Intermittent Fasting, Stress and Anxiety
A few people have commented about increased “anxiety” during Intermittent Fasting, so I thought I would share this discussion I had with someone about anxiety. As much as IF have brought people a more stress free life (along with all the other numerous health benefits) when it comes to eating, with others it also may amplify some underlying issues there are that need to be addressed (especially if one does IF too much too soon). It comes down to still keeping the “Intermittent” part in IF, and making it work for you….and knowing when it is not. The discussion went as followed (my reply below to his question about increased anxiety):
Anxiety is not good….then again I don’t know your lifestyle…your stress levels….do you worry about things at work….do you try and do too much for work all day….are you not finding down time to relax….are you obsessing over things you can’t control….have you had issues in the past with depression….have you had issues with obsessing over what you eat in the past….are you getting plenty of sleep…..are you wired on coffee all day? So many questions that health is a bigger part of.
I’ve had little anxiety attacks but it is usually when I am pushing my mind and body too hard…with trying to get too much done…worrying about something that has to do with work and money…stressing out about stuff that really doesn’t matter….staying up late and usually not getting any release with exercise or just a break. From there it will take me a day to shut off the computer and go do nothing…..the body needs to reset itself. IF may have been a factor because it gave me too much mental focus during a time I tried to do way too much. My brain shorted out eventually. Thinking too much is not the goal….enjoying life is. Just to be able to sit back and let the mind be free is how you don’t get anxiety….letting the ego side take over and give it the need to always do stuff is going to wear anyone down. For me I already enjoy being able to sit still and do nothing….for someone that can’t sit still or have high anxiety/stress levels, giving them more mental focus is like giving a race car to a teenager….not a good idea and will only lead to a crash eventually (which is usually depression). Fasting long ago was easier when people didn’t get so worried about stuff and had plenty of down time…..in today’s world of non-stop stimulation/cell phones/traffic/stress from work/deadlines/pressure to be the best you can be/gyms with electronic equipment and TVs all over the place/24hr bad news channels always giving you something to worry about……I think IF could just going to amplify any problems we already have that we are not addressing….IF just blows it up to a new level as now our brain gets more active but it’s still focused on the wrong things. There’s a deeper problem at heart that needs to be brought to light and let go of. The good news is that we have total control on what to focus on and what to let go of, but first we have to really see what is going on….as you can’t drop luggage you don’t even know you are carrying.
Giving this more thought here’s what I came up with:
- daily routine fasting is not something 10,000 BC man did every day….he fasted when he had no food and he ate when he had it….so hence…the whole “intermittent” part
- You autonomic nervous controls your heart, lungs, glands, stomach, blood vessels and other organs. It’s compromised of the SNS (fight or flight) and PNS (rest and digest)
- Waking up you are in a SNS response (fiight or flight)…why? Because your body has to elevate cortisol to wake you up and it has to motivate you to go hunt for food. It also increases your mental alertness because it wants you to find food and be a smart hunter…as a dumb one may starve to death.
- Fasting (IF) Daily will just keep the SNS going…hence why there may be an additional metabolism spike and fat burn (also the reason for increased mental focus).
- Our daily stressors and lifestyles are not what they were 10,000 years ago. Paleo man didn’t wake up and worry about the monthly mortgage, paying off credit cards, world politics, what the stock market was doing, what time to pick the kids up from school, sitting in traffic for hours, or to finish up the report that has to be on the boss’ desk by Friday.
- If you are already stressed and prone to anxiety, then turning up the SNS and keeping it going is going to amplify your underlying issues
- You still need to find ways to destress in life….as you don’t just turn up the radio when you hear something going wrong with the car do you? (well maybe some people do…but it’s not going to hide the issue that could come back to do damage later). Take time off, go outside in nature, get away for a couple hours….let things become clear to you, see what you are really worrying about, what is really stressing you out….learn to let go, to detach from things you have no control of, just learn to live in the now and forget about the past or future.
