Hi Fasters!
I am trying to figure out how easy or difficult is to follow IF if you live with other person who does not Fast.
Thanks.
I am a single parent of 2 kids, they obviously need food all throughout the day, so on weekdays they get breakfast at home, I get nothing. Then at school they have their lunches, and I get nothing at work. Then for dinner, we will often eat together, or I do a quick eat and clean, due to time limitations.
Weekends, it is the same except we are all home, I just skip the breakfast and mid-day meal/lunch, and then do dinner together.
At work, where we all meet in the cafeteria for lunch i just don’t eat, I drink a cup of tea and talk with the colleagues.
I started IF to calm down my crohn’s disease, and keep it managed and under control. It works wonders for me, and that is also what I told my colleagues, family and friends, when they asked why I don’t eat for breakfast and lunch. No one even questioned it, other than if it works it works.
As with making any significant lifestyle change, it can be challenging for a partner/spouse to get used to the idea and accept it. Once they see the benefits you are getting from IF and that you’re serious about it (as well as get over any concerns/myths they’ve heard about skipping meals), then they should start to be more understanding. Actually sticking to IF wasn’t hard for me, even with all the processed junk in the cupboards at easy reach.. I just remember I’d rather have a better well-being and body than some short term pleasure from a bag of chips of whatever.
I went with very hard as I’m just starting out and my husband loves food. He’s actually lost weight by just exercising, and it’s amazing so I’m trying my own thing. I have to be a bit flexible because if I eat late then I can’t get lunch if he works from home. I’m still trying to make it work for myself and still get out and enjoy time. I’m considering weekends a free pass and have accepted that this journey may be a bit longer for me then others who can stick with it.
It’s actually easier because I never had time for breakfast and would have to eat while driving the kids to school. I give them their breakfast while I pack up their bags, and then even when I do OMAD, I make that meal a family dinner. On weekends, I loosen it up to 16:8 and will eat lunch and dinner with them.
No one in my house of 6 does it, and I make 2-3 meals a day. Breakfast is easy for me. I have never enjoyed eating when I wake up, and breakfast foods are really low on my list of foods I enjoy. Usually I make lunch around 2, which is around my 16-hour mark. Sometimes I eat if I’m hungry if not, I do omad that day. I have been trying not to follow the clock anymore and just listen to my body. Some days, let’s say I’m doing brunch with my girl friends or a birthday breakfast for my husband. I won’t fast that day and just restart the next day. I like to consider this less of a diet but learning to listen to my body.