Skipping breakfast intermittent fasting

[Changednamealready]

Hi,

I thought I would start a new thread. I have really struggled with overeating when I’ve reintroduced breakfast (though I love it).

I have improved appetite and had weight loss with IF and looking for buddies to encourage and support me. I find it really hard when out of the route one due to illness, Christmas and then generally really liking breakfast for comfort.

Anyone else seen want to join me?

[Ohyesiam]

Yes! I did my first fd today. Missing breakfast is the way forward!

[Changednamealready]

Fantastic! Did you feel less snacky all day? I found it took me ages to get Into this (getting used to the hunger) but the desire to keep snacking went!

[thisislovelyme]

Hello, I started IF last week, missing breakfast every day apart from Sunday. I'm using an app which massively helps. Last week was great, no problems, I felt energised and lost a couple of pounds. But this week... hmmmm..... not so great and it's only Tuesday! Yesterday I was in a long meeting and sandwiches and chips were ordered in and I caved (was supposed to be fasting till 3pm) and today I fasted till 1:30 till 8pm. But then felt huge desire for a whisky as have a rotten cold. So I did. With crisps. Twice. But I'm not going to beat myself up. Fasting again now till 2pm tomorrow. Wish me luck! What hours are you two doing?

[Changednamealready]

This is lovely - I fell off plan when I had a cold, it’s very hard, so you are doing very well. I’m skipping breakfast and eating at 12 - so am in awe at your resolve to last our till 3.

Let’s see how we go tomorrow. Some days harder than others. It took me months to get used to it but then felt absolutely amazing. Being ill is a challenge though so let yourself off the hook a bit - I think the body shouts when it’s not happy

[Changednamealready]

This is lovely - can I ask what app you’re using?
I’m breaking myself back in and confess I had some small skimmed milk in my coffee at 6 am this morning. This is contrast to having a very large (albeit) healthy breakfast pretty much since Christmas.

My stomach was growling by ten am, which shows how much I’ve got back into that old habit of breakfast mid morning snack and so on. When I’m as fasting it was. Nothing at all till 12 and the feeding gates closed around 8-9 pm.

It’s a no brainer- this way of eating, for me, helps reduce appetite!

[mistletoeandmerlot]

I'm using BodyFast- it's free and I find it really useful. I'm on a programme called cold water start where Mondays are really tough (till 3pm) but weekends are a doddle.

Managed till 1pm today, apart from a throat sweet. Am on a job with inflexible lunch hours this week so 3pm huge lunches are going to be impossible.

Right now I've been fasting since 5:30... but have done so much this evening, housework, sorting out the DCs.... I really really want to treat myself to a cheeky beer....

[Changednamealready]

Interesting you find weekends easier is that because you’re less stressed I wonder.

For me, the lovely thing about 16:8 is I think you can have that cheeky beer (or for me it would be a cheeky wine and dark chocolate).

Today I succeeded t hold off and have nothing until 12:30 I felt quite tired though but reminded me how much I snack, I walk past the fruit bowl and normally grab some grapes or an apple, I cleared up ds muesli bowl and would usually finish off the last mouthfuls before putting the bowl in the dishwasher. I walked past dark chocolates and nearly popped one in my mouth without even thinking.. anyway realising how spoilt I usually am I succeeded getting through it with black coffee.

[Radicalbell]

Hi, I’d like to join in if I may? A bit of background....I did 5:2 7 years ago when prepping for my wedding and had amazing results. I kept it up until I got pregnant a few months later and then all bets were off!

6 years on I’ve really struggled to shift the ‘baby’ weight....I tried doing 5:2 again and just couldn’t stick to it, which is a shame as it is effective (if you can keep doing it!). Hoping 16:8 will be more successful. I’ve done it for a week now and have lost 2 pounds without feeling hungry or it being a struggle! Fingers crossed I can keep it up

[troppibambini]

I'm doing it. I have been since Xmas I've combined it with healthy eating (with the odd treat)
I've lost 9lbs since Xmas.
I'm used to it now I eat 12-8.

[cheezy]

Are you allowed black coffee when fasting or must it be nothing at all?

[missyB1]

I’ve been doing 16:8 since September, I’ve lost all the weight I wanted to lose. I just do it 3 days a week now (my work days). I fast 8pm - midday. But I don’t have a large lunch, it’s usually porridge or granola with fruit. Then I have my normal evening meal. I love wine but I only have a couple of glasses on Friday and Saturday nights. Since Christmas I’ve found I can have milk in my tea and coffee on fasting days and it doesn’t seem to make any difference.

Some days are harder than others and getting back into it after Christmas was hard! And this week on Thursday I caved because it’s was a really stressful day at work.