- Eating a large meal in the morning generates PNS responses therefore taking you more out of SNS and calming down your alertness
Either way…IF is meant to be….ready….Intermittent. So do it 2x a week….3x a week….1x a week….but not every day as that will not be a good way to start. That and listen to how your body responds…..as the level at which you stress out on things is completely different from the level I stress out about things….so I may be able to do it 5x a week…..but you may find it only works for you 2-3x a week. Believe me, if I find my plan isn’t working for me or I am going through more stressful times, then IF is put on hold. The real power of IF comes from knowing when and how to use it….and when to take a break from it.
Along that line it can also be important to generate a large PNS response towards night so you can fall asleep and recharge as part of the natural cycle of SNS during the day and PNS at night. If your sleep is compromised then so will your recovery ability to handle SNS the next day. So bigger meals at night (more with protein/healthy fats)…go to bed feeling satisfied and stress free….no news before bed.
Also work on the other lifestyle issues and stimulants that are causing excessive stress in your life and remove or just detach from them. Make your life more peaceful and enjoyable….don’t just turn up the car radio. (which is a main reason people turn to alcohol and drugs, to basically shut off the thinking part of the mind that is creating all the fear, self-doubt, worry, etc…, but that wears off and then the anxiety comes back….so hence people become addicted to the drugs/alcohol as it never makes the underlying issue be confronted and dealt with)
In the end….if eating all day works better for you emotionally then you are probably best sticking with it until you can address the other issues underneath (stress, worry, fear, lack of sleep, etc). If you want to try IF again you have to start slowly and do it once a week. See how your body reacts. Most people have problems because they try and do too much thinking more is better….when it never is. There is no one right way….but there are plenty of wrong ways. Keep the “Intermittent” part in IF and make it work for you!
Above photo by KevinLabianco
Get Daily Updates on Facebook/Twitter
**NEW** As of 2012 I am getting more active daily on my new "2 Meal Mike" Facebook and Twitter accounts. Come join in on the fun and say Hi!
About the Author
(or get RSS feed here)
Comments/Discussion
Got a comment or insight you want to add to this topic? Then please feel free to continue the discussion below. Please use your real name and not just your website (I will remove spam comments).
{No Comments. Read them below or add one}
Great post. I’m curious about something though… As a nightowl, I’m far from alert first thing in the morning. In fact, most days, I feel that I don’t mentally switch on until 10am. Although fasting has somewhat helped my sluggish mental focus. Is there a hormonal difference (SNS vs PNS) between nightowls and morning persons?
sk
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
This is a great post, and cropped up at exactly the right time as I have been pondering stress/anxiety and IF for a while now. So this has answered most of my questions. I would also recommend magnesium if you are feeling anxious whilst fasting but only from Citrate, Glycinate or Taurate.
I also find long morning fasts are tolerated best after a big and late dinner.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
Remember that any stimulants (caffeine, nicotine, others) taken in the fasted state will have a more pronouned effect compared to fed state. This may work in synergy with increased SNS tone during fasting; limiting stimulants may therefore be wise if you have problems with anxiety/stress. For example, switching (some or all) coffee for tea is simple, relatively easy to do and will likely help with this issue.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
Anxiety is easily dispelled by knowledge. To avoid fasting-anxiety, read Paavo Airola’s (quaintly named) “How to Keep Young, Healthy and Slim With Juice Fasting.” I just finished a 30-day juice fast and felt no anxiety at all, only increasing strength, lucidity, and a growing happiness born of – what shall I call it? – simplicity?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
I found out that many people (including my self
)
become addicted to dieting, eating too much , especially carbs , because they never address the underlying issues. So if they discover IF, they will build also that into their protection mechanisms in order not to feel the underlying fear, pain etc etc. I might even say: as long as dieting and/or IF is not just a healthy way of living, then dieting and/or IF is a (unconscious) protection mechanism,
I good way to test whether that’s the case or not is: if you’re tempted to eat too much or too many sweets or when you must do IF every day, just turn it around and feel what happens when you just don’t do it: often you feel despair, uneasiness or pain and often that’s related to the things that happened in your youth. If that’s the case you may become aware that the fear you feel is not real, that is: there is NO cause in the present. So just by feeling your fear (or other emotion) AND being aware that there is no cause in the present, you heal yourself, the need to overeat or eat fast carbs fall away and your body may decide what to eat. In my experience my body likes IF, the more irregular the better. (Chaos is a very important principle in nature, for instance people with a healthy HRV have a very irregular (chaotic) heart rhythm. If your present moment is not charged by the past, you will do no diets. You body will just eat natural food and enjoy it. Diets fail in the end, because they mask the underlying causes of the unnatural eating or fasting. The cause pops up after a while and you stop the diet and you find yourself bathing in a tube with chocolate
etc.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
I consider myself a fairly experienced IFer and I have found what works for me and my current schedule. 3 – 4 fasts per week from 14 – 20 hours. It took me some time to figure it out, and it has changed over time. I have found it to be very work/life dependent.
