Intermittent fasting schedule for night shift workers

What is the best intermittent fasting schedule for night shift workers?

Intermittent fasting (IF) can be a useful tool for night shift workers looking to improve their overall health and maintain a healthy weight. However, choosing the right IF schedule can be challenging.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best IF schedule for night shift workers will depend on their individual needs, preferences, and lifestyle. That being said, here are a few options to consider:

• Time-restricted feeding (TRF): This is a popular form of IF that involves limiting your food intake to a specific window of time each day. For night shift workers, TRF could involve eating during the hours when they are awake and not eating during their sleep hours. For example, if someone works from 9 pm to 5 am, they could fast between 5 am and 7 pm, when they are probably sleeping. Typical fasting times for time-restricted feeding is 14-18 hours and 16 hours is the most popular fasting time.

• Alternate day fasting: This involves alternating between days of unrestricted eating and days of severe calorie restriction. For example, a night shift worker could fast every other day during their work week and eat normally on their days off. Alternating day fasting entails taking in no more than 500 calories every other day. One green smoothie under 300 calories and a salad with dressing that is 200 calories would be an excellent meal plan for an alternate fasting day.

• 24-hour fasting: This involves not eating for 24 hours at a time. This would be best on a day that you would be very busy at work to take your mind off of food. It requires a lot of willpower and it should be implemented once or twice a week.

It's essential to note that fasting can be challenging, especially when adjusting to a new work schedule. Night shift workers should listen to their bodies and adjust their fasting schedules accordingly. They should also make sure to stay hydrated and fuel their bodies with nutrient-dense foods during their eating windows.

Intermittent fasting aids

If you are new to fasting and you want to use a guide to help you through your fasting journal, you can use an app or go traditional and use a journal. Below I review both methods.

Fastic app review

To assist me with my daily intermittent fasting routine, I use the Fastic app on cellphone. It is the one intermittent fasting app I would recommend and some of my clients love it too. 

Fastic is a mobile application designed to support individuals who are practicing intermittent fasting. The app offers a range of features that can help users track their fasts, monitor their progress, and stay motivated. Here are some key features of the Fastic app:

• Fasting Plans: The Fastic app offers a variety of fasting plans to choose from, including 12:12, 13:11, and 14:10 for beginners, 16:8, 17:7, and 18:6 for intermediate and advanced levels. The last levels are supposed to be used occasionally (20:4, 21:3, and 22:2). Users can select a plan based on their personal preferences and goals.

• Personalized Recommendations: Fastic offers personalized recommendations for users based on their fasting goals and progress. The app uses data such as weight, height, and age to provide customized fasting plans and advice.

• Meal and Water Tracking: The app allows users to log their meals and water intake to help them stay on track with their fasting goals.

• Community Support: Fastic offers a community feature that allows users to connect with other individuals practicing intermittent fasting. Users can share tips, motivation, and support with each other.

• Mindset Training: The app also offers mindset training, including guided meditations and visualization exercises to help users stay motivated and focused on their fasting goals.

• Health Tracking: Fastic integrates with Apple Health and Google Fit to provide users with a comprehensive view of their health data. This includes tracking metrics such as weight, BMI, and body fat percentage.

Overall, the Fastic app provides users with a range of tools and features to help them succeed with intermittent fasting. Whether you're just getting started with fasting or looking for additional support and guidance, the app can be a valuable resource.

Look for it on Google Play on your android phone and the App Store on your iPhone. 

Guide to intermittent fasting pdf

If you want to document your intermittent fasting journey the old fashion way with pen and paper, I recommend the following journal sold on Etsy.