I understand that IF is a strict pattern. I’ve done 16:8 for some time and really enjoy it and it has great health benefits for my lifestyle. Here’s my question, I have some odd reactions to coffee so I tend to go for a type of natural tea “energy drink”. I need caffeine in the morning otherwise I’m sluggish since I’ve been consuming it daily for 20+ years. The drink has 90 calories in it. If I drink one in the morning daily and follow my IF routinely otherwise, am I going to see any notable change? Self control isn’t a worry, but I understand the importance of being diligent with a no tolerance approach. Anyone else do something like that? Thanks!
For most people, sans those that get regular exercise during their fasting window, a 90 calorie energy drink (prob a fair amt of simple carbs) during your 18 hr fasting window is raising your insulin and reducing your results, energy, metabolic, cellular regeneration, etc.
Researchers have concluded that the good feeling you get after drinking coffee is from relieving the caffeine withdraw. Would you believe that people who don’t drink caffeine wake up feeling as good as you do after your caffeine?
I know. It sounds like garbage. I didn’t believe it either, but I kicked the habit and it’s AMAZZZZZZING. I’m no longer dependent on caffeine. I am not a megabeast when I wake up.
The caffeine withdraw headaches are brutal but once you get through them, you won’t go back. After multiple failed attempts, I weened myself off by reducing caffeine over the course of a month. It’s life changing.
I know this isn’t what you were looking for, but give it a try. It’s so liberating!
That’s not fasting and, unfortunately, you’ll likely not see much in results. You can move your eating window to include breakfast and lunch (skip dinner and start your fasting window in the afternoon), or stick with black coffee, plain tea, etc.
90 calories is not fasting. So, no, you can’t drink that daily and consider it fasting. Your body won’t either. You could ween yourself off your caffeine dependency in a matter of a week if you want to. Or you just drink regular tea (zero calories).