weight loss/obesity - restricting eating to a certain window

[ktgrok]

I've been doing something very against typical advice, and skipping breakfast. Yup. I'm a rebel :) And it seems to be working, I'm back to dropping weight again after being stalled for a bit. This article touches on why that may work. And when I think about it, many of my naturally thin friends skip breakfast, or don't eat after dinner, either way they have a 12 hour or less window in which they eat. And as I'm hungrier in the evening, it makes more sense for me to make my window 11am-11pm, or even Noon to 11pm, rather than 7am-7pm or whatever. 

 

I will say, I do still have coffee before that,with half and half and splenda. Hoping the lack of sugar keeps it from messing things up. So far so good. 

 

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/15/a-12-hour-window-for-a-healthy-weight/?_r=0

[Laurie4b]

I do a 12 hour window as well because it is thought to be useful for brain health (protecting against Alzheimer's),  not for weight loss. For brain health, the window needs to close 3 hours before bedtime.

 

However, when I was doing weight loss, I would skip dinner once or twice a week. That seemed to be the key. 

Edited March 2, 2016 by Laurie4b

[LisaKinVA]

Since moving overseas, dinner is typically later. If I eat a good dinner at 8pm, I am usually not hungry before 10 am. Although, I may have a cappuccino.

[redsquirrel]

I've been doing something very against typical advice, and skipping breakfast. Yup. I'm a rebel :) And it seems to be working, I'm back to dropping weight again after being stalled for a bit. This article touches on why that may work. And when I think about it, many of my naturally thin friends skip breakfast, or don't eat after dinner, either way they have a 12 hour or less window in which they eat. And as I'm hungrier in the evening, it makes more sense for me to make my window 11am-11pm, or even Noon to 11pm, rather than 7am-7pm or whatever. 

 

I will say, I do still have coffee before that,with half and half and splenda. Hoping the lack of sugar keeps it from messing things up. So far so good. 

 

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/15/a-12-hour-window-for-a-healthy-weight/?_r=0

 

If you are trying to get the benefits of 12 hour fast, then the coffee has to wait.  It does cause a change in blood chemistry etc.  When I have had to fast for blood tests, they have been very clear that I could only have water upon awakening. I was told no coffee, that they first sip cause the whole system to 'rev up' and would change results.

 

If you are just trying to cut calories in a small painless way, then the coffee is no big deal.

 

I also go from about 11-11 and I have several glasses of warm (not hot) water in the morning. I can usually get in two pints before 11am, which has done wonders for my water consumption goals.

 

 

[Sun]

I lost a bunch of weight a few years ago, and I ultimately migrated back to my old (thin days) eating style of coffee for breakfast and then most of my eating in a 7-hour window. To further break that down, I'd usually eat one "real" meal a day (about 600-800 calories) and a very light other meal. Both of my meals were lunch or dinner because I have always found that if I eat breakfast, I am hungrier all day long. It's not a small difference for me either. If I don't eat breakfast, I'm not super hungry all day. If I do, I'm ravenous, all day long. The days I eat breakfast are the days I want a big lunch and a big dinner and lots of snacks, so clearly that path does not lead to weight loss or even maintenance for me!

[VaKim]

I lost a bunch of weight a few years ago, and I ultimately migrated back to my old (thin days) eating style of coffee for breakfast and then most of my eating in a 7-hour window. To further break that down, I'd usually eat one "real" meal a day (about 600-800 calories) and a very light other meal. Both of my meals were lunch or dinner because I have always found that if I eat breakfast, I am hungrier all day long. It's not a small difference for me either. If I don't eat breakfast, I'm not super hungry all day. If I do, I'm ravenous, all day long. The days I eat breakfast are the days I want a big lunch and a big dinner and lots of snacks, so clearly that path does not lead to weight loss or even maintenance for me!

This happens to me too! I always say that if I eat breakfast, it is like hanging a sign on my stomach that says "open for business!" 

[ktgrok]

This happens to me too! I always say that if I eat breakfast, it is like hanging a sign on my stomach that says "open for business!" 

 

Yup!

 

The old version of the Carbohydrate Addict Diet (is that still around?) addressed this as well. 

