Help! trouble sleeping on an empty stomach, need breakfast for meds

I really want to commit to IF, but I have a djlemma-- I can't figure out how to set hours. - I think I'm somebody who would benefit from an eating window that includes a good breakfast. I take meds in the morning that have to be taken with food. I also work a job where I have to think a lot, and it's hard for me to focus on work when I'm hungry. BUT - I absolutely cannot sleep beyond a certain amount of hunger (I'll truly spend hours trying to sleep and pass out as soon as I have a quick protein bar). If I eat a light dinner, I end up eating a quick snack before bed so I can sleep through the night. Is anyone in a similar situation? Are there good workarounds? Can I force my body to adjust to sleeping while hungry? Or is IF not for me?

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I think if you can’t change your relation to hunger, or suppress it and must eat something in the morning and before sleeping you could maybe eat a light meal before sleep then for breakfast, that could be your 8 hours window then nothing until dinner. That’s far from optimal but it could work, kinda…

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Could you do 16:8 with a very early dinner? That is, you have breakfast at 8am and dinner at 3pm. Alternatively you can make your 8 hour eating window be while you’re sleeping; but that only leaves 6 hours for actual sleep and you’ll have to eat breakfast immediately in the morning.

Can you transition to taking your meds in the evening instead?

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It can take a few weeks to adjust to OMAD/IF. You need to make sure you are eating a good quality meal when you do eat. Good level of protein needed. Make sure you are getting 60 g in a day and keep the carbs at 50% at most.

As for taking pills with food. Maybe you can take the pills with psyllium husk/fiber or maybe a very low calorie drink like V8, \~45 cal per serving.