IF Question Regarding Coffee

MarshmallowMuffinTop

Hi Everybody,

I am thinking of trying out Intermittent Fasting, but I need my coffee in the mornings. To start, I know that for medical purposes, you can drink black coffee and still be considered to be fasting. If I added a little vanilla extract to my coffee, would I still be considered fasting or would it “dirty” my fast?

Cheers,
M

jdog022

Suppose how much you add is relevant but “ breaking your fast” early doesn’t really change the end of the day results. If you find it spikes your hunger and it’s harder to push off the first big meal then maybe skip it. If not, it’s fine. Overall calorie deficit is still king in IF

Megan_smartiepants1970

I do IF...I have had black coffee with sugarfree vanilla caramel syrup...as long as it doesn't have calories in it then it is fine ..as least that is how I understood it

Danp

IF isn't magic and shifting a few calories out of your fasting window to enjoy a cup of coffee isn't going to impact your weight loss.

What's more likely to impact your weight loss is 'falling off the wagon' because you're denying yourself something you enjoy and eventually the cravings will get to you.

Damienriven

There is a group dedicated to IF on these forums, can get really good insight there. Buy a glucose tester from Walmart they’re pretty cheap. Test your blood before consuming and after consuming, if your blood sugar raises then no you shouldn’t use vanilla extract. Even if something is 0 calories it can still affect your insulin just takes some time to learn what can and can’t affect your fast.

NorthCascades

MarshmallowMuffinTop wrote: »

Hi Everybody,

I am thinking of trying out Intermittent Fasting, but I need my coffee in the mornings. To start, I know that for medical purposes, you can drink black coffee and still be considered to be fasting. If I added a little vanilla extract to my coffee, would I still be considered fasting or would it “dirty” my fast?

Cheers,
M

Considered by whom? There isn't an official rule book, and you can't be kicked out of IF. Do you consider it ok? That's all that really matters here.

NovusDies

Damienriven wrote: »

There is a group dedicated to IF on these forums, can get really good insight there. Buy a glucose tester from Walmart they’re pretty cheap. Test your blood before consuming and after consuming, if your blood sugar raises then no you shouldn’t use vanilla extract. Even if something is 0 calories it can still affect your insulin just takes some time to learn what can and can’t affect your fast.

No. You should only spend money on a monitor if you are at high risk for or currently suffering from an insulin disorder. If you are at high risk then you should consider checking yourself periodically or if you feel bad not because you had some coffee.

Making up rules and following strict protocols will not make anyone lose weight any faster. It is still done by creating a calorie deficit. Skipping a meal/increasing the normal fast period might help or it might make things worse.

Dilvish

Fasting is no more beneficial than a mono diet. What you should consider is that if your goal is weight loss, it needs to be habits that change, not severe caloric restriction.

Sustained weight loss is a journey, not a destination so unless you plan on doing the fasting for the remainder of your days, why bother?

Find something that you can stick to indefinitely, whether it be exercise or caloric restriction or both. Most diets fail because when the "goal weight" is achieved the diet and exercise slowly taper off and the weight returns. Permanent weight loss requires lifestyle changes that you can continue beyond the goal weight.

P.S. a cup of coffee with cream and sugar is perfectly okay on a fast.

bpotts44

Just vanilla extract would not be a problem. Generally a fat source also would not be considered breaking the fast, like cream.

dolliesdaughter

Um, doesn't vanilla extract contain alcohol?????

JeromeBarry1

The point of fasting is to experience autophagy.
Autophagy stops when the fast is broken.
5 g carbs breaks the fast.

My morning coffee with 10g of MCT powder has 1 g carb. My second morning coffee with 15 ml heavy cream has an additional 1 g carb.

I conclude that my 2 cups of fatty coffee do not break my fast. The only way to be sure is to test my blood for blood glucose before and after having my fatty coffee. I don't plan to do that.

