STRETCHING THE EATING WINDOW WITH O-50 CAL MEALS

heroyalslimness

Ever since grabbing onto IF...it's been a wonderful success--for me and fits in great with my own organic eating clock.
I never felt up to eating before noon anyway--and would force myself to have 'breakfasts" ---as well as no boundaries around --stopping eating--and would graze throughout day and night

Typically for me---- I start meals at 1pm ---and try to keep end them at 7pm, but there are some days I am just ravenous--or my stomach starts growling at 11am or AFTER the eating window---say--like 9pm or even midnight!
For example--last night I absentmindedly crunched on a peanut trail mix

---

as I was hungry and then thought--after---uh-oh--what am I doing. I still lost a pound---but it worried me

I usually do something like have a light snack if I am hungry---but it can turn into a meal AFTER the fasting window--or more...



Now that I know I have these hunger twinges--and I know myself better as an IF-er..I want to be prepared and have something ready and light to eat when I am hungry without breaking the structure of the fasting.

Would it affect chemically the fasting balance if ---say at noon--I had a light snack of pears spread with teaspoon of cashew cheese..or at 10pm ---if hungry--a cup of miso soup and carrots sticks. Or raw pepper sticks and a teaspoon of humus... or 1/4 cup of pistachios..or a mini slice of watermelon.

These would be the snacks before or after the window ....to keep the wolf away----

I JUST do not want to jeopardize my weight loss..It's been a regular 1 pound a week loss. 10 pounds so far!
Only 40 left to go and I would be cool with even 37!

Don't want to fool with that.

ChasingStarlight

Maybe fasting in the way you are isn't for you. I don't think a low cal snack would affect your weight loss provided you are still eating at a deficit, but I wouldn't say you are exactly fasting still when you eat it. have you tried eatIng a bit more in your eating window, or rethinking your last meal so it keeps you full longer (more protein?) or drinking black decaf coffee at night, or green tea or coke zero? I usually have a peppermint tea around 9pm. But if you want a snack and are really hungry and not eating through habit and are still at a cal deficit, I say eat.

heroyalslimness

Maybe fasting in the way you are isn't for you. I don't think a low cal snack would affect your weight loss provided you are still eating at a deficit, but I wouldn't say you are exactly fasting still when you eat it. have you tried eatIng a bit more in your eating window, or rethinking your last meal so it keeps you full longer (more protein?) or drinking black decaf coffee at night, or green tea or coke zero? I usually have a peppermint tea around 9pm. But if you want a snack and are really hungry and not eating through habit and are still at a cal deficit, I say eat.

Thanks! No-the later eating is not out of habit--I am pretty hungry when I do.

I guess the way I've been doing it is IF-ing 7 days a week--but once or twice a week having these lapses.
It does come from poor planning-- I think.

I eat a cal deficit most days. I WAS eating as late in the evening but as close to 7pm as possible. I think I am going to try eating right away at 1pm, because some times I am not hungry--and put off eating which affects the schedule. So eating whether hungry or not @1pm and plan to include three lo-cal meals within that window--hopefully will fix that.

I will see what happens---and I can have a tea or miso broth..(30 calories) as a drink at p-ish if need be.

LowcarbNY

Either stick with the program or not. The 50 cal limit is for the entire fast time. That covers incidentals like the 5 or 10 calories in a "zero" calorie drink, your supplements, coffee, ...... even your broth (but limit it to a single serving).

Don't try to game the system. As an example, we know that the food label says that spray vegetable oil (ie PAM) has zero calories. But it is vegetable oil. It only has "zero" calories because of the portion size and the way the rules are written to allow rounding to zero.
If you use 50 2 second sprays of PAM you will be getting many calories above zero.


For me, an energy drink help with those 2pm food thoughts. Being very busy helps also.

mfpcopine

Ever since grabbing onto IF...it's been a wonderful success--for me and fits in great with my own organic eating clock.
I never felt up to eating before noon anyway--and would force myself to have 'breakfasts" ---as well as no boundaries around --stopping eating--and would graze throughout day and night

Typically for me---- I start meals at 1pm ---and try to keep end them at 7pm, but there are some days I am just ravenous--or my stomach starts growling at 11am or AFTER the eating window---say--like 9pm or even midnight!
For example--last night I absentmindedly crunched on a peanut trail mix

---

as I was hungry and then thought--after---uh-oh--what am I doing. I still lost a pound---but it worried me

I usually do something like have a light snack if I am hungry---but it can turn into a meal AFTER the fasting window--or more...



