Howdy gents,
I know you guys like to experiment with IF and similar fasting protocols, and while they are effective in weight loss I do have a corollary to this lifestyle.
Prolonged fasting will nuke your adrenals. I experienced this first hand in the last couple of months or so, to the point where I didn't want to do anything but sleep. This was done with my four hour eating windows (for about six weeks) and other fasting protocols earlier. It was a strange feeling to not be excited about working out or doing schoolwork. I would often stay up until about 1100 PM and not be able to get out of bed until noon, and even take a nap in the afternoon due to fatigue.
What I did to fix this was I started to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Inside of about three weeks my sleep schedule was back to normal, so I could go to bed at about 10:00 PM and wake up around 430 to 500 AM.
They say that adrenal fatigue is caused by stress. I wouldn't say that I was more stressed out that usual during this time period, but it's useful to note that intermittent fasting causes low levels of adrenaline to continually seep into your bloodstream. This is what I attribute the "burnout" to. I'm pretty sure that adrenal fatigue can also worsen feelings of depression.
So here's a checklist of things to look out for.
Here's another link from the Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/adrenal...ue/AN01583
I know you guys like to experiment with IF and similar fasting protocols, and while they are effective in weight loss I do have a corollary to this lifestyle.
Prolonged fasting will nuke your adrenals. I experienced this first hand in the last couple of months or so, to the point where I didn't want to do anything but sleep. This was done with my four hour eating windows (for about six weeks) and other fasting protocols earlier. It was a strange feeling to not be excited about working out or doing schoolwork. I would often stay up until about 1100 PM and not be able to get out of bed until noon, and even take a nap in the afternoon due to fatigue.
What I did to fix this was I started to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Inside of about three weeks my sleep schedule was back to normal, so I could go to bed at about 10:00 PM and wake up around 430 to 500 AM.
They say that adrenal fatigue is caused by stress. I wouldn't say that I was more stressed out that usual during this time period, but it's useful to note that intermittent fasting causes low levels of adrenaline to continually seep into your bloodstream. This is what I attribute the "burnout" to. I'm pretty sure that adrenal fatigue can also worsen feelings of depression.
So here's a checklist of things to look out for.
Quote:Quote:
How can I tell if my adrenals are fatigued?
You may be experiencing adrenal fatigue if you regularly notice one or more of the following:*
You feel tired for no reason.
You have trouble getting up in the morning, even when you go to bed at a reasonable hour.
You are feeling rundown or overwhelmed.
You have difficulty bouncing back from stress or illness.
You crave salty and sweet snacks.
You feel more awake, alert and energetic after 6PM than you do all day.
For more information, consult Dr. Wilson's book, Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome. It contains a wealth of insights and a series of tests you can do at home, as well as lab tests like the saliva test for adrenal hormones to help you determine if you are experiencing adrenal fatigue.
Here's another link from the Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/adrenal...ue/AN01583
