I have a simple question regarding IF.Should I rather skip dinner or breakfast? All the posts/articles/research points to just skipping breakfast, but I want to skip dinner. Do I NEED to skip breakfast? Or will it work the same if I skip dinner?
I am currently 3 weeks in to Keto and have lost 4KG (8.8 lbs) in 2.5 weeks (was on Keto for a few months last year). In about a week I want to implement IF for the first time. I am planning on doing 18/6 IF and I’m sure I’ll have no problems getting in to IF and staying consistent, Keto suppresses my appetite a lot. However, I prefer to eat in the mornings and lunch and prefer not to eat in the evening, but all the info and posts recommend skipping breakfast. Will the IF work the same if I skip dinner?
I plan to feed between 07:00 and 13:00, then fast from 13:00 to 07:00 the next day. With Bulletproof coffee after waking up (7am), breakfast at 7:30 (eggs + ham or bacon), lunch at 12:00 (meat + veg). After a few weeks of being on IF, I want to start doing fasted exercises between 16:00 and 18:00. However I see a lot of posts saying that I should eat most of daily calories AFTER my workout and not before, for recovery purposes. I prefer to exercise after work in the evenings and not before work in the mornings, due to my work being somewhat labor intensive.
So my question is, will I still gains the benefits of a IF in a healthy way if I skip dinner and not skip breakfast, then do fasted exercise in the evening? With the intention of losing weight and being healthy. I also like the idea of IF because I only have to cook meals and wash dishes 2 times a day instead of 3. I also currently tend to eat dinner late in the evening, which usually means I eat too close to the time where I go to bed, which is not good for weight loss.
If skipping breakfast is much much better than skipping dinner, I could make it work, but I would prefer to skip dinner.
Age: 23 Current Weight: 132KG (291 lbs) Goal Weight: 90KG (198 lbs) Current BF % : 39% Gender: Male Height: 175CM (5 ft 9 inch) Current meal plan: Keto + CICO Exercise: None, at the moment. Currently 4 days a week I do light farm work and lots of walking. Once I’m a few weeks in to IF, I will do light at home cardio during fast in evening. Then in a few months I want to start weight training.
I never lost any weight by skipping breakfast at all. I am at a healthy BMI (and bf%). But skipping dinner definitely works. That is my personal experience. It’s not as simple as how much less calories come in, there is the social aspect, what you like to eat for breakfast Vs dinner, etc. Try it for yourself keep tracks and adjust. Skipping dinner you might need less sleep and/or have trouble falling asleep.
Hi OP. I’m 43F, 5’8”. I skipped dinner and did the same exact schedule you are doing and it worked very well for me. I started IF in April 2019 and now I still skip dinner but my eating window is extended a bit. I also exercise in a fasted state too. But I’m not doing anything super gnarly. I walk a lot and do yoga 3 times a week. The yoga has really helped me to build muscle, but it’s a slow build. When I started IF, I had a labor intensive job too and I had to eat in the morning for energy and clarity. Good luck to you!
I think it is mostly just a preference for many people. It seems alot of people just aren’t hungry in the morning so it’s easier to skip breakfast. I’ve seen posts about people skipping dinner, too. Whatever is easiest for you to stick to will be the best plan for you.
Do what works best for you. Factors to consider….
The more time between last food and bed the better. Full digestion before laying down is good.
Many find skipping breakfast and eating later easier to avoid night time snacking
Ideally, wait 45min or more before eating when you wake
Ideally, if you work out, do it at the tail end of fast
I’ll also add….the beauty of IF is that if you do a day of non IF, not really a big deal. For some, myself included, I like the ability to shift windows….that’s not super easy for all though. There are days I’m intending on eating until 1pm, simply not hungry, so turn into a 36 to 48 hour fast. Sometimes I have weekend plans, and eat at say 1pm on Thursday, then 8pm on Friday. The flexibility is really nice
It’s a question of personal preference. I prefer to skip dinner, because I prefer not to pass my day hungry and end up going to bed with a full stomach.
And I really like coffee & eggs for breakfast.