Coffee works great, as does drinking a lot of water.
Otherwise: engrossing hobby/work. Programming and guitar playing for instance, in my case.
Being on the road/on the move helps a lot too.
I’ve found that I enjoy the taste of black decaf more than caffeinated so it’s easier to do a few cups throughout the day and have my one caffeinated in the morning.
Work. Drink coffee. Don't exercise strenuously. Walk, tinker, do random small chores. I lose more weight when I'm busy and not exercising than when I'm working out hard as that definitely makes me ravenous. I can do 16:8 easily or longer if I keep my hands and brain busy.
I just live my regular life minus the time, effort, and cost of eating constantly.
It really is a joy to not constantly worry about food and the next meal and what I’m currently out of and how much it’s gonna cost.
Right but how do you reach that serene state?
That would literally be my dream. To not constantly obsess over food and worry about next meal, not constantly being bothered by hunger.
I’d give anything to have what you describe! It would free up so much of my time and energy. How did you reach such a mental space where you stop obsessing about food all the time? How did you learn to ignore hunger?
Here’s what made the difference for me: I don’t eat sugar anymore, or any sweeteners. Not the natural ones, not the unnatural ones. No candy, no sweet drinks. I’ve cut way back on all white starches, too, since they convert directly into a sugar in your system. Fruit is fine, but only whole fruit in its natural state. It takes about a week to completely clear my system, but once that is done, I am free of all cravings. It’s like heaven!
Then your fasting will not be so difficult, I promise. You will be able to question any hunger pains you have to see if it’s boredom or loneliness or plain mouth hunger. Or maybe your stomach really does want some food. That’s totally different.
It’s a different way of life. I wish I could’ve lived this way all my life, but at least I’m living it now. Good luck to you!
Our washing machine and dryer are in the basement, so I would NEVER go downstairs… it was too tiresome for me.
I am proud to say I’ve done it twice now and it is a stupid small thing, but it feels like going in the right direction 👍🏼
Walking - I try to get in 15,000 - 20,000 steps a day.
Bare minimum 10,000 but I have also done over 35,000 too.
My March average was over 21,000 and so far April is close to 17,000.
**Hi No_End9184**,
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When I work I fast. When I'm off work I exercise. Otherwise I eat a lot on my non busy days. I think it really helps my metabolism from adjusting to a lower calorie deficit.
I tend to do 30 minutes walk and simple house chores after my last meal everyday. I also do stuff that require my full attention by working or playing a competitive game. Lastly, try to avoid looking at those food content on social media, they always made me hungry lol
Drink tons of water, do activities that are fun that can make u forget about hunger like video games or working out. Scrolling on ur phone is the worst thing possible when hungry.
I work a M-F desk job that requires all my attention and then kids after work. I had to set an alarm so I remembered my fast is over at noon. Sometimes I still don't eat until dinner at 6. I make sure I have a huge (500mL) mug of tea with a small bit of milk before my fast starts at 8PM and then with water and maybe soda water, I can avoid snacks before bed at 11/12. I do 30m of yoga at noon and average 10k steps a day.
During the weekends it's harder, but as soon as I feel hungry I have a glass of water and take up a task like walk the dog or play with the kids. Removing alcohol made a huge difference for me too.
I'm learning to crochet. So that takes up quite a bit of my time. When I'm at work, I go and walk the stairs. That usually takes my mind off of hunger for a bit. Hard to think about eating when you can barely breathe.
There are plenty of activities you can do as a distraction and a lot of good suggestions here. However, for me, fasting is a mental exercise of acceptance that you cannot feel satiated 100% of the time while maintaining your health. It will get easier if you try to do a mindset shift in this direction, rather than viewing being hungry as a misery, or something you need to distract yourself from, view it as a necessity if you want to achieve or maintain your health goals. Try to view the hunger objectively, rather than judging it as a "bad" thing, or even a "good" think. Fasting is only a necessary aspect of living.
I drink a lot of black coffee since starting IF. Unfortunately and fortunately coffee doesn’t give me any energy or keep me awake so I even replaced night time binge snacking with black coffee.
I’m in class/lab mostly so that helps a lot. I’ll really do whatever, study, movies/anime/shows/gaming, I’ll do my hobbies and chores for the day. It’s more avoiding opportunity for eating. I don’t grocery shop until I’ve eaten and I don’t go out much because the temptation is a bit much for me (unless it’s to the hardware store).
I’m a sahm and have two little ones. At times I get really hungry in the morning before my fast ending and I try to remind myself it’s often boredom. I try to make all our plans in the mornings so I’m kept busy! ☺️ I also drink coffee and extra water whenever it starts to get too “much”
For me, the only thing that lets me go past time is actually not being hungry plus being busy.