Now that I know I have these hunger twinges--and I know myself better as an IF-er..I want to be prepared and have something ready and light to eat when I am hungry without breaking the structure of the fasting.

Would it affect chemically the fasting balance if ---say at noon--I had a light snack of pears spread with teaspoon of cashew cheese..or at 10pm ---if hungry--a cup of miso soup and carrots sticks. Or raw pepper sticks and a teaspoon of humus... or 1/4 cup of pistachios..or a mini slice of watermelon.

These would be the snacks before or after the window ....to keep the wolf away----

I JUST do not want to jeopardize my weight loss..It's been a regular 1 pound a week loss. 10 pounds so far!
Only 40 left to go and I would be cool with even 37!

Don't want to fool with that.

Do you maintain a six-hour eating window every single day? That's severe. Maybe, as others have said, you should consider extending the window a bit.

heroyalslimness

Either stick with the program or not. The 50 cal limit is for the entire fast time. That covers incidentals like the 5 or 10 calories in a "zero" calorie drink, your supplements, coffee, ...... even your broth (but limit it to a single serving).

Don't try to game the system. As an example, we know that the food label says that spray vegetable oil (ie PAM) has zero calories. But it is vegetable oil. It only has "zero" calories because of the portion size and the way the rules are written to allow rounding to zero.
If you use 50 2 second sprays of PAM you will be getting many calories above zero.


For me, an energy drink help with those 2pm food thoughts. Being very busy helps also.

This is a bit heavy-handed-- isn't it?

Either stick with program or not? Gaming the system???

~it is not jail. I am losing weight -so something IS working--but it's not perfect, so I also committed to finding what works for me--

I will see what happens---and I can have a tea or miso broth..(30 calories) as a drink at p-ish if need be.

Nothing wrong with this

that's what the post is about -but thanks anyway

heroyalslimness

Maybe fasting in the way you are isn't for you. I don't think a low cal snack would affect your weight loss provided you are still eating at a deficit, but I wouldn't say you are exactly fasting still when you eat it. have you tried eatIng a bit more in your eating window, or rethinking your last meal so it keeps you full longer (more protein?) or drinking black decaf coffee at night, or green tea or coke zero? I usually have a peppermint tea around 9pm. But if you want a snack and are really hungry and not eating through habit and are still at a cal deficit, I say eat.

Thanks!

Yeah. Well - I was at first confused what a fast---was. Reading a litrtle from Eat Stop Eat website helped clarify. I now know --and have successfully had (2) 24 hour windows with no food --only water in the past 2 weeks
It was not easy.


As for the lean gains--I am trying 6-hours windows daily---11am-5pm---but if I find I am still hungry in the evening--I might end meals at 7pm.

LowcarbNY

This is a bit heavy-handed-- isn't it?

Either stick with program or not? Gaming the system???

I guess you might see it that way. I've seen lots of people convince themselves that they can eat all the Cool Whip (name your own poison ) they like because the label says zero calories per serving.

~it is not jail. I am losing weight -so something IS working--but it's not perfect, so I also committed to finding what works for me--

There is no IF police force. No one will give you a ticket or arrest you. But understand what the whole 50 cal limit during the fast is all about and why it exists.
That 50 cal is supposed to account for things like the 5 calories in an 8 oz class of crystal light. It isn't supposed to be a 50 calorie snack to help tide you over.

Quoting Dr. Herring's Fast-5 book

"Problem 3.
I can't keep the fast until five o'clock.

Solutions:
1. The Fast-5 Diet only works if you;re truly fasting. One bite is enough to let limbic hunger take control and that little bite may trigger enough insulin release to squelch your fat metabolism.. Don't take that first bite until it is time for break~fast, and make sure you're not accidentally breaking your fast with an unrecognized calorie creep (cream, milk, or sugar in your coffee; mints, chewing gum, ect.) before 5 PM. "


" Try not! Do, or do not. There is not try, only do." Yoda

jackflak

Marks Daily Apple has a good write up about IF and women's feeding window-If I remember right-says that women shouldn't use a small window. I don't have the link for the article, but I'm sure if you were to google it, you could find it.