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?

Hi Pelobates, I like your delaying breakfast. Sounds like you’ve started off well and no side effects with starting (? )

I made a mistake of having a slice of white toast when I got in from the school run. I won’t do that again. I let myself off as had little sleep. That wasn’t my best plan.

Fasting until 12 tomorrow.

How did this morning go @Changednamealready?

I don't think I'm having any side effects - did breakfast at 11 am for a week or so before moving it even later (think I will be ok for 1330 again today). I must admit I didn't feel great last night or this morning but I think that may just be the start of a cold. Did you have any side effects?

I've got some logistical problems around eating this evening and I think they only way around it will be to have a snack at 7 pm and eat late at 9.30 pm. Oh well. I guess it has no chance of working longterm if I can't be flexible with it.

Hi Pelobates,

Went well today (sort of) made it until 11:40.
I was cautious about leaving it until 12 as I was grumpy the other day and, well finished a meeting and there was an apple on the side which hot my mouth. You’re right about keeping it sustainable and I personally would not be feeling Guilty about eating later. The great thing about this is you can.

Side effects had all been good in the past, sometimes even elation! I’m serious my kronor. Ooo was improved but that’s didn’t happen on Saturday which was a shock. I felt bad tempered and was a bit worried as a bit unfairly snappy with the kids and then felt v guilty. Historically sometimes felt a bit weak by mid morning but in a way it was good made me get on with my work rather snacking.

I may have had side effects as it turns out...on Thursday I continued to feel a bit rubbish, I had the afternoon off work so I had a lie down and a short nap and woke up feeling energised with no headache and no sign of a cold since.

Yesterday morning I had an ocular migraine (flashing lights in one eye but no headache) - it only lasted 15 mins. I get them very occasionally - it may have been triggered by a bright indoor lighting (and no natural light at all - department store cafe) though.

Yesterday I was out with a friend from late morning - I ended up just having a banana at 2 pm and the rest of my porridge breakfast when I got home at 4 pm. I had meal 2 at 7.30 pm - I think less is filling me up in meal 2 meal now. Interestingly, eating breakfast so late meant it never really filled me up like it usually does - I was definitely ready for meal 2 at the normal time.

Today I plan to have my breakfast at 1.30 pm and then I'm going out with my husband for the evening - this will involve alcoholic drinks and a, healthy as I can without feeling deprived (almost certainly plant based), meal out. I plan to have a meal out/drink alcohol a max of once a month.

I've decided to a monthly WI.

1st January: 88.0 kg BMI 32.6
1st February 85.5 kg BMI 31.7 (-2.5 kg)

This doesn't represent IF weight loss as for at least the first two weeks in January I was just eating 95% WFPB but not restricting calories or eating times...then I started restricting calories, with varying success and finally in the last few days I have doing 16:8/2MAD as well. I'll be pleased it I can get off another 2.5 kg in February though! It is going to take me until at least June to get back down to where I was last June (70kg BMI 25.9) - horrible yo yo dieter - hence my need to find a way of eating that is permanent (but also flexible enough to be sustainable).

Great result Pelobates!
I’m a bit deflated (not literally though sadly ) this morning as have only gone down 3/4 of a pound, despite faithful fasting and being pretty healthy. It is my time of the month though and I did have half a bottle of Prosecco to drown my sorrows last night....so hopefully better next week. At least trend is still downwards!

I didn’t want to read and run. Radical bell - downward trend is key.. I always put in 3-4 lbs at time fo the month which disappears when I’m back to normal.
If it’s working for you, by that I mean doesn’t feel like a major sacrifice keep going... keep your eyes on the prize!

Hello! I've been doing this since the start of Jan and am down 9lbs now DH is doing it too and is also losing weight. It seems a far more sustainable and enjoyable way to live than any dieting I've done before so I'm quite excited about it!

I'll admit I do cheat though and have milk in my tea with one sugar in the mornings But otherwise I would be a wreck!

Hey Can I join? I started IF back in Oct and it has became a way of life for me. My weight loss has been slow but I feel great and less bloated. My window is 12-8 but the last 2 weeks I havn't felt hungry at 12 so have pushed on and listened to my body

I have brunch as opposed to breakfast then a big meal between lunch and dinner time. Works for me.

DesLynamsMoustache - Great to have you with us. It’s great isn’t it. I’m treating this as a way of life and accept some days I’m not religious to it. Today I felt wiped out and thought I would eat but be very careful about what I ate (fruit salad. Avocado toast) - but again looked at the clock and by 11 am I’d had breakfast, had a snack and was looking for when lunch was. So back on IF again tomorrow. I noticed watching what I ate was so much harder than just limiting the time frame! I agree this is so much better than any other “diet” this for me is sustainable and so glad you’ve had such great success too.

DivaRainbow Of course welcome. Great progress and interesting you don’t feel hungry at 12 l, do you find if you have breakfast in the am you are ?

SallyWD did you do purposeful IF or was it something you’ve always done ? What time do you brunch?

