough. How much total food are you eating, what exactly are your current macros? The objective of IF is to eat just as much as before, but within your eating window rather than all day. What ‘carb tweaks’ did you do? Maybe you’re not even in ketosis? Do you have any way to test for ketones?

(Chris Perry) #5

I drink electrolyte powder once or twice a day which generally helps

(Chris Perry) #6

I have been doing low carb/keto ish for about 8 months but was floating with in the same 5-7lbs for about the last 3 months. My physique was changing but I was looking to break the plateau so I tried 16:8 IF. I’ve been drinking over a gallon of water a day for years. I can generally tell when I’m running low on electrolytes so then I drink electrolyte powder. I didn’t change my food intake, calories, or macros at all. I just fit it all into an 8 hour window and dropped like 9lbs the first week.

I felt a little depleted and my lifting suffered so I took my 20 net carbs daily and doubled it the second week to 40 grams and my workouts were much better

(Chris Perry) #7

I’ve been eating 2800 calories a day which has been enough for a while and my workouts felt strong. As soon as I took my 2800 calories and input them into a 16:8 IF my workouts tanked in week 1. Week 2 I double my carbs up to 40 net carbs and my workouts went much better but on day 6 and 7 of week two all of this started.

I’d like to lose another 30lbs but my goal is to keep my lean muscle as I am a heavy lifter and compete in strongman competitions.

I broke my fast but kept my meal plan the same as of today until I get this under control. I’m not 100% today but I do feel much better than I was. Same macros and calories as always I just spread them across the entire day.

No idea if I’ve been in ketosis. My macros are 215 p 200 f and 40 c…but my carbs were 20 the first week

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #8

Thanks for additional info. These folks might have some ideas for you. While awaiting their responses you can read the included links.

@Karim_Wassef @Abrane @Dread1840 @PrimalBrian @Madeleine @Emacfarland @Alecmcq @April_Harkness





(Karim Wassef) #9

Please provide more information. What’s your weight, height, fat% before and after IF? What kind of IF are you doing (OMAD vs skip days? vs ?), what supplements do you take? Are you taking salts (sodium, potassium)? How’s your sleep?

I’m not a pro lifter but I care about maintaining muscle mass. I go through bulking and cutting phases.

(Chris Perry) #10

I’m 6’4, currently 330lbs. I have been doing low carb for about 8 months. My weight was barely creeping down but I figured it was recompositioning since I lift so much and was keeping my protein high. I reached a plateau so I figured I’d try IF 16:8 which I had read about to see if I could break the plateau.

My body fat is high 30s. I was 348 when in started 16:8 two weeks ago. I lost about 9lbs in the first week. I kept my calories and macros exactly the same as before IF I just fit it all in my eight hour window by eating every two hours. My workouts suffered and I felt weak during my lifts. So after week one I took my carbs that were at 20 net and bumped them to 40 net for week two to get some energy. My workouts were much better but about day 6-7 of week two I hit a wall. I was hungry about 2 hours into my fasts, hunger pains, my whole body was tingling/burning…sort of that lactic burn you get in your legs but it was my whole body and wouldn’t stop.

I take electrolyte powder 1-2 times daily, I’ve been drinking a gallon of water a day for years. I don’t take any supplements. I do use pink himilayan salt on most of my food but that is it. After two days of suffering I stopped 16:8 to see if I could rebound. Yesterday I ate my usual calories and macros but spread them across the whole day and I felt much better. At the 2 week mark when I stopped I was 330 so depending on the scale I was down between 15-18lbs. Fasting was going great until the end of week 2.

I’m just trying to figure out what went wrong.

(Karim Wassef) #11

Do you ever use creatine?
Do you lift before or after your fast? Might be easier to know the times you lift and times you eat.

(Chris Perry) #12

I drink an occasional Bang energy drink which says it has some creatine in it but I don’t take creatine intentionally other than that.

I never workout fasting. The days that I was crashing I did not workout at all. I make sure that I have a couple meals in before I lift and that I have a meal that will land some time after the lift or cardio.

My 8 hour window was 10am to 6pm, with most of my workouts happening between 3-4pm but not much later than that.