Due to a hectic work schedule and busy life in general, I don’t get enough sleep and it can be VERY hard for me to wind down at night, especially if I couldn’t get a workout in to burn up some of that cortisol floating around (or -in fact- if I worked out too much and my heart won’t stop racing). Sometimes I lay in bed and get adrenaline rushes for no reason (i.e. even when my gorgeous wife isn’t there).
When I try and IF more than that (duration or frequency) I can start to have more anxiety and trouble sleeping. My metabolically demanding workouts can lag seriously behind.
I have recently taken a huge step toward simplifying my life (going from 3 jobs to doing only the two I love), so this might change. I’ll make sure I document it the best I can for future reference.
-jj
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
Mike,
What a great post!
One way I deal additional work stress is as follows:
I leave the office early on a Friday (eventhough some work is NOT finished) enjoying the extra time it creates and I “bathe” in the good weekend vibes. I work out on Saturday in a playful way. I make sure to forget about work all weekend. Then I’ll go to bed relatively early on Sunday. (around 9)
I wake up early and go to work around 6:30. I work while no-one is in, undisturbned for 2 hours. Getting done what would have taken me 5 or 6 hours towards the end of the week.
off topic;
My “ata” squats are almost there. I have been practicing against the wall with a ball. It’s increasing my flexibility where it’s lacking. I think it is my hip flexors. Thanks again.
Marc
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
+1 to Martin’s Comment about caffeine.
When I first started IF, I would drink my usual morning cup or two of coffee (I don’t think I’ve ever had more than 2 cups in a day in my life) and I had a terrible anxiety attack. I was wondering what was going on, then realized an empty stomach and a heightened nervous system made my usual amount of caffeine a few times too strong.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
Great post, Mike.
First read this post on PM and then CF again and it has really opened my eyes to the importance of keeping my fasting intermittent. When I first started IF, I fasted 5-6 days a week and thought of non-fasting days like they were “cheat” days (the old diet mentality dies hard!) . Since reading your post, I have been making a deliberate attempt to make the fasting more intermittent and random and I have to say: I’m enjoying IF even more than before! I used to fast in the morning no matter what. Now when I feel like I want to bel lean, mean and extra alert (for a meeting or a workout), I would fast. But on mornings when I feel like I am already wound tightly enough as it is (as it was the other day when I was scheduled to attempt PR sets of squats and deadlifts), I would eat a decent size breakfast to “calm” me down (and on that particular morning, it worked!
)
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
Good points by all. I should of mentioned it more in the article but yes, caffeine will have a tremendous effect on the nervous system while doing IF. So first thing would be to stop IF and take out the caffeine if their is increased anxiety…then try IF without the caffeine. That and anxiety is still a factor of lifestyle, stress, sleep (or lack therof)…..so those things still should be addressed.
