I’ve been on a keto diet for about 4 months. At about 2 months in I began experimenting with intermittent fasting (18/6 and 16/8), and I flat-out HATED it. I was ravenous to the point of constant distraction every morning, which made me far less productive at work, and salt under the tongue, lots of water, etc helped a little bit, but not enough to really make a difference. The idea of fasting any longer than that was not something I could reasonably consider when just fasting for 16 hours was such a miserable challenge. I transitioned into fat fasting in the mornings–I generally have cold-brew iced coffee with 1-2 TB mct oil and 1-2 TB heavy cream and don’t eat anything else until lunch, and that does help. I’m still hungry, but to a manageable degree. My sleep issues may contribute to how hard a time I’ve had with fasting–I’ve struggled with insomnia since childhood and have tried just about everything under the sun to get better sleep, and though I do sleep better on keto, I’m still not managing to really get adequate sleep most nights. So, all that said, how important is fasting of any sort on a keto diet? I’ve lost nearly 30 pounds since starting the diet, am definitely in ketosis and I do feel good for the most part (despite my chronic sleep issues), but I have no idea how so many folks talk about not being hungry for full days, fasting being easy when you’re fat adapted, etc. Maybe I’m just not built for fasting? Are there hacks I haven’t tried? Does anyone else get massively hungry to the point where it’s difficult to concentrate on anything else? Are there major health benefits I’m missing out on by just sticking to fat fasts in the morning rather than a true water fast? How the heck does anyone manage to do extended fasts without intense hunger? Do I just need to build up to it more gradually? If so, does anyone have any techniques to recommend? Any thoughts/insights/advice/personal stories would be awesome. Thanks!!!
How important is fasting?
Fasting, absolutely not required to experience health benefits when eating Keto. You have had great success so far without it!
However, if you want to get to a point where you can fast (to help break through any stalls, for autophagy, for more help healing metabolically, etc), a few questions come to mind.
How much weight (if any) are you still trying to lose? Low body fat can make it difficult to fast.
Are you eating enough, or are you eating to a caloric deficit compared to your BMR? Are you eating enough fat when you do eat?
I still have quite a bit of weight to lose–around 90-100 pounds, so low body fat definitely isn’t a concern 
. I do think I’m eating enough–I stopped tracking my macros due to a history of disordered eating that gets triggered by food tracking, but the 6 weeks or so in which I did track gave me a pretty reliable sense of how to eat proportionately. I usually eat around 10 net carbs a day and definitely under 20 carbs total, keep the protein moderate and eat/drink fat to satiety. I think I am eating at a bit of a caloric deficit for weight loss–I mean, I’ve been losing weight, so I think I am?
I can answer that - she’s NOT eating enough. @Chazzam, you should only be hungry when it’s been a long time since you ate, and NEVER “hangry.” I suggest you recalculate your macros using this calculator - use “sedentary” and “maintenance” (TRUST ME), then make sure you stick to the carb & protein macros and eat FAT TO SATIETY. Forget fasting until it happens naturally (like you forgot to eat lunch or something).
One more note - CICO is garbage. At some point, you might have to take calories into consideration to keep losing, but where you are, you should concentrate on healing your metabolism by eating to satiety. It’s going to feel counterintuitive, but do it, anyway. Your metabolism will tell you how much to eat if you eat mindfully.
I hate fasting. It makes me severely nauseous so I don’t bother anymore. Sometimes, rarely, I’m not hungry at all for a meal so I skip it. But in 6 months of keto, this has literally happened 3 times.
I’m still having terrific results
Will eating for maintenance still allow me to lose weight, though? While not my only health concern, it is a major one (I have type 2 diabetes, knee issues, back issues). I used the calculator and the results for eating for maintenance are definitely higher than what I’ve been eating
It does for me. If you have a history of calorie restricted dieting (as many of us do), I think this is especially true. You want to eat enough to kick your BMR into higher gear. You may initially experience a little weight gain, but when your body figures out this is the new normal, you begin healing your metabolism (being “metabolically deranged” is the underlying issue which causes weight gain to begin with) and burning more calories overall.
Sounds like you are losing and not having to suffer. So keep doing what works for you.
Fasting isn’t required. It is a personal choice, it works well for many of us. But not everyone can get over the mental hurdles. I started with 14/10 after I had been eating keto for about half a year. I worked my way up to longer fasts. If you keep busy, avoid triggers, like someone cooking bacon, it is easier to avoid a meal or at least delay eating a bit longer.
Getting really hungry, for me is a sign I am eating the wrong amounts of carbs/fats Your carbs might fit your macros, but are they leafy greens or more starchy ones. I always get hungry if I try to eat a little potato, that fits within the macros, but it makes me hungry pretty well after the meal I try eating some of it.
I found fasting to be the key to me losing the last of my weight and keeping myself in maintenance. Click into my profile to see my personal story details.
Good luck sorting yourself out.
Thank you so much–I’ll definitely check out your personal story, I find everyone’s individual experiences very interesting and helpful. My carbs are pretty much coming from leafy greens and avocados, though a bit from nuts and seeds as well, but no starchy veg, no fruit (aside from avocado) and no grains whatsoever. As I’m reading through your replies and others I’m thinking you may be right that I’m not eating enough fat, though. Adding even more to my diet certainly isn’t a hardship, so I’m gonna try that first and then see how my hunger between meals is affected.
Fasting, if you do it, should be natural. Do not force it if you are hungry.
I had a tough time doing IF - I am bipolar and the disruption to my natural pattern was too much and flipped me into mania. So now despite a year-long stall I am not going to try again. I have coffee with cream in the morning and eat lunch around noon most days. If hunger makes me feel agitated earlier than that I eat. I’ve gained weight and inches back a bit since my initial loss, but my moods are more stable, which is infinitely more important to my quality of life. And I still have 60 pounds to lose, with the knees and back stuff, so I hear you. KCKO