Post: #1

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.

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

Post: #2

I find the opposite. When I am deep into fasting I have to much energy and I am bouncing off the walls. Only during stressful events like the gym can it be hit or miss but generally I am suffering from having to much energy and the inability to focus and sleep.

The only times I would feel crazy tired would be right after that first meal with the initial hit of nutrients to my system. I would have to slow things down for a bout a hour but then after that time I would be fine. My nerves and stress levels are completely fucked so I might be a extreme case but I did not experience much of what the article described and if anything feel the opposite. I have spent 2 weeks of my fast as I got sick of it and wanted a break and I started to feel like shit and tired all the time. Now I am back on it, 4 days back in and I am fine.

Post: #3

Yeahhh any kind of prolonged stress will have that kind of effect. Started feeling like shit towards the end of my last semester with all the exam stress and early wake-up times.

Besides my usual supplements, I've been taking 500mg of ginseng extract a day, and that seems to be having a positive effect.