#180 - Establish a Cut-off Time: Health Tips for Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting tip number 43 is for those who are just getting started with intermittent fasting. Coach Tadris Parker has personally tested this recommendation and a hundred other health tips commonly shared in the running and fitness world. Listen to the audio clip below to hear his take on establishing a cut-off time for eating. Learn all about this at Keep Calm and Run To The Best You!
If you’re not ready to implement a method where you’re counting down and tracking time, start small with a food curfew. Regardless of how early you eat breakfast, establish a time in the afternoon or evening and limit yourself to water or unsweetened tea at night.
Tip 43. Establish a Cut-off Time (intermittent fasting)
Looking for an easy way to start a new intermittent fasting routine? Don’t jump right into timing and tracking. Start small by giving yourself a daily food curfew. Consider a time or routine that’s manageable for your schedule and commit to it. Once you discipline yourself and retrain your mind and body, it will be easier to upgrade to a stricter IF routine, so let’s start by making this small change.
Why you should establish a cut-off time
Tip number 43 on our list of health tips is written specifically for intermittent fasting beginners. If this IF concept is brand new to you, and you’ve never thought much about your eating window before, this is the place to start! We understand where you’re at. Every single member at Keep Calm and Run To The Best You can relate to the struggle, including Coach Tadris Parker. Americans are mindlessly following a daily routine that looks something like this: eat a sugary breakfast on the run, scarf down a convenient lunch, snack throughout the day, eat dinner with your family in the evening, then finally sit down to watch TV before bed and enjoy a snack or dessert while you unwind on the couch. Does that sound mostly familiar? If so, this is your chance to break the pattern and upgrade to a better diet and routine. Start by establishing a cut-off time for eating. Set a 12-hour gap between curfew and breakfast.
Like anything new, it’s going to be an adjustment to break this bad habit. However, if you start small and stay consistent, you’ll notice the change in your energy level and how much better you feel. That will empower you to up the ante and keep pursuing better health. No matter how active or inactive you are, diet is the biggest part of health because you can’t outrun a bad diet. If you want to feel better and be better, you need to scrutinize what you are eating and when you are eating.
Be flexible but committed to establish a cut-off time
Coach Tadris often eats dinner as late as 8pm or 9pm at least twice a week, on days when he meets with the Run/Walk Club for a group workout. To keep his intermittent fasting gap consistent, Coach Tadris commits to waiting longer the next morning before he breaks his fast. Being flexible is the secret to keeping your commitments for the long haul. As things come up in life, sometimes we need to adapt so we don’t just give up completely. If you need to adjust your time or skip IF on specific days, give yourself permission to do that. IF isn’t for everyone, so be prepared to change course if needed. The most important thing is that you don’t lose sight of your goal and stay consistent as much as possible. If you fall off track, go back to making small steps in the right direction.
Strategies for sticking to your cut-off time
If you want dessert, eat dinner then set a timer for 30-40 minutes. If you’re still hungry when the alarm goes off, go ahead and have a piece of dessert. Give yourself time to digest your food then see if you’re really still hungry. If so, have something quick and make sure to respect your cut-off time.
Break your fast at work in the morning if you need to widen your intermittent fasting gap. You can open your eating window later in the day if you’re inclined to eat snacks at night.
Make sure your dinner is a balanced selection of high quality foods, so you’re curbing your hunger. You don’t want to feel hungry and give in to temptation to break your curfew later.
Support your health through intermittent fasting
When it comes to snacks, choose the healthiest options while still enjoying what you like. For example, if you like having popcorn during a movie, make homemade popcorn from kernels that you can lightly season yourself instead of using the microwave packet that’s soaked in that orange-colored butter solution.
If you like having ice cream, try sherbert or ice cream that’s made from coconut milk. You’re less prone to inflammation when you decrease your dairy consumption. If you’ve ever used the Whole 30 Diet or the Daniel Fast, a popular method for detoxing at the beginning of the new year, you’ve probably found that frozen bananas mashed up in a bowl make a great substitute for ice cream!
Even the cooking methods that you’re using can possibly be improved for better health results. Air frying and oven baking are preferable to deep frying and boiling. Eating raw fruits and veggies is always best but if you like to dry or crisp up your fresh produce, you can do that without losing all of the nutrients.
Establishing a cut-off time is a great first step for IF beginners, but do yourself a favor: assess your mindset. Having the right mindset is how we prioritize mental health as we’re simultaneously working to make our bodies better. Figure out your “why” and make sure your motives for running, intermittent fasting, and weight loss are healthy and appropriate. IF should never mimic an eating disorder or any form of self punishment. We want you to set attainable goals and honor your body as a temple through a holistic approach to better health. If you need support in this area, please reach out to Coach Tadris and his team for help starting on the right foot!
At Keep Calm and Run To The Best You, we are actively helping people from all walks of life to get healthier and happier in the body they’ve got! We’ve collected advice from professionals, combed through archives, and gathered insights from our group members. Click here to see the rest of our 101 health tips about running, intermittent fasting, and weight loss.
Find support and accountability at Run/Walk Club
Coach Tadris Parker educates and motivates people at all levels of intermittent fasting and mindful eating.
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