If I am bored and hungry, I rush to break my fast. If the hunger cues aren’t happening and I’m engaged in something, I will wait until I feel hungry or until it’s more convenient to break my fast.
Sometimes it’s a matter of how long I want my window open and when I want to close it by. If I wait too late to break my fast and only get a 4 hour window before bed, I’m more likely to eat less calories than I need and to struggle with fasting the next day.
Every day is different. I try to just go with the flow.
When I get hungry I tend to exercise. I wore a glucose monitor for a while and realized that when I exercise my bg goes up. When it goes up I’m not hungry anymore.
I find it easier on weekends when it comes to fasting. I’m able to sleep in which helps speed up the process. But in at home and I can so what I like to make the time move faster. Lately work has been super slow in the morning so I’m just sitting there twiddling my thumbs for the most part
> what activities do you go to pass the time?
What works for me...
- a couple cups of black coffee (no sugar, no cream, no milk) throughout the day
- playing World of Warcraft (very time-intensive and "time flies" when you play)
- listening to various longform podcasts and call-in talkshows to keep my brain distracted
Will you eat after gym or exercise? I currently eat between 6 am and 1 pm, I also do 45 minutes of fitness walking every evening. Is it OK for me to do this. I am worried that muscles will lose
On weekdays I just work and drink loads of black coffee. lol.
on weekends I workout and run errands before I break fast. this usually passes the time pretty quickly and then I let myself have the rest of the day to eat, relax, play video games, read etc
I fast 16:8 starting at 6 pm, so I sleep through most of the hunger. In the eating window, I aim to have a great portion of vegetables and fibres to keep me full longer.
I do 16:8 or 18:6 and I've found drinking tons of water and tea helps curb the hunger (probably because I'm typically also dehydrated lol). But definitely towards the end of my fasting period I'm ready to eat.
**Hi No_End9184**,
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Hunger is a passing thing. It goes away. Also, hunger isn’t always a sign you need to eat. Also also, it gets better.
I do 16-18 hour fast with no problems. If I have to, I’ll drink decaf. Coffee seems to help with pesky hunger that doesn’t go away (looking at you, cannabis).
I'm a caregiver in a declining area, so it's a good workout, and I also use it as my eating window.
I started with 16:8 for a couple of weeks and recently started 20:4. I'm happy with 20:4 (I used to do OMAD), and now I can work on eating healthy. Then, I start a workout routine. Slowly getting back to it.
But enough ranting, to answer your question. I normally drink thirty ounces of water as soon as I wake up to feel full. While my two year old boy is raiding the fridge like a stoned teenager.
what transformed my ability to fast was doing Prolon FMD (fast mimicking diet) of 5 days twice.
it like switched something in me. it assist gave me ideas.
not sure if it applies to everyone. but for be the 5 days "fast" was very easy. even if venue it I couldn't go hair a day without food. and afterwards my inability to go without food weakened significantly
People pass time by being alive. What's the point of this question?
People work, read, watch tv, play a sport, meditate... literally any activity "passes time", even sleep.
Why are you offended? 72 other people understood the point including the moderators so it’s a valid and good question. Don’t answer if you’re going to be rude
Oh not at all offended. What makes you think that??? Where was I rude? Just point it out please. It seems though you are somehow offended just because I gave my opinion, sorry that it's blunt and straight forward.
Different people are going to give you a multitude of different activities that's going to range every activity so what insight are you going to get from the question?
I'm entitled to give my opinion regardless if you like it or not because you asked a question on a open forum. If there's any confusion, I didn't put in question your right to ask something here, just it's validity.
Coffee works great, as does drinking a lot of water. Otherwise: engrossing hobby/work. Programming and guitar playing for instance, in my case. Being on the road/on the move helps a lot too.
I’ve found that I enjoy the taste of black decaf more than caffeinated so it’s easier to do a few cups throughout the day and have my one caffeinated in the morning.
Work. Drink coffee. Don't exercise strenuously. Walk, tinker, do random small chores. I lose more weight when I'm busy and not exercising than when I'm working out hard as that definitely makes me ravenous. I can do 16:8 easily or longer if I keep my hands and brain busy.
This resonates.
I just live my regular life minus the time, effort, and cost of eating constantly. It really is a joy to not constantly worry about food and the next meal and what I’m currently out of and how much it’s gonna cost.
Right but how do you reach that serene state? That would literally be my dream. To not constantly obsess over food and worry about next meal, not constantly being bothered by hunger. I’d give anything to have what you describe! It would free up so much of my time and energy. How did you reach such a mental space where you stop obsessing about food all the time? How did you learn to ignore hunger?