[Annie G]

Dh and I generally eat three meals a day, all within a 12 hour period. When we've gone through periods of skipping breakfast, we generally ate lunch at noon and dinner between 5 and 6. So a 6 hour time frame. We've never seen a difference weight wise unless we made sure not to eat the equivalent of three meals' worth of calories on days we had just two meals.  So we attributed it to lower calories instead of the time frame we were consuming them in.   When dh has been super busy at work he's gone through spells of having just dinner- he skipped breakfast and had no time for lunch. Oddly enough, that was awful for him weight wise. I think stress played a huge part. 

 

Are you having the same amount of calories per day now as you had before you started this?  If so, that's interesting!  

 

It's so interesting how something that works for one person doesn't work for another. After a long plateau, the only thing dh changed was WHEN we exercised. It was first thing in the morning for years, and now it's just before dinner.  It's made a difference...crazy, huh? 

 

Congrats on breaking through that plateau! 

[ktgrok]

Thanks! And calories are about the same, maybe a bit lower, because I'm less hungry if I don't eat breakfast. I also try to keep most carbs later in the day. 

[Annie G]

I recently read that carbs are better later in the day- way back in the day they told us to have our carbs early in the day.  So we did that, and of course discovered that cold cereal in the morning made our kids ravenous by 9 am.  But if they skipped breakfast they were LESS hungry at lunchtime.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Carrie12345]

I don't know that I'd consider that *skipping breakfast so much as operating on a different schedule.  I don't typically eat between 9pm and 9am, but I do usually eat 3-6 "meals"/day.

[Pawz4me]

If you are trying to get the benefits of 12 hour fast, then the coffee has to wait.  It does cause a change in blood chemistry etc.  When I have had to fast for blood tests, they have been very clear that I could only have water upon awakening. I was told no coffee, that they first sip cause the whole system to 'rev up' and would change results.

 

It probably depends on what they're testing for and maybe the doctor's own preferences.  I've never had to skip black coffee for any type of blood work.  And that spanned several doctors.

[kroe1]

If I hear my stomach growling, I know it needs food. If it is not, I know I do not need food. What is the point of forcing food when one is not hungry, right?

[Guest]

It's an interesting study and it makes sense to me. Anecdotally, I have never been a big eater of breakfast and did not find validation for this until I read "The Paleo Manifesto," which talked about how we are normally in a state of ketosis in the morning and that this is good and models what Paleo man would have most likely done.

 

It is also common for me to skip lunch (not usually the same days I skip breakfast) because I work on Tuesday and Thirsday and don't want to take time for lunch.

[redsquirrel]

It probably depends on what they're testing for and maybe the doctor's own preferences.  I've never had to skip black coffee for any type of blood work.  And that spanned several doctors.

 

But she's not drinking black coffee. She is drinking it with half and half and splenda. That is just not a 12 hour fast.

 

And yes, when I looked into it there were some discussions of black coffee vs water. Some say yes, because it can trigger some digestion, some say no, only water. I don't like black coffee. I'd rather wait to have what I like. :001_cool:  If I really needed the caffeine upon awakening, then black could be acceptable. I think if you are really wanting to establish a pattern of 12 hour fasting to improve your blood chemistry, it would be best to delay if possible. So, maybe it is something to be working towards

[Ms Brooks]

I do a 12 hour window as well because it is thought to be useful for brain health (protecting against Alzheimer's),  not for weight loss. For brain health, the window needs to close 3 hours before bedtime.

 

However, when I was doing weight loss, I would skip dinner once or twice a week. That seemed to be the key. 

 

Laurie4b can you tell me more about the connection between a 12 hour window and protecting against Alzheimer's.

[katilac]

I've been doing something very against typical advice, and skipping breakfast. 

 

I don't think there's any such thing as 'typical advice' where weight loss is concerned! 

[aaplank]

Check out the Perfect Health Diet by the Jaminets. There is good research about optimal fasting for 16 hours overnight and limiting your eating window to 8 hours.

 

Edited to add:

 

Research has shown that a person eating the same amount of calories in this 8 hour window as a person eating those calories without fasting continues to lose weight.

Edited March 2, 2016 by aaplank

[ashfern]

Thanks! And calories are about the same, maybe a bit lower, because I'm less hungry if I don't eat breakfast. I also try to keep most carbs later in the day. 

 

This is opposite for me. I have to eat my carbs earlier in the day. If I have carbs at dinner then I usually will either stay the same or gain when I weigh the next morning.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I didn't read the article.  I almost never eat breakfast.  I find when I do, I'm hungrier throughout the day.  No clue why.  So I just stopped doing it.  It is usually when I'm following some diet that I try eating breakfast just to once again discover it does not help.

