>>Cereal and toast means a blood sugar crash a few hours later, no thanks!
Well, you could try eating like an adult and see how it works for you.
I have a protein shake every morning. Milk, banana, peanut butter and chocolate protein powder. Works great: it's filling, delicious, healthy and it doesn't cause a sugar crash.
I've also done high protein breakfasts, they work out well.
IF provides unique benefits, not saying it is the only way, but it is a comfortable way.
My lack of energy in the morning is more due to my internal clock being shifted about 8 hours forward. My natural hours would be to take at ~1pm and be up until ~4am.
There are numerous studies into 'night owls' and such a people do exist, I was actually reading about this earlier due to the fact I've always been more active, alert and mentally capable when waking up at 11-13 as opposed to times earlier, and the energy lasted throughout the day.
I think the Wikipedia page on night-owls explains in greater detail the exacts of what is essentially a genetic predisposition, the sources hold up too.
Anecdotally, I've tried many diets, I thought I had insomnia at one point and the doctors did not disagree, taking pills does not make it easier- you feel more disconnected and my usual grumpy demenour is more apathetic.
One problem I have with doctors is that everything is a fucking disorder if it deviates from the mean in any way. There are people who are far more functional and productive following this sleep pattern. I can't imagine going to bed at 11 and waking up at 7 every day.
He didn't say "Lucky Charms" and "toast loaded with grape jelly".
I eat a low carb meals also, and I totally get not wanting a sugar crash due to eating a carb-loaded breakfast. But sheesh "Well, you could try eating like an adult" just sounds terribly condescending to me.
Plenty of adults eat cereal and toast for breakfast and are just fine doing so.
I generally have oats and raisins for breakfast, (my boyfriend makes a cooked breakfast sometimes but that's far from a regular thing,) never noted a blood sugar crash.
How old are you? And what sort of body type? Intermittent fasting sounds really interesting, but I am already fairly skinny. I don't really need to loose weight.
I also don't break the fast until 1/2pm after I get up at 830/9am and I operate just fine.
com2kid just needs better sleep. Change pillows, change beds. Also, for your sake, take your laptop to bed with you and use something like f.lux to change the hue of the screen, anything but sitting at your desk (although getting that LCD out of your face would be optimal). You could probably use an extra hour of sleep.
Cereal and toast means a blood sugar crash a few hours later, no thanks!