I have been recommended IF by my RD and am struggling to find the right times I will fast/not fast. I regularly have a matcha latte (with almond milk) every morning around 630 am. I was thinking of doing my eating hours between 10am-6pm, meaning I would not have matcha until 10. Did anyone else struggle with holding off on caffeine first thing in the am?
Just asking for any advice. I know this is the right thing for me. I just struggle with no caffeine. (I’m a tea drinker, mostly herbal except for matcha.)
Be flexible.
It has to be a minimum number of hours a day, but you get to choose those hours. I break fast between 8:30 and 9:30 am, and then eat for 2-6 hrs. I am fasting during dinner. I am also either cooking for the fam, or hanging out with them while they eat. I’m not missing out on anything
Doing a 16-8 is great, but I bet inside of 3 weeks you’re going longer.
As for the caffeine, make it work. Adjust your expectations, schedule, and what you feel you “need” to have. Find something that works for you. Anything but water, straight tea, or black coffee are going to break your fast. So if you have to have something besides that, then adjust your schedule. I avoided this way of life for almost a year because I thought I couldn’t do without coffee first thing. So I waited a little longer than normal, and went with a keto friendly version of my former morning coffee. Maintain a positive attitude, be flexible, and try things to see if they work for you….
You might be suprised
I dropped coffee cold Turkey. Gives me a stomach ache if i don’t drink it with dairy, vegan or otherwise. Which is actually a sign that maybe it’s a good thing to give up. I’m fine without it. The fasted state, once i am awake, usually keeps me pretty perky. Also, i drink a LOT of herbal tea which helps with the habit.
I had the same issue but with a cappuccino with almond milk that I used to drink at 7am. My fasting window is 7pm to 11am. I started off allowing myself 1 cappuccino during my fasting window for the first 2 days, then removed it.
I drink white tea or oolong now. I bought really nice loose leaf tea and the small caffeine in it sustaines me till 11. Then I have my cappuccino. It realized it was easier to postpone the cappuccino, in the end.
I did cico for a few years and lost most weight that way. I’m nearly at my end goal/maintenance and using IF as a break from calories, not sweating the speed I lose weight but it’s been really good for me so far, esp during xmas.
Good luck!
I used to drink Venti sized lattes from SB, I’ve switched to regular sized long blacks/americanos- no milk or sugar etc. can’t even smell milky coffee now. Sweet coffee is now disgusting (I love sugar!!).
Try not drinking coffee for a day, then when you break your coffee ‘fast’, have a strong black espresso based coffee, your reward centres in the brain will remember the hit and help you adjust to black.
Make sure it’s made fresh, and find a bean you love, black coffee will teach you how shit bad coffee can be!
Once you’ve had black there’s no going back ;-)
Good luck!