[missyB1]

@cheezy you can have water, black tea, black coffee. But the jury is out on whether a small amount of milk makes any difference, I have found it doesn’t.

[troppibambini]

I have a tiny splash of skimmed milk in my tea and coffee during fast time.

[Changednamealready]

troppibambini - fantastic results!

[Changednamealready]

Few typos hopefully decipherable

[Changednamealready]

Hi

I posted last night and there were so many typos and automatic spell checks it was as if my post was in a different language 😂

School girl error - note to self, read through posts before sending and don’t post last thing at night.

Radical bell please do join us. I was very similar to you, prior to my wedding many years ago I was able to do the 5:2, children and a decade later it’s not so easy. Last year I discovered 16:8 and I lost weight but also found more energy.

Over Christmas I regained most of the weight (but not all) as went back to old habits and felt ill for about 6weeks. Now back on it. Yesterday was a struggle, oddly. I felt dizzy and hangry until 12. My mood was fierce. That hasn’t happened before and I think my body has got so used to snacking it was in shock.

The benefits have been great in the past though, it was interesting to note how much I do snack, I walk past a fruit bowl- take a piece of fruit, sit down to do some work- grab a milky cappuccino and a chocolate, at work and go to make a coffee grab a cracker or biscuits off the side. With IF it’s yes you can have that but not right now. I find the waiting for food really helps with cravings as there is no denying and because by the time it gets to midday it’s lunchtime anyway.

I personally find back coffee helpful and couldn’t do it without. I think a small amount of milk doesn’t really harm anything but I notice with no milk my appetite is reduced. If I have one milky coffee that’s ok, but one often leads to two and if I have too much I am definitely not feel that high and energy that I have sometimes felt from having nothing but black coffee.

Please keep me updated with your experiences!

[Radicalbell]

Really encouraging to read everybody’s success stories and I’ll definitely keep you updated. Went out for a delicious Indian meal last night so suspect the 2 pound loss has been reversed, but am keeping to the fasting protocols so fingers crossed! X

[troppibambini]

Hi how's everyone getting on?
I've had a bad weekend. Well to be honest it started on Thursday
I'm getting back on the wagon today though. I'm not getting in the scales for a couple of days though to give myself chance to reverse the damage.
Not eaten yet will have something at 12. It's definitely harder getting back on, I barely noticed it before now I'm really wanting to eat.
To be fair I'm not hungry I think my mouth is just bored.

[BareBelliedSneetch]

I’ve been fasting since September. Started at 16:8, now fast for a min of 18 hrs a day. I use an app called Zero to keep track. I’ve gone down a jeans size so far.

It’s been great for my mental health too.

[Changednamealready]

Great news barebellied. Is it just your mood in general? It was something that fascinated me that I had a better morning mood with IF (I didn’t Saturday though- first time ever but had been eating much more recently and think likely getting ill).

I’m also Ill (only sore throat and cough) again what an Earth is up with my immune system. Bit off track today but felt very tired and then a child vomited on us so no doubts will have enforced fasting in a few days.

Bambini I know the feeling I chewed gum but then realised it was encouraging my habit.

Off to have a lensip and research zero

[BareBelliedSneetch]

Illness really doesn’t help 🙁

I feel more in control when I’m fasting. When I was dieting I felt overwhelmed and thought about food and calories and macros and all that stuff constantly. When I’m fasting I just need to know the time. The rest goes away and I have mental space for other stuff.

I feel more positive. I feel more energised.

It just makes me feel good.

[Changednamealready]

Fantastic barebellied. Do you miss breakfast or stop eating earlier in the day? Do you get hangry? !

[BareBelliedSneetch]

I generally eat from about 12.00-18.00 but that’s pretty flexible. If we don’t finish dinner until 7pm, then I’ll wait the next day until after 1 to have lunch.

I don’t have breakfast. The first few weeks were tricky, and I definitely noticed feeling hangry and struggling with the hunger. It’s not often a problem any more.

Keep the fast completely clean is important though. No gum, no drinks with sweetenness or natural sugars, no fruit teas. Nothing that would elicit an insulin response. The key thing is to keep insulin as low as possible outside of the feasting window.

[Pelobates]

I've just started doing this too.
Yesterday was the first day I managed to eat just twice and within the 8 hr eating window, so very pleased with that. It now feels easy - enjoyable even!
I don't call it skipping breakfast though...just having breakfast later - I still have a typical breakfast of porridge, banana, berries, flaxseeds and walnuts as my first meal (overnight oats if at work).
I think I'm going to make my eating window 1330 to 2130 but ideally 1330 to 2030 or even 1930...we'll see!