Aren't you like, DYING, of hunger?
Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey!
Image: John Napper, Breakfast Still Life, 1980, Government Art Collection (UK).
GOOD MORNING friends! One of you, K, had this question about intermittent fasting:
I did want to ask whatever happened.... Remember the post you wrote last summer about intermittent fasting? I remember your story about going hiking without a breakfast of any sort, and I was both intrigued and horrified (astounded may be a better choice there)... how was that even a doable activity?
I did actually follow up on that post—gosh, I think it was the summer before last, but what is time, as the old folks say—but let's talk about it again, because I'm back at it. I have returned to "skipping" breakfast, or, as I think of it, eating the first meal of the day aka breakfast after I've been up and about for a good six hours.
How can I hike without eating first? The answer is threefold:
Water. It's not like nothing is permitted to pass my lips. I stay hydrated! (Coincidentally, though, Ramadan starts today...)
Caffeine. I don't stint here. Studies say caffeine is good for your brain, especially if you're female, especially if you're in or approaching cronehood. (Curious what your tipple is; I am devoted to Arbuckle's Mexicali blend, which they will ship from Arizona to anywhere. (Not affiliated. Just a fan.))
Adrenaline. Yes, apparently that's one of the hormones that kicks in when we're in a fasted state. Makes you feel aliiiiiiive! Dr Jason Fung, the diabetes-and-kidneys guy says so.
Adrenaline may also explain why I find getting to work in the morning on an empty stomach 1000x easier than trying to drag my ass to the office after a croissant-and-jam breakfast. I'll be honest, my preferred early morning nosh is pastry. And I'm not saying it doesn't taste fantastic, it surely does, but the only place early morning pastry leads me is to mid-morning pastry and maybe a little top-up of late-morning pastry.
Fact: Sugar makes me want more sugar and wanting leads to having and if you don't mind your diet being sugarsugarsugar—I mean personally I'm not diabetic and don't have any medical restrictions, so technically that is fine but I want to get things done in the morning beyond sitting around eating baked goods.
The morning is my best time to generate work. The afternoon I like to have free for hiking and making and such.
And afaict it doesn't matter what I eat in the day, my brain gets, um, real relaxed by mid-afternoon and nothing super-productive is going to happen then. So it's important that I not waste the first hours of the day.
Well isn't that the same as skipping meals, Mrs Lady? Which you are always saying not to do?
Well, no! I still eat regular meals which is the structure my whole recovery from binge eating hangs on. My schedule is different from someone who is a Breakfast Person, that is all.
If you are built like me, and want to get straight to work in the am, you might actually like postponing breakfast, too.
But I experiment a lot! I have lots of passing enthusiasms! I always want to say: Do as works for you, not as works for me.
Important: People with an ED history may find this way of eating simply too restrictive, possibly even triggering. You'll know if it's not right for you.
Also: I'M NOT A PHYSICIAN. Or a nutritionist. You might want to talk to your doctor if you're thinking of upending your diet.
Aren't you kind of like DYING of hunger tho?
Nope. It's fine. As I say, eating my preferred breakfast of pastrypastrypastry makes me way hungrier than eating nothing at all. After a brief period of adjustment, lack of hunger while fasting is the norm, not a fluke of my particular biology. (It's the adrenaline.)
So actually, that makes the answer to the question of how can you possibly hike on an empty stomach fourfold. Answer #4 is:
You just get used to it, and it's not a problem.
Btw, some people refer to this way of eating as "Intermittent Fasting" or IF. Some people call it "Time-restricted Eating" or TRE. I'm not a subject-matter expert here but if you're interested in the topic, I have found Reddit to be a helpful source.
And that's the week!