SK – by night owl do you mean you go to bed around 2am? That will mess up your hormones like melatonin and doesn’t give you the same hormonal reset for PNS/GH that you get with going to bed early. The sluggish morning is most likely due to your cortisol peaks early while you are awake and then bottoms up when you wake up….causing no energy. When it should be the opposite…..go to bed early with low cortisol and wake up with the highest (as that is how you wake up). So sleeping hours that your body and hormones were not meant to deal with can cause issues down the road. Best advice…get stuff done during the day and try going to bed early…as the latter you stay up…the easier it becomes….as if I stay up past 12…then I can stay up till 2-3 easy.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
Mike ~ I go to bed around 10pm. Unfortunately, it often takes me until midnight or later to fall asleep. Alarm clock goes off at 5am, and I’m at my job at 6:30am. The only things that’s I’ve found to help me fall asleep faster are Benadryl or Nyquil. I’m not drinking caffeine in the evening, so that’s not the cause… and I don’t drink alcohol either. I’ve been this way since pre-teen years, thus my wondering about hormone differences. I can count on one hand, the times I’ve woke up in the morning feeling “rested.” Normally, I feel just as tired, if not more so, as when I went to bed the night before.
At 38 years old, I am “still” my father’s daughter (dad’s not a morning person either).
Thanks for your response.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
sk – yes hormones are a funny thing, they pretty much dictate what happens. You can try different things like having something with sugar in it like ice cream 2-3 hours before bed, to see if the resulting blood sugar drop does anything. You could also be deficient in some particular mineral that is not helping out. People have found taking ZMA 30-60min before bed (cheap at vitacost.com) helps them sleep. It’s just Zinc and Magnesium. Many report more rested sleep. If you are not feeling rested you could also be suffering from some sleep apnea, essentially you keep waking up at night and don’t even know it….so you never hit those deeper stages of sleep. That is very very common (esp in overweight people who sleep on their back). If you are trying to get to bed early….make your environment reflect that, such as dimming the lights starting around 8pm….stay away from anything too stimulating like computer and action on TV….otherwise trying to get to bed when your body and mind are not ready to will be impossible. 5 hours of sleep is not alot of sleep…I know I would feel like crap every day if I slept from midnight to 5am.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
I loved this post. Enough already with the anxiety of NOT eating. “I think you’ll be OK if you miss a meal or two”. I usually say this with as much sarcasm as I can. I really am serious though. I have plenty of overweight friends, some are even my best friends, and if I were to tell them not eat for 24hrs they would freak. Which I would reply with “I think you’ll be OK if you . . . .”. This post answers most of the reasons people have for not IF. Make IT work you.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
Jesse – I always like to ask people “So you need carbs all day for energy? And how do you ever plan on burning stored fat then?”. Food is a luxury taken for granted today….as ask anyone from the great depression if they could survive on a meal a day. People would be good to take a fast even just once a week to break the mental dependency on needing to shove food in their mouths all the time.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
For no particular reason, I’m going to experiment with a schedule of intermittent fasts 6 days a week with Sunday off. Obviously I’ll be eating on those IF days, in the evening.
Wish me success.
Regards,
Christoph
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
Christoph – Welcome to the blog! If you haven’t seen this post already I would recommend it as a primer on IF protocols.
http://www.theiflife.com/2008/02/27/intermittent-fasting-101-how-to-start-part-i/
Many ways to go about it, I’d be careful about trying to do too much too soon. Like I tell most people, starting slow is always best otherwise you don’t want to get burned out and frustrated. Personally I do 16-18hr daily and eat at 2-4 times a day….and get plenty of calories in. Also remember the “I” in IF, keeping things intermittent is always a good plan with calories, eating windows and so forth. And like anything, if you think you are not getting enough calories in, then take a couple days off IF and eat. Quality of foods is important too as insulin control is key to getting fat loss. All in all, just enjoy the experience of getting back in tune with your natural instincts and control of your results, health and life.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
I read the post and thank you.
My thinking is I’ll make that my plan from the start, but while I plan on eating at least some Paleolithic foods when I eat (all would be ideal, but at least something so I’m thinking about it) following the “Fast-5″ timing… however, I’ll accept that a 19-hour fast from the getgo may not always happen!
So if one day it’s a 10-hour fast — minimal considering sleep — then that’s 10-hours of success. Next day I’ll shoot for 11. Or maybe I’ll have more success right away.
Also, remember, eating unhealthily I more or less fell into this eating plan when I went off anything like a normal work schedule. So it’ll be a bit less of an adaption for me, although I’ll have to adapt to doing this: 1. more strictly with my timings; and 2. with healthier food, which can be less calorie dense.