For my meals I spread the 2800 calories out across 5 different meals. 3 meals and 1 to 2 smaller calorie “snacks” in between the higher calorie “meals.” Each time I ate I made sure that I had significant protein so my protein intake was steady ish across my eating window.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #13

@cjperry81

I don’t know about the lactic stuff. When I was a middle distance runner during the Pleistocene, I never experienced that so can’t speak to the issue. I think bumping up your carbs from 20 to 40 grams might be significant. You started getting hungry into your fast only after increasing the carbs. What you seem to be describing is what I term ‘carb hunger’ not ‘keto hunger’. If you’re in/out of ketosis then you’re in/out of energy burn and that could be the source of your discomfort.

You could try to verify by purchasing a pack of ‘pee sticks’ (read the date on the box to verify they haven’t been sitting on the pharmacy shelf for 6 months!). If you test at the end of your fast period before eating anything, you can expect to show some colour since you’re likely in ketosis then if not otherwise. Of course, the sticks aren’t very reliable and even if you’re in ketosis you might not show any colour. If that happens try a different stick. But if you never see colour at the end of your fast, then either the sticks are off or you’re not in ketosis even after your 16 hour fast.

If you don’t get colour on the sticks after your daily fast, you could do a better test by eating zero carbs for 2-3 days. You pretty much have to be in ketosis by then or you’ll be unconscious. Basically, all you’re trying to confirm is that the sticks work for you and that you’re in ketosis at least some of the time.

If you confirm you’re in ketosis at the end of your fast, test again at the end of your eating window and every 1/2 hour afterwards for at least couple hours. If the carbs are stopping ketosis, you should be able to determine that within 1-2 hours into your fast. Probably around the time you start getting ‘hunger pains, my whole body was tingling/burning…’

Hope this helps.

PS The lifting folks can help you with the carb-up timing to minimize the detrimental effects.

(Erin Macfarland ) #14

I’m a CPT and an athlete and have been eating this way for six years. So I’ll throw out a couple ideas after looking through other responses :grin: I am very lean and typically eat in a 4 to 6 window daily. I can’t fast longer than 24 hours or so. Sounds like you have some body fat to draw from still, you say take electrolytes and salt your food. One idea is to fill some large empty gelatin capsules (can get at a health food store or amazon) and fill one with salt and take it with water when you’re feeling fatigued. You may need additional salt and I find this is the easiest way. I’d drink to thirst rather than a prescribed amount, like a gallon a day. I do all my workouts fasted, running, cardio at the gym, functional strength training. I take a capsule of salt and pure planet sports salts beforehand and just have coffee with unsweetened almond in the morning. It does take time to adjust to fasted workouts even if you’re fat adapted so go easy on yourself! Have you had your nasal insulin level tested? That might give you insight into how it might affect your body’s ability to draw on stored energy. Two dietary strategies I’d suggest- base your meals around increased amounts of saturated fat. Beef, butter, tallow, cocoa butter (Lily’s dark chocolate!) , ghee…check out the science behind why it might help on the blog Fire In A Bottle. You might also make sure you’re getting enough choline, (Supplement or a couple pasture raised egg yolks a day), vitamin c (no need to mega dose , just enough to meet the RDA), and maybe see if those help. They are crucial for utilizing fatty acids for energy. Keep us posted on your progress!

(Alec) #15

Chris
Here’s my advice:

  1. If you don’t feel “right” during a fast, and that includes during an IF regime in general, then stop fasting. So you did the right thing in suspending your IF if you weren’t feeling good.
  2. Fasting should feel slightly challenging, but the challenge should be bearable, and frankly, enjoyable. If it is not enjoyable, then fasting may not be for you.
  3. But it seems to be working, and you seemed to be enjoying it. So, to your problems - loss of energy and the all over tingling. I would say give it another try and go high on electrolytes and see if that helps. If you are drinking a gallon a day, it will flush your system pretty effectively. And you are a big guy: so go big on salt and electrolytes.
  4. I have never had any tingling while fasting, but my regime is very different. I like to do 2 x 36hr fasts a week, and on those days, eat close to nothing (just a little cream in my coffee). I have had loads of different feelings while fasting, but never all over tingling. I would advise trying a few different fasting regimes to see what you like and what works for you.

I am not sure I have given you anything new or different here. But I thought I would reply anyway and ask how you are getting on.
Cheers
Alec