New to IF

[GlitteringUnicorn]

Have done some research and I think 1500kcal and IF would work for me and my lifestyle.
I have never been a great breakfast eater anyway and my downfall is wine so I think that eating 12-8pm and no wine wouldn't be too painful.
My only problem is I love my morning cup of tea and to be frank am pretty toxic without it. I have measured out exactly this morning and can do with 30mls of skimmed milk. This equates to roughly 10calories- but this does technically break my fast. Is this an absolute no-no? Apart from that would have peppermint tea- and I'm not a particular coffee lover.

[Itwasfinetillitwasnt]

I started in May with if and calorie counting (have dropped from a size 14 to an 8). My one exception it to have two cups of tea in the morning so it's technically not fasting but enough for me to have lost weight but also to use the principles of if. My gut and bowels are certainly better so although I've stopped loosing weight I've kept the principles of if for the health benefits. There's lots of mixed opinions on this but I took the view its better to do something that's maintainable than something your setting yourself up for failure.

[GlitteringUnicorn]

@Itwasfinetillitwasnt

I started in May with if and calorie counting (have dropped from a size 14 to an 8). My one exception it to have two cups of tea in the morning so it's technically not fasting but enough for me to have lost weight but also to use the principles of if. My gut and bowels are certainly better so although I've stopped loosing weight I've kept the principles of if for the health benefits. There's lots of mixed opinions on this but I took the view its better to do something that's maintainable than something your setting yourself up for failure.

Thank you for replying.
What is your fasting window? Did you break on your routine for holidays and Christmas? Or have you been super good?

[Itwasfinetillitwasnt]

@GlitteringUnicorn

Thank you for replying.
What is your fasting window? Did you break on your routine for holidays and Christmas? Or have you been super good?

I eat between 12-6 mainly so that then if I want to eat earlier/later on an occasion it won't be too harmful.
I'd say I've broke routine on occasion eg Christmas day I had breakfast with the family as its tradition but I kept to my weekly calorie count and was reasonably good over the whole period. I think it works because I'm not falling off the wagon I'm choosing to be flexible and looking at my behaviour over a week rather than a day.

[BigBoysDontCry]

I guess people do IF for two main reasons, to lose weight and/or to regulate blood sugars. Both however give your body a decent break from digesting food.

For losing weight the main advantage is that it limits the amount of food you have as it disuades you from eating outside your window as that breaks your "rules".

My DH has always had a coffee with milk in the morning when IF, I don't bother as I don't drink tea or coffee.

So, if you simply include in your personal rules that you are allowed a cup of tea and that your eating window will be different on high days and holidays then you won't see it as falling off the wagon and therefore permission to eat anything you want 😁

I don't think it will make any difference to weight lose (or likely blood sugars either).

Good luck.