Women IFers -- lets chat about protocols! page 8

[girlhk]

I have found that drinking water really helps first thing in the morning. Now that I've eliminated milk tea, I can put off food for much longer and much easier. Before when I drank milk tea, I'd get hungry within the hour.

[zoebird]

I think that it's actually helpful to get into a window *first* and then "go with the flow" later. I'm not one to be rigid about anything myself, but at this point, i'm *experimenting* with what seems to work for me and what doesn't.

I essentially gave up on the shorter window; after the third day is was fairly miserable -- even if I don't eat after 5 anyway (due to going with the flow). Somedays I do, somedays I don't.

I think that starting with a protocol is helpful.

Also, intermittent means alternating between stopping and starting -- not necessarily doing/not doing a certain window/protocol -- and it doesn' mean "randomly" either. It could mean sporadic, though.

[girlhk]

If I've had a big dinner the night before, then IF for 16+ hours is easy, not hungry for breakfast anyway. But if I only ate till just satiated at dinner before, I get hungry the next morning. If I make myself wait till noon or so to break the fast, I always end up eating a lot.

[reallygravity]

I do very well with one meal a day, at around 1pm or so. However, I have come to realize that my daughter eats an exceptionally good dinner if I eat with her. So now, I have been eating my one meal with her at 5pm.

However, my body is taking some time to switch to this new schedule. I am really hungry by 1-2pm, and 5pm seems so far away! The water I drink just cannot sustain me until then. And if I do end up eating at 1/2pm, I am not hungry at 5pm. And since dinner time with mommy is something my daughter really looks forward to, I end up eating for the heck of it again with her (and I definitely dont enjoy eating when I am not hungry!)

I should add some green tea and non-calorie drinks that will sustain me until 5pm. I tried some juicing the other day, and that helped.

Any tips/ ideas?

[gopintos]

And if I do end up eating at 1/2pm, I am not hungry at 5pm. And since dinner time with mommy is something my daughter really looks forward to, I end up eating for the heck of it again with her (and I definitely dont enjoy eating when I am not hungry!)

Have you tried just a snack, either at 1/2 or just a snack with your daughter at 5? (the snack with your daughter being something that she is eating, just a smaller amount?) Or two smaller meals?

[Drumroll]

I do very well with one meal a day, at around 1pm or so. However, I have come to realize that my daughter eats an exceptionally good dinner if I eat with her. So now, I have been eating my one meal with her at 5pm.

However, my body is taking some time to switch to this new schedule. I am really hungry by 1-2pm, and 5pm seems so far away! The water I drink just cannot sustain me until then. And if I do end up eating at 1/2pm, I am not hungry at 5pm. And since dinner time with mommy is something my daughter really looks forward to, I end up eating for the heck of it again with her (and I definitely dont enjoy eating when I am not hungry!)

I should add some green tea and non-calorie drinks that will sustain me until 5pm. I tried some juicing the other day, and that helped.

Any tips/ ideas?

Caffeine DOES blunt hunger signals somewhat. Just be aware that when fasting, you absorb more caffeine on an empty stomach. Stick to low doses of caffeine later in the day to prevent keeping yourself awake at night. Try some oolong tea or green tea at about noon and see if that can hold you over.

Yerba mate is also a fantastic choice for this, and some people say they sleep BETTER when regularly consuming mate, though your mileage may vary.

[reallygravity]

Yap, I have tried doing that...but I think my three year old daughter now is in a phase where she wants to eat together not just for food, but also socializing. She has started to tell him stories from school, ideas, her imaginary friends...it is pretty interesting.

The point is, if I have a small snack, she keeps saying, eat Mommy, eat. And if I dont, she says--oh, you are not hungry? Then lets just play then.

I am going try snacking at 1/2. Something to tide me over.

[reallygravity]

Thanks. I am going to try the teas. I strongly dislike coffee (gasp!)--it makes me nauseous and dehydrated.

But I can drink tea all day. Going to bust out those tea bags tomorrow morning!

[zoebird]

I don't like coffee either, that's why I drink tea. I have moved from black tea (and earl grey) to peppermint and red tea. And, i've taken myself down to 3 cups per day, to help keep my teeth from staining. just something that I'm trying, anyway.

I'm on cup two today, and I'll save one for tonight (red) after dinner.

Had breakfast already (at 11 am), and so I'll finish before 7 tonight. It's a bit of a stretch, but possible.

Anyway. . .

[Drumroll]

I enjoy tea so much that I invested in some really good loose tea leaves. The comparison to bagged teas is that there really isn't any. And when you rebrew the leaves 3-4 times which you can with a good quality tea, it actually gets cheaper than tea bags which are not really suitable to be rebrewed. The reason for this is that tea bags usually get filled with the tea fannings and dust.

If you're drinking tea regularly, if only for a purely financial reason you might be better served making the switch to loose leaf tea.

Especially if you're using them as an aid to your IF routine.