What do you exactly mean with taking November off? What is your exact plan? I recommend going along with the plan and simply changing to IF, too many changes at the same time are harder to assimilate. Also, there is no reason to slow down now. You can recomp your body with IF and gain strength at the same time, but you must do it right. Have you informed yourself well about IF? http://www.leangains.com/
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."
— Robert Heinlein