Not eating enough when breaking the fast?


(RL) #1

Did two days of 20-24 fasting. First day I eat plenty of calories and hit all my macros. Last night, however, after I calculated everything I ate for my meal & premeal snack, I was woefully short on my calories. I was barely around 1000 (and I’m a 45 year old male at 250 lbs.). Problem was…I was not hungry and I was at the end of my eating window (but honestly, I just wasn’t hungry for any more food).

I’m scared I will severely slow my metabolic rate if my meal after a fast isn’t high enough in calories.

Suggestions?


(Chris) #2

Solved, there’s really no sense in stuffing yourself to bursting because you haven’t yet hit an imaginary calorie floor. Eat to satiety / satisfaction, so long as you’re doing that, I don’t think you’ll see a metabolic slowdown. Even if you did, it’s reversible.

1000 cal in one or two meals is a good chunk honestly. I know some chain restaurant menus would disagree, but still.


#3

So 20 hours fasting and 4 hour eating window, right? What’s considered a premeal snack?

I was doing 20/4 for a while and then eventually 23/1. I started seeing a plateau in my progress, so I’m trying to “shake things up” as Megan Ramos says…so my metabolism doesn’t get used to it and slow back down. I noticed having a longer window on Wed and Sat even helped me start losing again. So 20/4 those days and 23/1 the other 5 days. Those 2 days with the longer window allowed me to eat more and focus on getting tons of good nutrients. Another thing I just threw into the mix was a 48 hour fast.

I’m not a veteran in this field but have managed to lose 60-65 lbs with some experimentation. In my opinion, don’t worry about not meeting your calorie goal. Use that as a very rough guide and mix things up or your metabolism will adapt and stall your loss. Just my opinion.


(KCKO, KCFO) #4

If fat adapted your body can pull any needed calories. Dread is correct eat to satiety/satisfaction. If you have extra weight on you, let the extra calories come from your fat stores. That is what it is there for, we just hate it when our body’s do what they were designed to do. :nerd_face:


(Rob) #5

I started about a year older and 10lbs heavier and after 6 weeks my appetite crashed and I did 1200-1300 kcals a day for a few weeks. If this is week 2, I might think there is something amiss but you may be faster to adapt. Don’t worry as long as you are really satiated.

My appetite came back and now I am hungry if I eat under 2000 a day even though I am 50lbs down.


(RL) #6

It was probably closer to a 22-23 hour window. My premeal snack was a couple of Sargento colby/monterrey jack cheese sticks and a 1/4 cup of pecans.

Thank you all for the responses. I’m really enjoying IF (not sure I could handle anything longer than 24 hours), but I just want to make sure I don’t mess up my metabolism in the process.


#7

Just be sure to change things up so your body doesn’t get used to it and slow down your metabolism.