 

 

[regentrude]

So how do you non-breakfast eaters manage? If I don't eat before leaving the house, I feel queasy and faint. It even happens when I eat, if I don't eat enough.

Edited March 3, 2016 by regentrude

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I find I get ravenous depending upon the type of breakfast I eat. Lately I have been doing the old fashioned rolled oats with whole milk and splenda and cinnamon and it satisfies me. Kashi Go Lean on the other hand had me ravenous 2 hours later probably because of the sugar. Omelets also satisfy me.

 

I agree that fasting for part of the day or the 5:2 type diet seem to be beneficial from the articles I have read. Currently I am doing baby steps and am trying simply not ton eat after dinner and 3 healthy meals.

[Laurie4b]

Laurie4b can you tell me more about the connection between a 12 hour window and protecting against Alzheimer's.

 

It has to do with autophagy---cleaning out your brain. Basically, when our body gets a small signal (12 hr fast)  that we're in a famine, it starts cleaning things up to get everything in tip-top shape to hunt/gather I guess!  It also has to do with ketones. 

 

Here's where I first read about it: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4221920/   Click on Table 1.  I know I've read it other places as well. We have a strong family history. I figure that Bredenson's protocol mostly contains ways to optimize your health, so if there is something he's recommending that is not harmful to health, I'm game to try it. http://www.anti-agingfirewalls.com/2015/02/18/a-simple-comprehensive-plan-to-prevent-or-reverse-alzheimers-disease-and-other-neurodegenerative-diseases-part-1-the-plan

 

Here are another couple: http://www.newsmax.com/health/Headline/mini-fast-Alzheimers-ketones-brain-health/2013/02/07/id/489390/

 

http://alzheimersnewstoday.com/2015/02/24/dieting-produces-compound-that-may-drive-inflammation-in-alzheimers-disease/

 

Like I said, it may turn out not to be effective, but it's not going to hurt me and if it could help!

[matrips]

If I eat an omelette with veggies, then breakfast fills me up for hours. If I eat a bagel or cereal, I'm using starving much sooner. I think what is eaten matters more than whether or not to eat.

[MiMi 4under3]

Intermittent fasting works for me!

 

I don't eat in the morning until I'm truly hungry, and that's usually around 10 or 11am.

 

The hardest part for me is not eating before bed because it had been a bad habit for so many years. I drink herbal tea in the evenings now.

 

I still consume the same amount of calories as usual, but in a much shorter window of time.

 

 

 

 

[ktgrok]

If I eat an omelette with veggies, then breakfast fills me up for hours. If I eat a bagel or cereal, I'm using starving much sooner. I think what is eaten matters more than whether or not to eat.

 

I have already been eating low carb since June, so although yes lower carb keeps me full longer, I'm finding that restricting my eating window is helping me drop weight more quickly, even with the same diet. Which correlates with what the various studies seem to suggest. 

[Joker]

Yeah, I can't eat breakfast. I'm just never hungry. It's actually pretty easy for me to only eat between 1-8pm. I don't even really need to eat a dinner but I feel I should since I cook it and sit down with my family. I could eat a normal meal at 1pm and then have a coffee, tea, or soda around dinner and be good till 1 the next day. Yet, I'm 50 pounds overweight.

[Joker]

So how do you non-breakfast eaters manage? If I don't eat before leaving the house, I feel queasy and faint. It even happens when I eat, if I don't eat enough.

I honestly don't feel that way until lunch time. I go for an hour walk in the mornings too but I just don't feel hungry until later in the day.

[Guest]

It works great here. I eat my first big meal around 11 am, a mid afternoon coffee, and a light dinner around 6:00. My mother has seen even better benefits from fasting.

 

I highly, highly recommend Dr. Jason Fung on these issues. He is awesome and can give you great info on the benefits and how to's of various fasts.

https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/category/health-and-nutrition/

 

This is his blog's tag for fasting. Start at the last page and enjoy :)

Edited March 3, 2016 by Arctic Mama

[clementine]

My window is 6:30-6:30. Fruit is only eaten at breakfast or lunch. Protein and starches at 2 meals each per day. Been following this since January first & am down 15 lbs. Not a super rapid loss, but pretty steady.

