There’s lots of different ways to control, alter and reduce your calorie intake of which time restricted feeding (TRF) is one of them. We’ve had some clients try it out, and one who has had some success is Tiff. If you’re thinking about giving it a go, keep reading to hear some of her thoughts on why it worked for her

Why did you try TRF?

I first tried TRF during a diet phase when I seemed to have hit a plateau. My trainer asked me if I’d heard about TRF, which I hadn’t and so he explained what it was and we decided to give it a go to try a different approach.

What do you like about it?

I like that it’s easy for me to stick to and I feel that it works for me and my weight starts to shift.

How do you organise your meals?

When I tell people I’m doing TRF and explain what it is, most people say, “oh, so you just skip breakfast?” That is not the case. I don’t skip any meals, I eat the same amount of food/calories I would regularly but it’s just condensed into an 8 hour period.

I eat my lunch at 12pm then I eat what I might typically eat for breakfast at about 3pm. I have a snack about 5 and dinner about 7. These meals are flexible and I may change what I eat and the timing depending on when I’m training on a particular day so that I’m still finished eating by 8pm.

How does it fit in with your kids/work/family?

It fits in with my lifestyle quite easily. At breakfast time my family all have their own individual choices and we don’t eat together. I pack my meals that I need for work and we eat dinner together. It still works on weekends and special occasions as social events usually happen at lunch or dinner, so I never feel like I’m missing out.

Why do you think it works for you?

I think it works for me because it’s something I can be consistent with and succeed at. I don’t find waiting until 12pm a problem and when I do eat, because it’s more frequent, I feel full and satisfied and don’t feel the need to snack in the night after 8pm. I also think it works because I can stick to my calories much better. If I started eating when I wake up, then there’s a lot more opportunity for me to eat what I’m not supposed to and potentially blow my daily calories and because of this, I lose the weight I’m wanting to. 

What type of person would you recommend it to, or specifically NOT recommend it to?

I’d recommend this to anyone looking to change things up, maybe you’ve hit a plateau, or for someone who needs a bit more structure and less time to snack, who doesn’t mind waiting for their morning coffee.

I wouldn’t recommend this for people who are shift workers. I don’t think this would work if you couldn’t constantly stick to the eating window.