Fasting and hunger

JustDoIt987
JustDoIt987 Posts: 120 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone , I would really like to start doing IF so I could have big dinners with my friends and family. However , I wake up STARVING in the morning and have to eat some cereal. Anyone knows how I can stop this?

Replies

  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    What happens if you don't eat cereal? You won't know until you try...
  • lemonychild
    lemonychild Posts: 654 Member
    How u can stop it? Stop putting cereal in your mouth
  • JustDoIt987
    JustDoIt987 Posts: 120 Member
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    What happens if you don't eat cereal? You won't know until you try...

    I did try , and I feel way too hungry to the point that I cant concentrate
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Instead of starving yourself so you can eat big maybe it would work better to exercise more. You accomplish the same thing but exercise also provides health benefits and allows you to eat breakfast.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    It sounds like a big knot. Untie it by separating what you need, what you want and what you can:

    You need enough food - a range of nutrients and sufficient calories every day.
    You want to have one big meal every day.
    You can eat whatever you like and whenever you like, and you can lose/maintain weight eating whatever you like and whenever you like, if you do it smart and prioritize.

    You could try replacing your cereal with a more balanced and satisfying breakfast. What that will be, can vary.
    You could eat dinner with friends and family and just serve yourself an appropriate portion.
    If you eat lunch and snacks, pay attention to what and how much you eat for those meal as well and make sure the total for the day adds up nicely.
  • Jadedinosaur
    Jadedinosaur Posts: 41 Member
    You could try just having a smaller breakfast and lunch so you can have a big dinner. I keep my breakfast, lunch and snacks all day to around ~600cals, so I can have the bulkiest meal at night. Good luck!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    I was never able to do IF because I could never get passed the hunger issues. Some people just don't respond.
  • shazi89
    shazi89 Posts: 16 Member
    I do IF, make sure your evening meal is nutritional. I drink coffee, tea and water until around 3pm and then eat. It definitely get easier.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    After 1 week of IF, my morning hunger gets blunted and I can fast through to midday with ease.

    It's not for everyone though and there are no magical fat burning properties.
  • JustDoIt987
    JustDoIt987 Posts: 120 Member
    I also forgot to mention that my job is physically demanding ( tour guide)
  • oolou
    oolou Posts: 765 Member
    It may just be the case that IF is not for you. Listen to your body.

    Having a breakfast of around 200 cals would likely still allow sufficient calories to have a big family meal, even though you have broken the fast with a breakfast.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited May 2017
    This content has been removed.
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,383 Member
    It takes some time for your body to break out of habits. If your body is used to expecting breakfast at 8am every morning, it'll send you those hunger signals when you don't give it that breakfast.

    After a week or two, your body adjusts to the new schedule.

    I personally love following 16:8 IF. I just eat lunch and dinner and feel perfectly satiated! I do get a bit hungry in the morning, but it's very manageable. I just sip on hot tea until lunch time and distract myself with other things.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    I was never able to do IF because I could never get passed the hunger issues. Some people just don't respond.

    Yup...I couldn't do it either.
  • blessingsfromabove721
    blessingsfromabove721 Posts: 161 Member
    I do a form of IF and it works for me. I don't eat breakfast, but I do drink coffee and that usually keeps me satiated until lunch time. Like others have said, some can do it, some can't.

    I think all in all, it's all about finding your niche...or a way of eating that works for YOU and that you can work with long term. You'll never know if IF can work for you if you don't try.

    Best of luck!
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    JustDoIt987 wrote: »
    I also forgot to mention that my job is physically demanding ( tour guide)

    Have you considered that maybe IF isn't compatible with you and your lifestyle? Certainly would never work for me.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Count me as another person for whom IF would not work. I like lots of small meals.

    However, cereal isn't one of them. I don't find it satiating at all. Not enough protein, even if I use Greek yogurt instead of milk, etc.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,254 Member
    Between breakfast at 6am and dinner at 6pm there is an opportunity for a 12 hour fast.
    Between dinner at 6pm and the breaking of the fast at 6am we have another 12 hour fast.
    Just saying ;-)

    If eating breakfast does not lead you to continuing to eat throughout the day, it probably doesn't matter for the purpose of caloric control and weight loss whether you break the fast at that time, or not.

    And as someone mentioned a small breakfast still leaves you with the bulk of your calories for your later meal.

    Instead of thinking of it as intermittent fasting think of it as allocating your calories to fewer, larger, meals.

    Assuming it works for you...
  • pattilindley
    pattilindley Posts: 47 Member
    shazi89 wrote: »
    I do IF, make sure your evening meal is nutritional. I drink coffee, tea and water until around 3pm and then eat. It definitely get easier.

    What is IF?
  • Rusty740
    Rusty740 Posts: 749 Member
    edited May 2017
    I started doing Intermittent Fasting about 2.5 months ago. I just don't eat breakfast. I do have black coffee. I did it for two reasons. #1 I wanted to lose the last little bit of body fat and thought I'd try something that supposedly helps. #2 Not eating breakfast allowed me to have bigger meals at lunch and dinner.

    I kept my calorie intake the same before and after.

    For the first several weeks I was hungry until lunch, but after that it got much easier and it doesn't bother me much right up until the early afternoon sometimes. Since I reached my goal weight I've been increasing calories on a lean bulk and have found that I might have something small for breakfast to increase my calories.

    I found that having simple carbs in the morning increased my hunger. Toast, cereal, sugar in my coffee definitely does it. Prior to starting IF I discovered the benefits of having protein in the morning to help keep me satiated until lunch and it definitely works. Try switching your breakfast to include some high protein. Perhaps an egg on toast instead of cereal.
  • greenzgal
    greenzgal Posts: 20 Member
    The first 3 days of IF are the hardest after that it gets easier. If I can do it anyone can as I'm a big foodie!! Lol. I've been doing it a week now and have lost 2lbs but that is combined with exercise. I go to the gym 4/5 times a week and spend max 45 minutes doing cardio. I only eat one evening meal. You don't have to be as drastic as me you can maybe skip breakfast and have lunch and dinner. Good luck :)
  • shazi89
    shazi89 Posts: 16 Member
    pattilindley wrote: »
    shazi89 wrote: »
    I do IF, make sure your evening meal is nutritional. I drink coffee, tea and water until around 3pm and then eat. It definitely get easier.

    What is IF?

    Intermittent fasting.
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