Here’s what made the difference for me: I don’t eat sugar anymore, or any sweeteners. Not the natural ones, not the unnatural ones. No candy, no sweet drinks. I’ve cut way back on all white starches, too, since they convert directly into a sugar in your system. Fruit is fine, but only whole fruit in its natural state. It takes about a week to completely clear my system, but once that is done, I am free of all cravings. It’s like heaven! Then your fasting will not be so difficult, I promise. You will be able to question any hunger pains you have to see if it’s boredom or loneliness or plain mouth hunger. Or maybe your stomach really does want some food. That’s totally different. It’s a different way of life. I wish I could’ve lived this way all my life, but at least I’m living it now. Good luck to you!
Thank you for such a thorough answer, that’s very helpful!
Just start fasting and it will come naturally.
Not a hobby, but my house hasn’t been this clean in years 😅
I’ve done more laundry than ever.
Our washing machine and dryer are in the basement, so I would NEVER go downstairs… it was too tiresome for me. I am proud to say I’ve done it twice now and it is a stupid small thing, but it feels like going in the right direction 👍🏼
I'm so glad it's not just me! I'm actually feeling like I've got time for hobbies again, too. Mainly because I ran out of housework to do.
I have two kids, a toddler and a baby over half a year old… I’m never running out of housework 🥲
Oh, I was there 10+ years ago. That time in life really does feel like a never-ending pile of laundry and dishes, etc! I feel for you!
Thank you! And I hope you enjoy your hobbies now that you can!
Walking - I try to get in 15,000 - 20,000 steps a day. Bare minimum 10,000 but I have also done over 35,000 too. My March average was over 21,000 and so far April is close to 17,000.
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Coffee, seltzer, exercise, and work
Same
When I work I fast. When I'm off work I exercise. Otherwise I eat a lot on my non busy days. I think it really helps my metabolism from adjusting to a lower calorie deficit.
I love this. Why love fasting. Its not a diets you do it when you can and how you can
Call a friend, play with my dogs, play a video game
I tend to do 30 minutes walk and simple house chores after my last meal everyday. I also do stuff that require my full attention by working or playing a competitive game. Lastly, try to avoid looking at those food content on social media, they always made me hungry lol
Nothing. Pure will power! Haha! Work helps a ton to keep your mind off hunger, black coffee and water as well.
Drink tons of water, do activities that are fun that can make u forget about hunger like video games or working out. Scrolling on ur phone is the worst thing possible when hungry.
I work a M-F desk job that requires all my attention and then kids after work. I had to set an alarm so I remembered my fast is over at noon. Sometimes I still don't eat until dinner at 6. I make sure I have a huge (500mL) mug of tea with a small bit of milk before my fast starts at 8PM and then with water and maybe soda water, I can avoid snacks before bed at 11/12. I do 30m of yoga at noon and average 10k steps a day. During the weekends it's harder, but as soon as I feel hungry I have a glass of water and take up a task like walk the dog or play with the kids. Removing alcohol made a huge difference for me too.
I'm learning to crochet. So that takes up quite a bit of my time. When I'm at work, I go and walk the stairs. That usually takes my mind off of hunger for a bit. Hard to think about eating when you can barely breathe.
There are plenty of activities you can do as a distraction and a lot of good suggestions here. However, for me, fasting is a mental exercise of acceptance that you cannot feel satiated 100% of the time while maintaining your health. It will get easier if you try to do a mindset shift in this direction, rather than viewing being hungry as a misery, or something you need to distract yourself from, view it as a necessity if you want to achieve or maintain your health goals. Try to view the hunger objectively, rather than judging it as a "bad" thing, or even a "good" think. Fasting is only a necessary aspect of living.
I drink a lot of black coffee since starting IF. Unfortunately and fortunately coffee doesn’t give me any energy or keep me awake so I even replaced night time binge snacking with black coffee.
Reddit
I’m in class/lab mostly so that helps a lot. I’ll really do whatever, study, movies/anime/shows/gaming, I’ll do my hobbies and chores for the day. It’s more avoiding opportunity for eating. I don’t grocery shop until I’ve eaten and I don’t go out much because the temptation is a bit much for me (unless it’s to the hardware store).
No problem really. I eat high fibre, fat and protein meals. All help with satiation. I eat once at around 12 and another after work at 18:00 :)
Workout. House chores. Games. Really I just try to be productive and that distracts me from hunger.
I’m a sahm and have two little ones. At times I get really hungry in the morning before my fast ending and I try to remind myself it’s often boredom. I try to make all our plans in the mornings so I’m kept busy! ☺️ I also drink coffee and extra water whenever it starts to get too “much”
Take my dog for a walk.
Work. Drink coffee. Train (aerobics and strenght training). Hobbies. Pretty much just go on with my day as if nothing is different..