[Annie G]

My window is 6:30-6:30. Fruit is only eaten at breakfast or lunch. Protein and starches at 2 meals each per day. Been following this since January first & am down 15 lbs. Not a super rapid loss, but pretty steady.

 

Congrats! 

[SparklyUnicorn]

So how do you non-breakfast eaters manage? If I don't eat before leaving the house, I feel queasy and faint. It even happens when I eat, if I don't eat enough.

 

Oddly, some breakfast foods make me queasy.  Basically anything too carby (cereal, bread, jam, etc.) can make me feel jittery, dizzy, and desperately starved.  Sounds weird, but it's been like that for me since I was a kid. 

 

If I wake up hungry, I eat.  Not eating breakfast is not something I force myself to do.  So, for me, it's not that I believe it is better and purposefully refrain, it's that rarely do I feel hungry when I wake up.

 

With my kids I have one of each.  One always eats breakfast, but the other rarely. 

[mathnerd]

12 hours window is doable for me. It is great to hear that it has worked for so many. I can move one meal around to stick to this schedule. Thanks for posting.

[Joyofsixreboot]

If you are trying to get the benefits of 12 hour fast, then the coffee has to wait. It does cause a change in blood chemistry etc. When I have had to fast for blood tests, they have been very clear that I could only have water upon awakening. I was told no coffee, that they first sip cause the whole system to 'rev up' and would change results.

 

If you are just trying to cut calories in a small painless way, then the coffee is no big deal.

 

I also go from about 11-11 and I have several glasses of warm (not hot) water in the morning. I can usually get in two pints before 11am, which has done wonders for my water consumption goals.

Hmmm, I was told black coffee or tea was fine. Edited March 3, 2016 by joyofsix

[Joyofsixreboot]

Some research I've read suggests that not only eating within a window but a good space between meals is helpful, at least in terms of blood sugar control. I usually have breakfast about 9 and seldom eat after 7. I try for 3 squares /no snacks (try!). I have been able to maintain a weight lists doing that and maintaining is an area we all need help with.

[Roadrunner]

If I eat protein in the morning, I am not hungry until about 2 or 3. Then we can have one large meal and something very light in the evening. If I eat carbs in the morning, I will be ravenous the entire day. My body simply can't deal with carbs at all, which is sad for me because I really dislike most meat.

[SparklyUnicorn]

If I eat protein in the morning, I am not hungry until about 2 or 3. Then we can have one large meal and something very light in the evening. If I eat carbs in the morning, I will be ravenous the entire day. My body simply can't deal with carbs at all, which is sad for me because I really dislike most meat.

 

I do better with protein in the morning, but still even that sometimes makes me a lot hungrier throughout the day.  It's so weird.

 

That must be tough with not liking meat. 

[madteaparty]

Is green or white tea, unsweetened, permitted for purposes of fasting? I don't like coffee black either ;)

I'm surprised there are so many benefits to this 12 hr window, but then I imagine this is how most of humanity has eaten most of their lives...

[Joyofsixreboot]

Is green or white tea, unsweetened, permitted for purposes of fasting? I don't like coffee black either ;)

I'm surprised there are so many benefits to this 12 hr window, but then I imagine this is how most of humanity has eaten most of their lives...

If you think about it I don't think it was uncommon even 30 years ago. I grew up having meals and not snacking most of the time. It was way too much work to cook much and snack foods were not nearly as available and considered a luxury. At least among my family and friends. No microwave, no snacks everywhere, and habits of my farm dwelling depression era parents kept me pretty snack free as a kid. Even the snacks were a Dixie cup of Kool aid and 1 cookie at Bible school, etc.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[Shelly in IL]

I read this last night and am starting today. I didn't have breakfast till 9 and will conclude all eating by 5. Anyone want to try it together?

[PineFarmMom]

I read this last night and am starting today. I didn't have breakfast till 9 and will conclude all eating by 5. Anyone want to try it together?

I'm giving it a shot. I plan to eat around 11:00a.m. And being done by 7:00. I liked the idea of the 16:8 plan that was on the site referenced above. I think it hit me that I really can go longer without hunger when I haven't eaten in the morning. I also realized that I had more control over my eating during the years that I fasted weekly for prayer purposes. I lost that habit and need to regain it for health and prayer purposes. I also remember feeling very clear-headed and good on those days!!

[mathnerd]

I read this last night and am starting today. I didn't have breakfast till 9 and will conclude all eating by 5. Anyone want to try it together?