@changednamealready I'm doing 16/8. I have brunch around 10am, something light around 1pm and then a big meal at 3 or 4pm. After that I might have a small snack before 6pm. Really love doing 16/8. Feel so much better.

I'm doing 16:8, eating 1-9, so far it's pretty easy, in also finding when in my eating window I'm not snacking like in used to. Only been 4 days though so see what happens in time (fingers crossed it helps my weight as no willpower for anything else!)
No gym this week as had a bad cold, hopefully back to it on Monday

I've been doing this for a month but am disappointed not to have lost more - only 2-3lb max. I have kept to a fasting period of 8.30pm-1pm and am not overeating (I don't think?) plus I exercise 4 times per week. Wonder what I'm doing wrong?

I would first look at calories SleepyRoo - I've got to watch my calories too for this to work for me (late forties and not particularly active).

I had a planned night out on Saturday and whilst I stuck to 16:8 that day and since I'm still having more than I did before (before was 1300 kcals) - I know those few extra bits will add up to 500 kcals - so I am up to 1800 kcals ish and that for me is more like maintenance calories/very slow loss...

It is my day off today and I got up at 6.15 am (nearly an hour earlier than a work day) for some odd reason...waiting until my usual 1.30 pm for breakfast may be a challenge without the distraction of work!

Hi
Can I join please?
Ive been on the dry January thread and I've found it so helpful so I thought id look for a 16:8 thread.

Ive not really tried this, well not meaninfully. I lost a lot of weight a fe years ago as I started up a new business and just fasted for most of the day due to running around like crazy.

I can't think whats the best way to do my hours though as I have odd hours of working and can't eat just before my work.
How do you do it if you don't have regular hours? I take it i just try longer hours on the 2 days that are difficult?

I just make it work each day. On the days I don't work I eat 10am to 6am. Today I leave for work at 7. 30 so I eat 7am to 3pm. Other days I work later and eat 8am to 4pm.

Thanks SallyWD
So kind of just juggling it around a bit but as long as I only eat in an eight hour window?

Hi Breathmiller, I think the key is to ensure you get 14-16 hours fasting. I’ve read some reports of people being a bit more flexible with the eating window, but still getting benefits so long as the fasting period was on point.

Ah okay. Thanks. That makes sense. Because it's the fasting period that does the work, is that right?

I'm not very well today, off work with a virus so it was easy to fast from last night. I did keep an eye on my times though.
So I finished dinner at around 6 last night and didnt eat nothing until about an hour ago. So about 19 hours. But as I said I'm not well so wouldn't fancy trying to sustain that when I was active.

Has anyone done 16:8 in addition to Keto? I was looking at it as I have a bit of a sugar addiction.

Although I failed today at my lunch being scrambled tofu on a gluten free bagel. (I'm vegan and gluten free)

I would naturally fall into no breakfast so that's not such a hardship for me. But I do need to stop earlier in the evening. Theres no point in eating the same amount I was but just shifting it all later on the day.

I cant replace breakfast with a huge late dinner/supper/all evening scoffing

"Didnt eat nothing" - didn't eat anything!

Deary me. I'm really not that illiterate.

Can I join in please?

I hadn’t actually heard of this until now so not entirely sure where to start! When your eating, are you being strict on what is it and if it’s healthy or are you just eating anything you would usually of had?

I’m about the house quite a bit and I’m finding I’m snacking and picking at things quite a lot without really noticing I’m doing it which I want to stop!

I’m just catching up with posts

Southmouth I think you’ve hit the nail on the head for why this worked for me - snacking. I think within reason I started (if) pretty much eating whatever I wanted in my allotted times. It was mind blowing to see how much I ate between 06.30 am - midday! I know others have been pretty adamant that eating Well/clean/low sugar is really important. I eat pretty well usually I mean I didn’t live off chips and doughnuts I just eat/ate too much.

I started off having lunch:egg sandwiches on seeded bread, cappuccino apple small bar of dark choc then curry later with salad and a yoghurt. I lost weight this way and found, for me this improved my relationship with food. I didn’t stick to a rigid diet because I wanted to improve my relationship with food , eating had become a favourite pass time.

What worked for me may not for you of course, you may be someone who doesn’t eat until midday anyway.

I liked that by about 11 am I was genuinely hungry and then any food I’d prepped for lunch tasted even better than usual. I’ve lapsed a bit more recently stress I think but currently having milk in my coffee in the am.

Breathmiller - there’s no point eating the same amount - exactly. I personally found I developed a habit of overeating breakfast time, not really being hungry and snacking all
Morning at work. I didn’t realise I snacked as much as I do, like I’ve said before walk past a fruit bowl I’d have some fruit, have coffee have milk, walk past chocolate have a small piece and it would of course all add up. So for me obviously I lost weight skipping am feeds!

I did start to get complacent as the weight started dropping off and over Christmas a few obligatory breakfasts made it harder to get back on the IF programme.

I think maybe what would work is like you say having set times that you eat and a set time for evening meal to be finished by - when are the usual times you would overeat?

I have to say for me IF reducing my appetite but it isn’t a magic pill. You still have to watch portion sizes.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress