I’m trying to fast from 10 to 1 because I find that’s the best window for me. If I eat earlier, I usually end up eating more calories.
I was doing fine for a while but I wake up earlier than I do before. I wake up at 5-7 and I’m finding it way too hard to hold out. It’s not due to hunger most of the time. I’m just finding it hard to not have breakfast within a hour of waking up. The most I can wait is 8:30.
I’ve tried distracting myself but it still feels like I’m missing a vital part of my morning ritual. I’ve tried switching my eating period to 8 AM to 12 PM but I end up hungry before the end of the day.
Maybe start with a longer eating window? Then decrease that window of time by an hour each time you feel ready? I’m just starting out with IF myself, but I spent a few weeks beforehand just working on increasing my fasting period. I wouldn’t be able to do it unless the process was gradual. Even now, my stomach still growls more than the average person’s (at least it seems that way to me, lol). Sometimes that trick of drinking a big glass of water has helped my stomach last for an extra hour too.