Hi!!! I have tried Intermittent Fasting in the past, the 16:8 type of Fasting, but have a questions about restarting Fasting and if it gets easier to skip a meal when one is used to eating three meals a day??? Normally I would skip breakfast because then I would be able to eat from 11 am to 7 pm, but my past attempts that I remember by the time 11 am came, it felt like I was starving, which is pretty sad, Haha!!! So am seeking advice because I would like to take up IF again, but want to be successful! Thank you all!!!
MissyReed1003
Member Posts: 5 Member
Member Posts: 5 Member
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But it's not magic. I just shifted when I eat to fit when I want to eat, instead of eating when I was SUPPOSED to/thought I should be.
Also my hunger vs my desire to eat are pretty divorced so. Bonus easier. I can ignore being hungry. I have a damn hard time ignoring the urge to put food in my mouth. So being hungry during the day when I'm busy isn't a problem. Not eating in the evening IS a problem. So all my eating happening after 5 p.m is fine.
I don't think that's sad...I think that's pretty normal when you haven't eaten anything in 16 hours.
I've done IF on and off over many years...once upon a time, we just called it skipping breakfast. There have been times when I've found it beneficial in keeping calories in check like last summer when I was injured for the entire summer and unable to do much physically...IF helped me keep calories in check so that I could at least maintain my weight through the healing process (ended up gaining about 10 Lbs anyway over the course of about 4 months, but it could have been worse)...and yeah...I was typically pretty hungry come lunch time. Like I said, I don't think that's sad...it would seem completely normal to me. 16 hours without food is quite a long time.
Everyone is different though, and Water fasting isn't really recommended for anyone sub 20 BMI (or if your pregnant, or breast feeding, and especially anyone susceptible to eating disorders).
Now I hope everyone doesn't think I'm suggesting you water fast I'm not... However I am saying fasting, or intermittent fasting may well be easier if your are following a low carb diet simply due to how it smoothes out insulin levels coupled with intake of high fat and moderate proteins working to curve hunger to a much muted level. Additionally, if your already in a state of ketosis then your less likely to experience electrolyte imbalances during your fasting period which can lead to headaches and general feelings of fatigue (keto-flu).
When I tried to stick rigidly to an 8hr eating window I found it really frustrating and made me into a clock watcher constantly thinking about food in general and in particular what to have for lunch as soon as the minute hand inched round soooo slowwwwwly to the alloted time.
But when I simply skip breakfast most of the time it isn't an issue at all. If I'm genuinely hungry in the morning or going for a long bike ride I'll eat.
Effectively it just turned breakfast into an optional meal and it makes sticking to my weekly food allowance easier for me, more enjoyable, less restrictive and more in tune with my hunger signals.
Experiment, you get to make your own rules.
Or your carbs could be light for evening meal and then you are active afterwards using many up, leaving not enough for next morning.
I just skipped it all till dinner because I was skeptical - shocked at how well it worked.
But I think I store a lot more carbs than average.
That being said, I still got really hungry in the morning, from 10AM onwards. I didn't mind the hunger at all, but it was quite annoying when my stomach would make ungodly noises during meetings and training sessions
I've since stopped my habit of skipping breakfast:
- I realised I was low on protein intake, so I added a high protein breakfast
- lockdown/working from home full-time lets me eat breakfast at a later hour, which suits me better
I still skip breakfast when I know I'll have a high calorie lunch or dinner (take-away pizza, family get-togethers,...)
I see several options:
- just 'deal' with the hunger, like I did
- experiment with a different eating schedule (for example skip a different meal)
- and if that doesn't suit you, just conclude that intermittent fasting isn't for you and try something else
Hey, I got two
This is me, except I like eating lunch and dinner and just having coffee at breakfast. I was in the habit of eating three meals and just started skipping breakfast and didn't find it difficult, but I have gone through significant periods of my life not eating breakfast, so I don't really feel like it's a big deal to skip it, and I tend not to feel all that hungry if I know that it won't be too long until my next meal. But I don't think IFing is magic, it just works with my current preferred schedule. If someone really struggles with it, it's likely not a good fit.
Also, re the idea that low carbing makes a big difference, I've done it when eating higher carb (when doing mostly plant based) and lower carb and in-between and it makes zero difference to me. When I was in my 20s and ate a pretty unhealthy diet (with plenty of refined carbs), I often ate only at 2 and at dinner, and it was no biggie to me. I assume it has more to do with personal preferences or habits.
Yeah definitely no relation to carbs/no carbs/low carb for me. My diet's 50% carbs on a good day. On a bad one more like 80%. Still the schedule that works for me just fine.
Don't know if this would work for anyone else, but I keep my exercise stuff in the bathroom, and do a little weights and Pilates type moves and mini elliptical several times per day for maybe 5 minutes, and try to walk whenever possible.
I worked that schedule for years, treated it like other work days - meaning I get up and pretty much go straight to work, so sleep was adjusted to accomplish that. But your house may not allowing going to bed at 1-2 pm, unless family is willing to work with your schedule and be quiet. 2 yr old, ya right.
Even with slow job the ability to come home and get right to bed didn't happen, so eating dinner when I came home wasn't an issue. Didn't eat breakfast then either, and on flection that job didn't require lunch, so IF would have been super simple.
I liked ability to get home after work, and do workouts with sun up, even though it wasn't warmest part of day during cooler seasons for bike ride.
Also, TRE (Time Restricted Eating) doesn't say the window has to be afternoon evening - that's just normally done it seems to enjoy dinner, and a bigger one, with family.
Studies have shown benefit to eating breakfast/lunch if you do morning workout, just slightly, to later window.
So if sleep has to be done right after work, then up way before work and eat breakfast then, lunch at work, no "dinner" when you get home.
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