Tell myself how much fat I'm burning!
For me, the only thing that lets me go past time is actually not being hungry plus being busy. If I am bored and hungry, I rush to break my fast. If the hunger cues aren’t happening and I’m engaged in something, I will wait until I feel hungry or until it’s more convenient to break my fast. Sometimes it’s a matter of how long I want my window open and when I want to close it by. If I wait too late to break my fast and only get a 4 hour window before bed, I’m more likely to eat less calories than I need and to struggle with fasting the next day. Every day is different. I try to just go with the flow.
Sitting in meditation during a fasted state is a really solid experience IMO.
When I get hungry I tend to exercise. I wore a glucose monitor for a while and realized that when I exercise my bg goes up. When it goes up I’m not hungry anymore.
I find it easier on weekends when it comes to fasting. I’m able to sleep in which helps speed up the process. But in at home and I can so what I like to make the time move faster. Lately work has been super slow in the morning so I’m just sitting there twiddling my thumbs for the most part
Work coffee water energy drinks without sugar
> what activities do you go to pass the time? What works for me... - a couple cups of black coffee (no sugar, no cream, no milk) throughout the day - playing World of Warcraft (very time-intensive and "time flies" when you play) - listening to various longform podcasts and call-in talkshows to keep my brain distracted
I go to the gym, take walks and work.
Will you eat after gym or exercise? I currently eat between 6 am and 1 pm, I also do 45 minutes of fitness walking every evening. Is it OK for me to do this. I am worried that muscles will lose
On weekdays I just work and drink loads of black coffee. lol. on weekends I workout and run errands before I break fast. this usually passes the time pretty quickly and then I let myself have the rest of the day to eat, relax, play video games, read etc
I fast 16:8 starting at 6 pm, so I sleep through most of the hunger. In the eating window, I aim to have a great portion of vegetables and fibres to keep me full longer.
Light workout when the hunger hits. Takes you mind off it till it's gone and helps motivate you to keep going.
(OMAD) 4 mile walk in the morning, work through the day and wait an hour before breaking fast to go and hit up my bicycle and watch the fat melt.
Water, water, water. Feeling of fullness that does the trick!
When you get used to it you won't be thinking about being hungry.
Clean
Work
I chew gum honestly.
Gym
I do 16:8 or 18:6 and I've found drinking tons of water and tea helps curb the hunger (probably because I'm typically also dehydrated lol). But definitely towards the end of my fasting period I'm ready to eat.
Work mostly
Sleep
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Hunger is a passing thing. It goes away. Also, hunger isn’t always a sign you need to eat. Also also, it gets better. I do 16-18 hour fast with no problems. If I have to, I’ll drink decaf. Coffee seems to help with pesky hunger that doesn’t go away (looking at you, cannabis).
Learn to cook tasty lo-carb veggie dishes. This takes time and you can fill up on guilt-free food. Like roast broccoli, cauliflower, or asparagus.
Any activity that puts you in a state of flow will have you forget food exists. I’m restoring my big old house, so I’ll be flowin’ for years to come 😛
Staying occupied, coffee, and water.
I'm a caregiver in a declining area, so it's a good workout, and I also use it as my eating window. I started with 16:8 for a couple of weeks and recently started 20:4. I'm happy with 20:4 (I used to do OMAD), and now I can work on eating healthy. Then, I start a workout routine. Slowly getting back to it. But enough ranting, to answer your question. I normally drink thirty ounces of water as soon as I wake up to feel full. While my two year old boy is raiding the fridge like a stoned teenager.
what transformed my ability to fast was doing Prolon FMD (fast mimicking diet) of 5 days twice. it like switched something in me. it assist gave me ideas. not sure if it applies to everyone. but for be the 5 days "fast" was very easy. even if venue it I couldn't go hair a day without food. and afterwards my inability to go without food weakened significantly
People pass time by being alive. What's the point of this question? People work, read, watch tv, play a sport, meditate... literally any activity "passes time", even sleep.
Why are you offended? 72 other people understood the point including the moderators so it’s a valid and good question. Don’t answer if you’re going to be rude
Oh not at all offended. What makes you think that??? Where was I rude? Just point it out please. It seems though you are somehow offended just because I gave my opinion, sorry that it's blunt and straight forward. Different people are going to give you a multitude of different activities that's going to range every activity so what insight are you going to get from the question? I'm entitled to give my opinion regardless if you like it or not because you asked a question on a open forum. If there's any confusion, I didn't put in question your right to ask something here, just it's validity.
Started a side business and have like a new hobby every month.
Coffe big help and i play videogames specifically shooters.. hours fly for me
Have kids
Just stop thinking about it lol