I have been doing this a few days a week without realizing that I am doing it for many years now because of our family's schedule. I am now tweaking my meal times to fall in the 12 hour range every single day. The interesting thing is that I never gain weight, no matter what I eat. I never lose weight also (I have an extra 10 lbs to lose), unless I try hard. I think that the reason that I never gain could be because I restrict my calories to the 12 hour window for most of the week. Also, I eat 3 square meals a day and never snack because I don't like snacks. I will join you. My schedule is to eat from 8:30 AM to 7:30 PM.

Edited March 3, 2016 by mathnerd

[pinkmint]

It just goes to show that people are different and what works for some may not work for others. If you can handle not eating breakfast and it helps your goals, forget what "they" say and go for it!

 

When I don't have breakfast I overeat later. I've lost 30 lbs in the last year (at the top end of normal weight for my height now) eating breakfast every day. Avoiding carbs and getting plenty of good fats is the big thing for me.

Edited March 3, 2016 by pinkmint

[SparklyUnicorn]

It just goes to show that people are different and what works for some may not work for others. If you can handle not eating breakfast and it helps your goals, forget what "they" say and go for it!

 

When I don't have breakfast I overeat later. I've lost 30 lbs in the last year (at the top end of normal weight for my height now) eating breakfast every day. Avoiding carbs and getting plenty of good fats is the big thing for me.

 

Sometimes I think they just make stuff up as they go along.  Like telling people to drink x amount of water.  I get that drinking water is necessary/important, but I don't think there is some sort of one size fits all amount.   So then people take that advice literally and force themselves to drink enough water their eye balls are floating.  I tried that a few times and I just ended up having to pee all the time.  LOL

[Spryte]

I'm in. Gleefully followed my natural rhythm and didn't eat till 11 this morning. :)

 

Awaiting blood test results to see if there's a physical cause for recent weight gain despite dieting and exercise (the suspicion is yes - I have multiple conditions that can impact this when out of whack), and moving forward we'll see what happens.

 

Thanks for the great info here.

[TranquilMind]

I've been doing something very against typical advice, and skipping breakfast. Yup. I'm a rebel :) And it seems to be working, I'm back to dropping weight again after being stalled for a bit. This article touches on why that may work. And when I think about it, many of my naturally thin friends skip breakfast, or don't eat after dinner, either way they have a 12 hour or less window in which they eat. And as I'm hungrier in the evening, it makes more sense for me to make my window 11am-11pm, or even Noon to 11pm, rather than 7am-7pm or whatever. 

 

I will say, I do still have coffee before that,with half and half and splenda. Hoping the lack of sugar keeps it from messing things up. So far so good. 

 

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/15/a-12-hour-window-for-a-healthy-weight/?_r=0

I have read a lot about restricted eating.  Seems to work for me too, but I do like breakfast. 

[shawthorne44]

12-hours seems like a generous eating window.   I love breakfast, but I'm too auto-pilot to eat it first thing.   So, my natural rhythm is to eat breakfast around 10am, eat lunch on the late side at 1pm - 2pm, and then dinner around 6pm.   But, even without that schedule all eating would fall between 8am and 7pm.   Still 100 pounds overweight with a sluggish metabolism.  

[ktgrok]

Stopped eating at 10pm last night, had 1/4 of a protein bar at 11:30 this morning. Then had lunch at 1pm when I got home from the zoo. Scale was down again this morning, so I'm keeping up with it. And I'm about to head into PMS zone, so we shall see. 

[Shelly in IL]

I totally agree about the number of oz of water to drink. I tend to be a water drinker anyway, but I push to consume more. Sometimes I think I am merely stretching my stomach - because I drink a pretty big amount at one setting. It's frustrating, because I'd like to encourage my stomach to shrink not expand! I'm hopeful about the restricted eating - I'm much happier when I stop eating at about 4.

[clementine]

Stopped eating at 10pm last night, had 1/4 of a protein bar at 11:30 this morning. Then had lunch at 1pm when I got home from the zoo. Scale was down again this morning, so I'm keeping up with it. And I'm about to head into PMS zone, so we shall see. 

 

Just know that the scale might seem like the enemy before your period.  I can be a good 1-1 1/2 lbs up during that time, but when it's over, I can be lower than my lowest.  So, stay strong, don''t get discouraged, & follow your plan.