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Original poster

To be shocked it’s been this easy to loose weight!

213 replies

EatStopEat · 08/08/2024 00:57

On alternate day fasting - not 16:8 but fasting for 36 hours then eating anything you want for 12 hours. E.g stopping eating at 10pm on Sunday and not eating until 10am on Tuesday. Eat all you want until 10pm and the cycle continues. No calorie counting but essentially cutting calorie intake in half.

Thought about trying it for ages but never in the right headspace. Watched a Michael Mosley doc on Netflix out of respect for the great man and saw him talking about it again (welled up a bit when he was talking about wanting to live longer I must say) then just decided, F IT. I’m doing it.

Age 53. Starting at 18 stone 4. Aching knees and back, swollen ankles, couldn’t go upstairs without needing 5 mins to get my breath back, DC complaining that I’m heavy breathing over them 😳, high cholesterol, high risk for T2 diabetes, high blood pressure also hypothyroidism and deep in menopause,

In just over 4 weeks, I have lost 20lbs. Now 16stone 12. I absolutely love my food on feed days. I thought I would overeat but I don’t. In fact I haven’t got time to eat everything I planned (oohhh, I’ll have you tomorrow kind of thing 😃).

I work out in the gym on feed days so I go every other day instead of pressuring myself to exercise everyday and then not do any at all! I eat chocolate bars, big meals etc. I have started making overnight oats ready the night before feed days which I am loving and really fill me up. Drink tonnes of water etc. I have cut out normal bread and have gluten free instead just because it made me extremely bloated after fasting (wouldn’t have otherwise), gluten free pancakes with syrup too. More natural gravitation to healthy food now.

On fast days, I drink loads (as well as electrolyte water), have coffee with sugar, herbal tea with honey and two milk shakes with protein powder and ground flax seeds for extra nutrition. I will probably switch to fruit and veg smoothies when I get fed up with them but not yet!

I was worried I would be dizzy or have headaches but nothing! First few fast days were hard but now it’s so easy. I look forward to eating the next day and even fasting afterwards when I feel stuffed (!) and think about what I want to eat. I’m not starving when I wake up after fasting either and feel very cleaned out so to speak.

I have a busy household (2 adults - 4 older DC), I WFH, and it works fine. Don’t mind cooking for family as know I can have it tomorrow. Honestly I never thought I’d ever find a diet I’d keep up for more than 2 weeks which was my limit. I can’t keep up with calorie counting or denying myself nice food for months on end, so depressing.

I can see the benefits already to my skin, so much less tired, mental fog lifting, no swollen ankles!, dress size gone from tight 20 to comfy 18. I can almost run upstairs and the difference to how hard I can work out in the gym is amazing in just a month which is due to the fasting IMO. In addition there are internal benefits from fasting which will be adding up. I feel 100 times better than a month ago. I know the weight loss will start to slow down but I expect to reach a reasonably healthy weight before Christmas and can then do occasional fast days if my weight starts creeping up again.

Honestly, I really want to advocate this way of losing weight. It’s not a fad, we are designed for feast and famine. No extra costs, actually save money on fasting days as two shakes cost the equivalent of £2 and I’d easily spend more than that eating 3 meals a day especially if I was getting a cheeky Costa, McDonalds, or Subway for lunch although I can and have had that on feed days!

AIBU to think this is amazing and think more people should try it before resorting to spending hundred of pounds on weight loss injections which can have damaging side effects and are affecting Tyoe 1 diabetics getting life saving medication and equipment for that medication?

Obviously fasting is not for pregnant women or people with contraindicated medical conditions but most people could do it if I can!

OP posts:
mm81736 · 08/08/2024 08:30

MM died of natural causes in his mid 60s.
Not sure I would be taking his health advice!

RayWinstone · 08/08/2024 08:24

I am evangelical about fasting... For me, it's a total no brainer - you basically reduce your overall calorie intake without the deprivation you feel with a normal calorie-restricted diet (in which you watch what you eat all the time and cut out certain foods). I didn't need to lose lots when I started, and am small and slight, so I found I needed to also be very careful on non fast days initially. Once I got to where I wanted to be, I've kept up with fasting 2 days a week to maintain. It means I can be fairly indulgent the rest of the time without seeing much movement on the scales. Periods of more indulgence (eg Christmas or holidays) mean I might put a bit on, so I'll be a bit more strict for a while and then return to my usual once I'm at my ideal weight again. I do think it's key to have the attitude that this is a lifestyle change forever - if you view it purely as a means to an end, and then stop once you hit your target, you may well put it back on again... Plan for your maintenance too (adjusting your fasting plan to suit) and you should be able to sustain your loss.
Well done OP!

mondaytosunday · 08/08/2024 08:22

Doesn't sound easy to me. I can't do that anyway as I'm type 1 diabetic. And there always would be the possibility of a dinner or lunch out that coincides with a fast day so I'd start juggling them and before you know it it all falls apart. CICO - weighing everything. Works for me and is 'easy' in that I know if I hit my calorie limit that's me done. I lost two stone the first two months. I have a normal dinner every day - I just keep to the correct portion size. Doing 16:8 also helps as it keeps me fuller eating in a reduced window.
But ultimately the best method is the one that works for you, so well done to have figured that out!

