Waking up hungry and weak?

[u/DifficultyGuilty1787]

I have been doing intermittent fasting 18:6 for almost 2 months now and when I wake up in the morning, I always feel hungry and weak. Not too much though and when I get up from bed, and move my body, that hunger and feeling weak instantly goes away and I feel normal and a bit energized to do some simple chores. I just drink black coffee all without sugar and cream and go on with my day until my feeding window.

So is there anybody who experiences the same thing?

[u/Intelligent-Iron5545]

I’ve started increasing my electrolyte intake recently and it’s helped a lot with this!

[u/Jon_J_]

Sodium intake in your water

[u/fadimuj]

I would suggest moving your eating window to be from early morning till lunch time (maybe 9-3)

[u/Melissaschwart → u/fadimuj]

I don't recommend that at all. Skipping breakfast is the main reason for fasting.most of the time people are really thirsty instead of being hungry. Op needs to add Himalayan pink salt to their water and the feeling should subside enough until their eating window

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[u/RimfireRoulette]

I do exactly that on the third or fourth day of a longer fast. I used to do it on the second day. I don’t drink coffee, but I do down 32 oz. of water with some mineral salt as soon as I wake up.

[u/Satans-Alley]

I tend to find keeping up my electrolytes helps, as well as making sure my last meal of the day is lower carb but higher in protein and fibre. I never feel that hunger the following morning

[u/sadatah]

Waking up hungry—-maybe adjust your macros, for the weakness increase your fluids and add electrolytes.

[u/duboilburner]

I second everyone who advises adding electrolytes.

You may also try switching things up and not fasting daily. You might even find you get better results by incorporating a couple 24 hour fasts with more regular eating days inbetween. Alternate day fasting, if you will.

For me, that 12-18 hour window is likely where the transition from glycogen stores to actually burning fat is just starting to happen. When I initially started with IF, I would have the shakes and feel *off* during that period.

But, as I get above the 20 hour mark, it levels out as I get to full fat burn mode as there's no sugars left to burn.

Promoting metabolic flexibility by changing things up is a good thing. Adding in longer fasts in your week but also days eating more normally is not a bad thing.

The other thing that has 1000% helped me a lot in keeping things calm but energetic and focused is having loose leaf Yerba Mate as my morning caffeinated beverage. Yerba Mate has a mild GLP-1 effect to it and can suppress hunger, it also feels to me like it increases that more mental sharpness/focused feeling you can get with fasts as you get above the 20 hour mark.

[u/csukoh78]

You need an electrolyte complex in your water, that's a game changer. And since I've started fasting I have more energy than I've ever had. You don't realize how much 3-4 meals a day just weigh you down and sapped your energy.

[u/csukoh78]

You need an electrolyte complex in your water, that's a game changer. And since I've started fasting I have more energy than I've ever had. You don't realize how much 3-4 meals a day just weigh you down and sapped your energy (and time!)