I have been doing imf for over a month now . I think I need to change it up a bit with more food but seem to always fall back on low carb low cal even on weekends when I intend to eat more. I had terrible cramps in my feet last night and I think my body is telling me enough is enough. I am a creature of habit and have fallen into the habit of eating very little food on a four hour window. I have been researching old threads trying to find info. on a refeed idea. Is it important, does it change things up and keep things moving or does it impede weight loss? How often should it been done or is it a your milage will vary kind of thing? I know I need to shake this rut but not sure what I should eat carbs up or cals up or both on refeed days? Any thoughts?

the foot cramps suggest you need more potassium and magnesium, not more carbs

I should have added that I have been taking both as well as vinegar. Last night I was drinking pickle juice after the third cramp. My carbs are very low ,close to zero most days.

You can be still br low in potassium and magnesium even when taking supplements. Also, are you drinking enough water and getting enough salt? Jimmy Moore and Dr. Jason Fung host a podcast called Fasting Talk. They also have a great book out on fasting. Great source of info.

On eating days your supposed to feast not undereat. Could mess up your metabolism.

I did a weekly carbup day for approximately 5 years. Part of it because my thyroid levels react to dieting and part to build muscle, I exercised 3 hours a day and partly because I never quite let go of the carbs. The thing is once my thyroid was straightened out and I got to goal I was eating at 300 carbs a day. I could do 20 hour fasts and 3 hour workouts still and maintain on all those carbs.

Once I was injured and thyroid not so good I was deeply hooked on sugar and it has taken me literal years to get back to lowcarb.

My gut feeling is that binging on carbs is no better than binging on on alcohol. Its a bad habit.

Maybe you could add in a few days of eating 3 meals spread out over the day, bring your carbs around to 50. Keep the carbs to healthy stuff not candy, cookies, chips, burritos type.

Counting calories and fasting sounds like a very rigid plan. Why not follow your hunger? You might not be able to get in enough fat if your calories are very low.

I wasn,t talking about a cheat day but a carb up day. Maybe not count carbs at all just eat allowed food regardless of carbs or cals. for a day. Maybe something like a roast with low carb veggies. On the other hand I don,t want to undo what I have been working so hard on .Reading my journal my cals have been averaging under 500 per day for a few weeks. Going into this I had planned on around thirty carbs per day on weekends but fasting has become so natural I have just stuck with it right threw the last several weekends. My scales broke so I am not sure where I am at loss wise but I am about halfway threw a 6 week challenge. Its been easy to stay on imf but I do find myself staring at butter and peanut butter between that and the cramps I think I am pushing it to far even thought its easy. I don,t want a rebound gain at the end of the 6 weeks.

Calories are too low, especially for somebody too close to goal. Also what everybody has said about electrolytes--you can't be getting enough of these from so little food. I think intentionally eating more, even past appetite on some days is a good idea.

One thing that often happens both during an extended fast and during very low calorie intake is a decrease in appetite. Low carb decreases appetite, probably through a decrease in insulin. Fasting also powerfully decreases insulin, as does a very low calorie diet, especially a very low calorie diet that's low carb. Intentionally eating more food, whether it's low carb or has more carbs, will increase insulin levels, and can have the seemingly paradoxical effect of increasing appetite.

Thanks for the reminder I am not eating anything with salt or no salt. I do need to remember to add it. Drinking the pickle juice seems to have ended the cramps. You hit the nail on the head with just not wanting to eat anything. I,m just not hungry and I know I should be. I am going to take a roast out of the freezer and make myself eat more than once a day this weekend.