Can I use cream in my coffee during fasting?
, medical review by Dr. Bret Scher, MD
in Dr. Jason Fung, Intermittent fasting, Q&A, Vegetarian diets 
There are tons of questions about intermittent fasting, like these:
- Is LCHF or a vegetarian diet better for health?
- Can I use cream in my coffee during intermittent fasting?
- Will I stall on the Warrior Diet?
Dr. Jason Fung is one of the world’s leading experts on fasting for weight loss or diabetes reversal. Here are a his answers to those questions and more:
Vegetarianism vs. low carb?
Hi Dr. Fung,
Some of my friends are vegetarian/vegan followers, although they do not oppose fasting. I understand that there’s an intersection between low carb and vegetarian, however, logically speaking, it’s unlikely that both diets prevent, revert metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. I googled and found some titles:
The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted And the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, And Long-term Health
Campbell, T. Colin
Eat to Live: The Amazing Nutrient Rich Program for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss
Fuhrman, Joel *
May I know what your take is? Thanks.
Dino
I think the key is to lower insulin and feel satisfied with your meals. Certainly, you can eat a high vegetable diet and still have low insulin. You can also eat a low vegetable diet and have low insulin. The question is which will you enjoy more and feel more satisfied with? that is a personal decision.
Diet Doctor has an evidence-based guide focusing on plant and animal sources of protein which you may find helpful.
Dr. Jason Fung
Cream in coffee during fast
I’ve been eating LCHF for about 6 weeks and lost around 26 pounds which obviously I’m very happy with. My weight loss has now significantly slowed which I’m not overly concerned about but thought I’d try 24-hour fasting which I’ve done for the last few days and feel great. However, I am having cream in my coffee during the fasting hours which really helps me cope. Am I undoing all the positives of the fast by doing this?
Lucy
Good question Lucy. First, let me start by saying nobody knows the answer for sure. We simply don’t have enough data to support a conclusion.
Anecdotally, I use cream in coffee during fasts as well. For me, that little bit of cream does not stop me from getting the results that I desire.
In others, it may undo some of the positives, but generally not.
The key is to monitor your goals and see if you are progressing.
You can read Diet Doctor’s full guide on fasting for more information.
Dr. Jason Fung
Stalling on the Warrior Diet?
Dear Dr. Fung,
I lost 21 lbs over several months doing 1, 2 and 3 day fasts. I hit resistance at that point and for the last month have been doing IF by skipping breakfast… lunch and dinner only. I find this is good for maintenance, but my body seems to have become used to it. I’m therefore thinking of going Warrior – eating every day in a 4-hour window, say 5 pm to 9 pm. Would appreciate your thoughts, and also whether any of your T2D patients have had success with the Warrior method. Thank you.
Jeff
My experience is that people who eat the same way daily eventually hit a plateau, and usually at a level higher than they wish. I think the intermittency of the diet is important to keep weight loss moving. That is, I think doing Warrior, or 16:8 or 24-hour fasts every single day eventually leads to a plateau. I usually recommend my patients mix it up and monitor their progress.
Dr. Jason Fung
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