Women IFers -- lets chat about protocols! page 3

[Leida]

I am a complete failure at not eating breakfast. I am going to try to eat my last meal between 4 and 5 pm, so I can have breakfast once I get to the office between 6 and 7 am, and still maintain the minimal 14 hour window. I have never been good at skipping dinner either, but maybe if I have <50 calories snack allowed in the LG protocol before bed, I can do it.

I can't try tonight since it would mean eating a protein bar, and the good food won't be available until after 6 pm, but I will make arrangements tomorrow.

[gopintos]

(less time spent in the kitchen

I think that is why I started out fasting yesterday, just didnt feel like making anything. And the bone broth was already made and the tators were already baked. Then later for a snack, the eggs were already boiled

And I had a tooth bothering me a little so less chewing meant less aggravating it.

[Leida]

Unfortunately doesn't apply in my case, since I have to cook and feed the rest of the family Even if I pack everybody's lunches in the evening (which I hate doing because I am so tired, and it will get soggy overnight), I still need to make my husband's breakfast in the morning, and what I am going to do while it's cooking? Might as well pack lunches. But that's get me to handling tons of food right off the bat at 4 am, so by the time I get to the office at 6, I really want breakfast. I dunno, fasting never makes things easier. I used to think that maybe it is easier since I don't lag food to the office, but then I get so hungry that I will go shop for food at lunch break, and it is far pricier even if I get to a grocery store than what I buy in bulk. And now when I have to workout after work, I hit the worst low of the day just as I leave work at 2;30 and by the time I get to the gym at 3:30 it is so hard to get going. The day gym starts opening at 5 am instead of 5:30 am will be the happiest day of my life!!!

[Graycat]

I have never been a breakfast person, so unintentionally I have been sort of IF-ing all my life. Since going Primal I have made a few adjustments. Mainly eating my first meal around 1:30 - 2 pm. and my second and last one before 7. Now, sometimes (mostly during PMS) I'd feel like having a small snack in between or before bed time, but I try to resist it if I can.

There are days when I'm busy with work or something or simply don't feel hungry so I just have one very large meal in the evening.

I also work out in the morning in semi-fasted state, meaning after my cup of coffee with just a splash of cream.

[JoanieL]

For people who are uncomfortable going 14-20 hours everyday without food, couldn't you pick maybe one day a week and not eat from supper to supper that day? I used to do that from Sunday night to Monday night and it always seemed a good way to start the week.

[rachi]

I sometimes end up eating 2 meals between 7am and 1pm, then not eating until breakfast the next day. Any reason why I shouldn't eat more in the morning as opposed to eating more in the evening? Just it seems more "normal" to skip breakfast rather than dinner...

[Leida]

For people who are uncomfortable going 14-20 hours everyday without food, couldn't you pick maybe one day a week and not eat from supper to supper that day? I used to do that from Sunday night to Monday night and it always seemed a good way to start the week.

I tried it, and I go mental, even if I try a fat fast and eat fat. If I was outdoors having fun, I could do it. Real Life, locked in the office or running the household & serving meals on the weekends... no.

[Diana Renata]

I am in a regular routine of skipping breakfast, so I guess IF just sort of happens. I eat at noon, and as late as 10pm, sometimes midnight, so my if window ranges from 12 to 16 hours depending on the day.

I decided on Monday night at about midnight that I was going to fast. It's been 38 hours now and am pretty comfortable with it. I'll probably last 42-44 hours total and have some dinner tonight to eat some of the leftovers in the fridge.

I miss long fasts. 8/16's are so routine now, and I can easily eat a days worth of calories in a meal or two so weight loss never really happens anymore. I'm curious to see how alternate day fasting will work. I'm thinking of giving it a try, and skipping meals on Sunday, Tuesday and most of Thursday. I haven't decided yet.

[sakura_girl]

I believe the eating cycle helps to regulate the circadian rhythm. I always kept feeling extremely full after waking up from a night of free bingeing after 20-24 hour fasts, so now I am eating 3 meals a day, with breakfast being just broth around 7am, a large lunch around 11-1 and dinner around 7 of eating only easily digestible things.

My sleep quality has definitely improved, and my workout recovery has been a lot better. As a result, I have improved my lifts somewhat after plateuing for months, and I feel more energetic in general, with less overall stiffness. My weight has been the same the entire time I began fasting to after I began this new eating cycle, although I think I lost a bit of fat and packed on ever MORE muscle, although if I am glycogen-depleted, my pants begin to feel really loose.

[zoebird]

My husband does the cooking in our house, but it's twice a day only. He does breakfast for DS who eats it while DH makes and packs lunches, snacks, and our breakfast (which we eat at 11/12). It takes him about an hour all-told. Then in the evening, he makes a quick dinner (30 minutes or less), and sometiems we stew or roast something which will be lunches/snacks the next day.

this is different than before when DH was eating 5-6 times a day, making 3-4 fresh meals and then also having snacks, which meant a lot of time spent eating and in the kitchen comparatively.