WholeFoods4Lyfe

Depends on what your goals are. If you are trying to achieve autophagy, then any calories will break your fast. If you are just practicing fasting for weight loss / appetite control, then having a couple of calories won't completely derail you.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

NovusDies

bpotts44 wrote: »

Just vanilla extract would not be a problem. Generally a fat source also would not be considered breaking the fast, like cream.

If there is a problem there must be a definitive negative outcome. What is the negative outcome? How can it be measured? Breaking a fast is not a negative outcome because everyone does it each day at some point. Since there is no measurable benefit in humans for increased fasting that can't be claimed either.

Changing the way calories are distributed during the day is a benefit for some people. It doesn't matter if someone is fasted or not unless eating breakfast makes a person hungrier through the day.

missysippy930

There are calories in everything except water, even black coffee.

kimny72

JeromeBarry1 wrote: »

The point of fasting is to experience autophagy.
Autophagy stops when the fast is broken.
5 g carbs breaks the fast.

My morning coffee with 10g of MCT powder has 1 g carb. My second morning coffee with 15 ml heavy cream has an additional 1 g carb.

I conclude that my 2 cups of fatty coffee do not break my fast. The only way to be sure is to test my blood for blood glucose before and after having my fatty coffee. I don't plan to do that.

The point of fasting for you may be "autophagy". That is not the point for everyone. Many, many people do IF with the "point" of appetite control/ losing weight.

*
*

OP, it seriously won't hurt anything for you to try it. Have your coffee the way you like it, then wait to eat until your window starts. Stick to it for a week and see how you are doing. If your appetite is cooperating, you're sticking to your calories, and feeling good, keep it up. If not, you might need to re-strategize.

When I was doing IF, I drank coffee with a third of a cup of milk in the morning, then started eating around noon - 1PMish and it worked great for me. :drinker:

zeejane4

Danp wrote: »

IF isn't magic and shifting a few calories out of your fasting window to enjoy a cup of coffee isn't going to impact your weight loss.

What's more likely to impact your weight loss is 'falling off the wagon' because you're denying yourself something you enjoy and eventually the cravings will get to you.

This.

I do 16:8IF but have no problem with one or two cups of coffee, with splenda and half&half, outside of my eating window. A few calories outside of my window isn't a big deal and it doesn't trigger an increase in hunger, like I find with eating a meal in the morning.

NorthCascades

NovusDies wrote: »

bpotts44 wrote: »

Just vanilla extract would not be a problem. Generally a fat source also would not be considered breaking the fast, like cream.

If there is a problem there must be a definitive negative outcome. What is the negative outcome? How can it be measured? Breaking a fast is not a negative outcome because everyone does it each day at some point. Since there is no measurable benefit in humans for increased fasting that can't be claimed either.

Changing the way calories are distributed during the day is a benefit for some people. It doesn't matter if someone is fasted or not unless eating breakfast makes a person hungrier through the day.

This is literally where the word breakfast comes from.

NovusDies

JeromeBarry1 wrote: »

The point of fasting is to experience autophagy.
Autophagy stops when the fast is broken.
5 g carbs breaks the fast.

My morning coffee with 10g of MCT powder has 1 g carb. My second morning coffee with 15 ml heavy cream has an additional 1 g carb.

I conclude that my 2 cups of fatty coffee do not break my fast. The only way to be sure is to test my blood for blood glucose before and after having my fatty coffee. I don't plan to do that.

How do you know when autophagy begins in humans? I have been skipping breakfast for more than 2 decades so I should have some benefit of all of this autphagy, right? How do I measure it?

BattyKnitter

I don't "do" IF but I often don't eat until lunch, sometimes because I'm not hungry but mostly because I like having my calories split up into 2 meals rather than 3, I feel more satisfied that way. Like other have said, it's not magic it just helps me stick to my calorie deficit. I do add creamer to my morning coffee, about 70 calories worth.

lin_be

I skip breakfast and drink two cups of coffee with 4 tbsps of half and half pretty much everyday. I’ve continued to lose weight but that’s also because I hit my calorie goals, not because I skip breakfast.