When I started on my journey towards eating more healthfully this year, something I started to practice without much thought is to stop eating after dinner and then not eat again until I got to work in the morning. Prior to this, I would often snack (and binge, tbh) after dinner on sweets or chips, when I wasn’t truly hungry.
I didn’t realize until recently that the way of eating I had adopted is actually a form of intermittent fasting (read more about intermittent fasting here). There are many different types of intermittent fasting, but the one I follow is very simple –I go about 13-14 hours without eating, and this includes the time I’m asleep at night. There are numerous health benefits to doing this, including giving your body the energy to focus on restoration instead of digesting food that sits in your stomach all night – read more here and here and listen to this episode of The Skinny Confidential podcast.
I don’t recommend or condone any other types of intermittent fasting such as plans where you eat normally one day and then strictly limit the next. Just like with exercise, doing something that is sustainable is much more important than doing something that gives “fast results.” This article recommends starting with a 12:12 plan and then moving to a 16:8 plan, but I can’t skip breakfast, so it’s not for me – again, do what works for your lifestyle (for example, I eat a little earlier in the morning on weekends because it fits better with our family’s schedule).
I never consciously decided to intermittently fast – it just kind of happened to be a good fit for my lifestyle and schedule. We have dinner as a family at around 6 p.m. (including dessert!) and after this, I don’t eat again until about 8:45 a.m., when I have breakfast and coffee at work. During my “waking hours” I eat regularly, including three full meals and snacks. Then, I stop eating after dinner, where that mindless “I’m not really hungry” snacking can happen.
The caveat here is that I believe in intuitive eating, so if I feel genuinely hungry after dinner or a workout, I will have a snack, but this is rare because I’m eating filling meals and focusing on eating a lot of fiber and protein. Because I’m no longer dealing with sugar crashes and spikes, I feel I’m able to better recognize when I’m truly hungry and when I’m just bored or “feel like eating” (and this is OK sometimes too – I have a very 80/20 philosophy).
Intermittent fasting isn’t a free pass to eat anything you want all day, as long as you don’t eat for a certain set of hours. You still have to consume a balanced diet and make good choices and not go over your ideal caloric intake for the day (consult with your doctor or a registered dietician if you are uncertain of how many calories you should be eating). I find counting calories to be a little overwhelming, personally, so I just focus on eating lean protein, veggies and fiber and limit processed foods and added sugars.
Cutting extra sugar out of my diet was a huge step in regulating my appetite and not having the crashes I was experiencing – you can read about ways to cut added sugar out of your diet, here. I still eat sweets every single day (whether it’s my favorite raspberry chocolate, Trader Joe’s “gone bananas” bites or Halo top) I just watch my portions and this has been a happy medium for me. Depriving yourself of foods you love is no way to live.
Here is what a typical day of eating looks like for me:
BREAKFAST (8:45 or 9 a.m.)
2 or 3 GG crackers with Trader Joe’s peanut butter with chia and flax seeds (these have extra fiber) and one Nespresso latte made with Silk or Trader Joe’s brand unsweetened vanilla almond milk and cinnamon powder. Note: I always used to have a mid-morning snack before lunch, but since I started focusing on eating fiber and protein at every meal, I feel truly satisfied until lunch time.
LUNCH (Noon or 1 p.m.)
Two chicken breasts (I like them on the thinner side because they’re easier to cut through) and a mix of sautéed veggies cooked in olive oil (this usually includes red and yellow bell pepper, cauliflower, broccoli, snap peas and/or asparagus and zucchini). I eat a ton of veggies with my lunch to stay full.
After lunch I drink another Nespresso latte made with Silk or Trader Joe’s brand unsweetened vanilla almond milk and cinnamon powder. I add the cinnamon powder directly to the Nespresso milk frother so that it gets steamed into the milk – it’s delicious! I do not use any kind of sweetner or sugar in my coffee.
SNACK (Around 3 p.m.)
A handful of almonds or an apple. Occasionally I will have Trader Joe’s plantain chips or Boom Chick Pop popcorn if I’m wanting something salty.
DINNER (6 p.m.)
I often have a large salad for dinner – my favorite is a huge bowl of arugula lettuce with sliced chicken breast and blueberries, raspberries or strawberries. I use a homemade dressing that is a mix of balsamic vinegar, olive oil and honey. Other favorite dinners are turkey meatballs with tomato sauce over zoodles. Most of my dinners are protein and veggie based (I don’t usually have bread or pasta at dinner time unless I’m eating at a restaurant). If you’re going the salad route, make sure you are really doing a dinner-sized salad – I use a really large bowl to ensure I’m packing in enough calories to keep me satisfied – and always add protein.
After dinner I always have either my favorite dark chocolate raspberry bar (usually 3-5 squares) or a serving of Trader Joe’s gone bananas bites (so good!) I love sweets (they’re my weakness) and allowing myself to have some daily helps me stay on track. I try not to eat sweets during the work day, but if it’s someone’s birthday or we get a cookie delivery, of course I partake – I just watch the portion and only eat something if I truly want it.
