I’ve always been a breakfast skipper but the problem is I’m now starting to dislike this routine. I hate having to rush home after work to make sure I don’t eat too late and too close to bedtime. My cravings are also a lot worse in the evenings and so I usually end up eating some kind of sugary processed junk after my healthy meal (which you don’t tend to do at breakfast).
I thought it might be a good idea to start skipping dinner instead but this is proving very difficult presumably because my body is so used to getting food in the evenings.
Does anyone have any tips or tricks for switching up routines because I just can’t seem to get out of the habit of eating dinner!
I do 20:4 and have tried a few eating windows to find the right fit. I am now fixed on eating between 8.30am and 12.30pm and I’m loving it. I find that I prefer not to skip breakfast / brunch as I have more energy throughout the day. And I like going to bed at night feeling lighter. My nutritionist did recommend cutting off food by 2.00pm if you have a slow metabolism overall. But everyone is a little bit different and others may find sleeping on an empty stomach very difficult.
I replaced dinner with something else I enjoyed for awhile until my body got used to it. Usually it was either a nap (depending on how rough work was), an hour or two of video games (something I never do on weekdays), or a long, hot bath. I made sure it was always something a little indulgent, so my brain still got its evening dopamine hit, even without the food.
I found it almost impossible to skip breakfast, because it was so ingrained into my morning routine, that I was actually less productive at work without it just because it threw off my groove. I could afford to have my evening routine thrown off a little more, because I don’t have to be as productive at home as I do at work.
How much flexibility do you have within your days? Maybe shifting your window one hour earlier every few days until it’s where you want it could work.
I’d like to have my eating window (which is either 6 hours or 2 hours, depending on what i feel like) close around 4pm, every time I do that I feel so much better in the evenings. Unfortunately it’s hard to do with my work schedule during the week.
Dinner! I find it real hard to skip breakfast unless I had a large meal the evening before.
I work from 8.30am to 5pm, and it’s usually 6.30pm by time I get home. I have porridge and coffee at work for breakfast, then a light lunch and a snack in the afternoon before 4pm. Then I don’t have to think, prepare or cook dinner when I’m tired after being out of the house for 12 hours. Mentally way easier, and I sleep better on an empty stomach.
Maybe you can go to the gym?
I don’t do a heavy workout, but I find that after gym, I’m not inclined to eat. If I come back home and give myself a little time to come down, but not too much time to feel hunger, and go to sleep, I will sleep better, wake up more alert and ready for a breakfast. Write it that down, I must admit that this is something I did before IF when I tried to lose weight, and if I proceeded like this, I was successful. Unfortunately, I was not committed to my evening workouts. It could work for you, though.
I skip dinner and it’s helped me with my acid reflux . I’ve been able to stop using any medication for that problem. Sometimes I get busy at work and I have to eat lunch later and it messes with my schedule but for the most part I do better avoiding food after 4 or 5. But we are all different and you should try what works best for you.