Thanks for replying! To say I’m impressed with the content on this site doesn’t begin to describe it. It was the focus of my night and I felt a great rush of hope with the information I learned, the plan I decided upon, and the mental training program I wrote to develop this “health blueprint”… very similar to the Millionaire Mind wealth blueprint training by T. Harv Eker I alluded to on another thread.
I can’t wait to get my hands on your eBook!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
Christoph – I think you will find a way that fits perfectly into your lifestyle with a little tweaking…and you may even change week to week based on your eating, activity and work schedule. That’s the real power and flexibility of it when you can know what you need to do or listen to what your body is saying that day. I like the longer based fasts to “make up” after maybe a higher calorie day (or not so clean day). I use the smaller fasts more regularly as I tend to have a high activity level and need more calorie intake while aiming for more healthy foods. It’s flexible and I definitely try and listen to my body….if it wants food, I give it plenty! Although I am not doing this for fat loss, keeping lean is not a problem with this lifestyle.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
Today was day one of consciously IF for 19 hours with a 5-hour eat window coming to a close.
It was awesome. I didn’t even realize it was eating time until my girlfriend called me and I saw the time. What hunger I felt was less than normal and more manageable since eating wasn’t an option.
I’m glad I took the step of investing 10 hours researching, writing, and editing a list of “Declarations” per the T. Harv Eker book I harped about to establish the mental blueprint of intermittent fasting.
Worked out this evening a moment ago and it was great. Eating Paleolithic foods (part of the blueprint, although I can have others). Thanks once again for opening my eyes to this! I got more work done with more energy and concentration than a long time.
It felt so free not to have to eat, wash dishes during the day, think about eating, wonder if I should eat, wonder how much to eat, when I should eat, whether I should go out to eat for lunch, how far apart to eat, and on and on throughout the day. I just worked, rested, and worked more.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
Christoph – It’s amazing what life has to offer when we free ourselves from worrying about food all day long. Mental focus is what I enjoy the most as well. Just take it day by day and remember that if you need a day off IF to take them as needed….as it’s supposed to be intermittent anyways. You”ll soon find a way that works for your lifestyle, and you can really appreciate and enjoy food when you do eat (which is the way it should be).
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
Sundays are my planned day off as that’s also the day I take off from training and the time I do my weekly review. It’s also the last day of the week so just like eating at night becomes a reward for fasting during the day, so does eating on Sunday for intermittent fasting during the week.
If I need others, I’ll take them. For now, I’ll lean toward avoiding that if possible because I do have a bodyfat issue to conquer.
I’m still looking forward to pre-ordering your eBook! … when the coding is done. I also found your fitness website too. What a wonderful concept!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
Okay, I understand that IF works better when low carbing… but just to clarify, would I still be able to lose weight if I consumed some carbs (oats, rye bread, rice) along with various proteins and alittle fat??
Would ensuring the first meal to break a fast and the last before fasting again prevent excessive muscle breakdown? Or is this more to do with how much you restrict your calorie intake?
Thank you
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
Hayley – This is not a “low carb” site at heart, although you will see mentioned about carb control and timing that matters (and carb intake will always depend on one’s starting body composition, activity level, goals and level of insulin resistance). You can lose weight on most eating plans with calorie deficit, it’ still about the calories (like the zone diet, it’s 40/30/30 but is calorie deficit at heart). It’s recommended to limit your carbs to more natural source fruits/veg of course. Not sure I get the question about breaking the fast for muscle breakdown, but if you eat enough daily protein (and don’t keep your calories too low) and exercise (use the muscles) 2-3x a week with resistance, you shouldn’t have to worry too much about that.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
I don’t think I’ve been off of IF since I started college. After my first year at MSU I didn’t really eat much at all because I had such a slow life stlye, and before that I was used to eating every time I had the chance because I swam before and after school every day, and slept… so now I eat one meal a day, every day, and usually it is dinner, I don’t even eat when I get up and it does help me a lot in mornings. I didn’t realize this was a way of life people studied, I just thought it was what worked for me. I eat healthy when I can, and I do take in quite a few carbs… I’m at a good weight, and my doctors all tell me I’m very healthy. A lot of yall mentioned time off, and I haven’t not been IF’ing for a few years now. This is i believe why I’m so happy all the time, because I take my weekends very seriously, and make no attempt to concentrate on work. I don’t get mad or upset, but have a very dry sense of humor which really keeps me on the witty and energetic side because I have to make it work for other people too. I’m impressed by the response, and I’m glad this is working for other people, I’ve advised the way I keep my diet ( meaning my normal intake and consumption not a type of depriving myself of something, think food pyramid) to many of my friends who tell me they are going to diet, and I had an ex-girlfriend/fiance take my advice very seriously and not only did it make here lose weight but I heard her talk about it a lot less even in the beginning.