SUPPLEMENTS
I take the following supplements most days: Vital Proteins collagen peptides (2 scoops in my morning coffee), Nutrafol hair vitamins, vitamin D3 capsule and 1 Ashwagandha root capsule.
If you’d like to try intermittent fasting, you can start off with 12 hours (ex: 7 p.m.- 7 a.m.) but I recommend doing whatever works for your day-to-day schedule to give you a higher chance at succeeding. If you’d like to read some more articles with both pros and cons/risks of IF, visit here, here, here, here, here and here. I think the takeaway here is that intermittent fasting comes in many formats and that you should consult your doctor about what might be the right fit for you and your lifestyle.
Disclaimer: this post is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your physician regarding any changes to your diet or supplements.
I’m curious about what you keep at your office! I know you have a Nespresso and milk frother, and I imagine the pods and almond milk. Do you keep your crackers and PB there, too? Bring snacks in daily, or once a week? Does your office provide utensils, or do you have your own?
I bring my lunch daily, but don’t keep anything at the office beyond a box of tea and a dark chocolate bar. I’ve tried bringing in snacks for the week on a Monday, and ended up eating too much! I think a post on “office essentials” would be awesome- lunch items and otherwise!
I keep a ton of food at the office. Our team has our own fridge so I buy stuff for the week (like almond milk). I also keep dry snacks at my desk (like a large bag of almonds). The only thing I bring daily is my actual lunch. I also keep things like peanut butter in the fridge at work — I will buy two at a time so I have a new one for when I run out. I am so set n my eating patterns now that I know exactly how much I need. My work does provide utensils. I use my Yeti tumbler for coffee.
I see that you eat a lot of veggies. Do you prep a large batch once a week? Do you use anything to season them? Do you use fresh or frozen? Any suggestions are appreciated!
I am planning a blog post about this- stay tuned. They’re fresh and cooked in olive oil.
Great post! I am doing research on intermittent fasting to see if it is an option that will work for my lifestyle so this was greatly helpful! Do you know what episode The Skinny Confidential podcast talks about it? I click on the link but it just goes to their general page.
Thanks!
Thank you for posting this. I’ve started doing the 2b Mindset which is water first and veggies most. It has shown me how bad of an emotional eater I am. Even though I feel better than ever if I see a pizza commercial it will trigger something in my brain to want pizza. Crazy! I’ve also realized I eat too many snacks at home. Even when I’m not hungry. I really want to try this and fight through the emotional part of snacking. Do you take your lunch to work?
Most days I take my lunch to work — when I don’t I get either a TJ salad, a salad with chicken and veggies from the salad bar at work or TJ lentil veggie soup.
A 12:12 eating schedule is pretty standard. You won’t find much research on this type of schedule because it is what most people do naturally. A 16:8 schedule or 5:2 schedule (5 days normal eating, 2 non-consecutive days of 500-600 calories) is when your body will really start to burn fat. People on a 16:8 schedule eat 2 meals per day instead of 3, which is another reason it is so effective. They aren’t just cramming 2,000 calories into an 8 hour time period. That wouldn’t be very effective. The changes you are seeing are most likely a result of eliminating what you were eating, not the time of day in which when you were eating it. I hope that makes sense. I’m not suggesting you or any of your readers starve themselves, just sharing my knowledge on the topic.
Thanks Rachel — yes, I agree that a cleaner diet is the real reason behind weight loss — however, for people wanting to lose weight, following a form of IF that works with their lifestyle can help achieve those goals since you are eliminating what is often careless or thoughtless eating at 8 or 9 PM while watching TV or eating too early in the day, thus making someone apt to snack more, etc. It’s all about finding what works for you as well as trying to make better choices within an IF plan.
Great post! I’m looking into this now I’m finished nursing my youngest baby.
Out of curiosity do you find your colleagues wanting to use your Nespresso machine? Or does everyone have their own machine at their desk? Is it kept at your desk or in the kitchen? Hahah I just imagine i would feel weird keeping my own coffee machine at my desk. But then again the coffee that comes out of our work coffee machine is foul so I just buy one coffee in the morning and do without in the afternoon.
I have it at my desk and no one has ever asked to use it (I have offered if someone expresses interest/curiosity). It looks cute at my desk- very sleek!
I’m curious to know more about your choice of supplements. How you came to use collagen and ashwaganda? Do you have a detailed blog post on this? Thanks!
I don’t right now but I will blog about it more in the future. I do talk about collagen peptides if you use the search bar 🙂
Thank you for sharing this!! I have seen amazing results on you, combined also with the work out! I consider myself so lucky to follow you! You motivate us for the best of ourselves!!
Thank you sooo much!!
What’s your favorite Halo Top flavor?
What is your favorite Halo Top flavor?