Hacker News Reader

Comment by marttt | Hacker News Reader

Has anybody here experienced more impulsive behaviour as a result of intermittent fasting? More internal anger, being rude or impatient with your peers or children much more often, etc. I was on IF for 2-3 years, and while I gained a lot from the mental clarity, I also admit turning into an uneasy person within.

A quick google provided a 2020 paper that tackles this same question: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7381251/

View on HN

The study says they fasted for 20 hours. That's well beyond what most people do. I do a 16:8, personally (which, is really just skipping breakfast), and if I don't eat by 1:00pm (which would be 17 hours), I'm a monster.

I've been skipping breakfast for over 10 years now, so I honestly don't remember how I was previously. Maybe I should starting eating it again as an experiment.

tl:dr: shift your window.

I did 18:6 for about 6 months a decade ago and noticed the hangry effect (as did my wife and kids!). I went from 232 to 190 lbs though, placing top 5 in triathlons, so the method undeniably works. It's been 10 years and I found myself back at 225 and decided to get back on the IF wagon in December, with one modification: I stop eating at 9 pm and start at 3 pm, so by the time I encounter my wife and kids, I'm not hangry.

Curious what your initial eating window was?

Working man hours, not eating until home, so more like 5 pm to 10 or 11 pm.

I have noticed that too in myself occasionally. I do 16:8 IF and can eat after 6pm, and I notice sometimes around 3-4pm or so, I start getting “hangry” and impatient with people. It’s not all the time, but enough to where I notice that pattern in myself.

"Becoming easily irritated, tearful, anxious or moody" is one of symptoms of low blood sugar level.

Not just with IF, but also low/no carbohydrate diets because the lack of free glucose results in the release of cortisol and adrenaline, so it makes sense. I did low carb for a few months - at first it caused some issues but eventually I seemed to have adapted.

I noticed similar observations. But I ascribe it to an increase of available mental energy which I unlearned to handle. Eating has a calming and sedating effect. Unhappy people like to eat much for that reason. It helps you sticking in your comfort zone and daily routine. If that sort of self-medication falls away I start to notice how that comfort zone is more like a cage and many rituals just voluntary chains. My mind then starts to fight back - in a clumsy and somewhat childish way, though, as I can't handle that little rage stirring up inside of me.

Yes, "hangry". I try to be aware of it now and then it's usually fine, and if it isn't I eat a small meal (some fruit or a protein bar)

Mine is pronounced enough that I've had romantic partners make a mental note to have snacks for me. It's pretty incredible, I can feel myself getting irritable, and within 15 minutes of eating something my body just relaxes and I'm back to being my charitable self.

The opposite actually. I used to get hangry and be irritable all the time. I would also have blood sugar crashes if I ate carbs (hypoglycemic). Switching to 18:6 completely eliminated blood sugar issues and I am generally more docile.

I don't notice that effect from IF, but I definitely notice irritability when I'm restricting calories and actually losing weight.

If I skip breakfast I often eat like a maniac come lunchtime if I’m not strict with myself

I'm a "breakfast is my most important meal" person and therefore I eat breakfast and lunch but skip dinner. Works too!

There are several IF studies that say this may be the best way to do it. As the rising of the sun triggers some hormones that help process the food. So having an earlier 'window' has more benefits. Not a doctor. But something i have seen in my studies of this.

That’s interesting, I might have to try this out! Especially since my appetite is most reasonable at breakfast time, and becomes more gluttonous as the day progresses.

I’ve been doing this for 10 days now, since the day of your comment. It’s been really great. Energy levels are good, clod is solid, lost a bit of weight, and I’m sleeping really well.

There's some rumor on the internet that IF might increase testosterone levels.

It might raise it in the short term but lowcal and fasting lowers free T in the long term. But lowering bodyfat helps with testosterone levels. Pros and Cons

That's not very surprising, you're weaning/rehabing from food, a lot of things can happen in your metabolism.

Not to mention serotonin is made in the gut, the brain burns a lot of calories too.

Also, most women I know are just uneasy to be with when they're hungry.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com