The reason I actually ran across this site as a whole was a friend at work was linked to it from one of her clients, and in turn asked my opinion. At first some of the medical stuff sorta threw me off because it seemed very surface. After getting here, and having been intrigued and reading almost the entire site to see how I already fall into much of this lifestyle, I could only give her the thoughts to follow this to a T if she wanted to be happy, and she may even keep her current weight but would no longer be bothered by it.
Cheers mates, wonderful site mike.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
I’m not sure I get this post.
Intermittent fasting is not meant to be daily? I thought there were basically two ways of going about it:
1. eating for a few hours each day (for example 3 PM to 6 PM) and not eating anything for the rest of the time
2. eating for 24 hours (for example, from 4 PM Monday to 4 PM Tuesday) and then fasting for 24 hours (4 PM Tuesday to 4 PM Wednesday)
Each of these are daily routines. Sure, you can also fast every Monday, but that’s what people usually call normal fasting, not intermittent fasting. Whenever studies try Intermittent Fasting on rats (and they usually call it ADF or Alternate-Day Feeding), they use the 24/24 version.
Pretty much all the health reports of IF are from the 24/24 version, which is indeed a daily routine. The compressed eating window may work, too, but it’s been studied less. Personally, I like the 24/24 thing, because I don’t have to cram all the food in me in a few hours. Some people seem to like that approach too, however.
On my blog, I’ve encouraged people to start IF slow, like you (though I got into the 24/24 thing right away, because I’m impatient!). That’s only because for some people who are used to eating throughout the day, low blood sugar may be a problem at first.
I do think, however, that the goal is to increase the length of the fasting period gradually. ADF is certainly not “the wrong way”, if one looks at the studies.
BTW, ADF in rats is 24 hours of eating and 24 hours of fasting – they don’t have the same kind of sleep schedule we do.
http://inhumanexperiment.blogspot.com/search/label/intermittent%20fasting
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
JLL – I agree that IF based studies can differ on the length of fasts….as most are really ADF (alternate day fasting) or ADCR (alternate day calorie restriction). For me I have found a condensed eating window of 8 hours more enjoyable to have on a daily basis with more energy and no loss of performance or muscle. It comes down to different people and different lifestyles. While some less active may enjoy the 24 hr 2x a week better, others with higher activity level may enjoy the 18hr more frequent model. It’s quite individualistic and no one right way. I would love to see more studies on the compounded effects of a daily 18hr fast, but something tells me it probably won’t happen. Also add in strength training and carb cycling and you will get amazing results for insulin reduction and increased sensitivity which lead to improved health and body composition.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]
[...] in mind is that IF is only beneficial to you if you engage in it intermittently. Here’s why (The IF Life): Either way…IF is meant to be….ready….Intermittent. So do it 2x a week….3x a week….1x a [...]
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I know this is old now but I felt compelled to comment.
George, you cut to the heart of the matter so beautifully.
I was stunned when I read your comments – so insightfull.
This is exactly what I do. Constantly trying new healthy living methods as a way of stopping from facing the real problem of why I compulsively eat – to avoid pain and discomfort of any type.
Thank you so much – I’m printing your comment out and sticking it on my fridge!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
[Reply]