Sunshineandrainbow · 08/08/2024 08:19

Good for you op, you are doing amazing.
If your having a shake and sugar on non eating days it wouldn't be considered a fast but it is working for you and you are happy so keep going.

Anxiousmamma6 · 08/08/2024 08:16

Agreed, same here, though I'm doing the 5:2.

I had 3 kilos left over from pregnancy, which although not a lot made a big difference as I'm pretty small.

Lost it all very easily in 6 weeks. Now only doing 5:2 one day a week instead of two as it's enough to keep to my target weight and I didn't want to lose anymore.

It's completely reset my appetite so now I feel fuller quicker and just don't fancy eating crap. I've also gone back to my pre-pregnancy running performance, it feels like I'm flying when I don't have to drag those 3 extra kilos around!

I can't believe it's been so easy. I'd previously tried to calorie count, felt like I was depriving myself every day and my weight wasn't changing.

Floatlikeafeather2 · 08/08/2024 08:15

But surely on the days you're supposed to be fasting, you're actually not if you're having sugar, honey and 2 milk based drinks? I have considered doing it with shorter fasting periods but have been put off because I do feel faint if I skip more than one meal. It's a real thing and has been happening since I was a child. Did you go through a phase of this happening that wore off? I don't get on with calorie counting - my capacity for self-deception is huge! 😊

LunaandLily · 08/08/2024 08:15

EatStopEat · 08/08/2024 00:57

On alternate day fasting - not 16:8 but fasting for 36 hours then eating anything you want for 12 hours. E.g stopping eating at 10pm on Sunday and not eating until 10am on Tuesday. Eat all you want until 10pm and the cycle continues. No calorie counting but essentially cutting calorie intake in half.

Thought about trying it for ages but never in the right headspace. Watched a Michael Mosley doc on Netflix out of respect for the great man and saw him talking about it again (welled up a bit when he was talking about wanting to live longer I must say) then just decided, F IT. I’m doing it.

Age 53. Starting at 18 stone 4. Aching knees and back, swollen ankles, couldn’t go upstairs without needing 5 mins to get my breath back, DC complaining that I’m heavy breathing over them 😳, high cholesterol, high risk for T2 diabetes, high blood pressure also hypothyroidism and deep in menopause,

In just over 4 weeks, I have lost 20lbs. Now 16stone 12. I absolutely love my food on feed days. I thought I would overeat but I don’t. In fact I haven’t got time to eat everything I planned (oohhh, I’ll have you tomorrow kind of thing 😃).

I work out in the gym on feed days so I go every other day instead of pressuring myself to exercise everyday and then not do any at all! I eat chocolate bars, big meals etc. I have started making overnight oats ready the night before feed days which I am loving and really fill me up. Drink tonnes of water etc. I have cut out normal bread and have gluten free instead just because it made me extremely bloated after fasting (wouldn’t have otherwise), gluten free pancakes with syrup too. More natural gravitation to healthy food now.

On fast days, I drink loads (as well as electrolyte water), have coffee with sugar, herbal tea with honey and two milk shakes with protein powder and ground flax seeds for extra nutrition. I will probably switch to fruit and veg smoothies when I get fed up with them but not yet!

I was worried I would be dizzy or have headaches but nothing! First few fast days were hard but now it’s so easy. I look forward to eating the next day and even fasting afterwards when I feel stuffed (!) and think about what I want to eat. I’m not starving when I wake up after fasting either and feel very cleaned out so to speak.

I have a busy household (2 adults - 4 older DC), I WFH, and it works fine. Don’t mind cooking for family as know I can have it tomorrow. Honestly I never thought I’d ever find a diet I’d keep up for more than 2 weeks which was my limit. I can’t keep up with calorie counting or denying myself nice food for months on end, so depressing.

I can see the benefits already to my skin, so much less tired, mental fog lifting, no swollen ankles!, dress size gone from tight 20 to comfy 18. I can almost run upstairs and the difference to how hard I can work out in the gym is amazing in just a month which is due to the fasting IMO. In addition there are internal benefits from fasting which will be adding up. I feel 100 times better than a month ago. I know the weight loss will start to slow down but I expect to reach a reasonably healthy weight before Christmas and can then do occasional fast days if my weight starts creeping up again.

Honestly, I really want to advocate this way of losing weight. It’s not a fad, we are designed for feast and famine. No extra costs, actually save money on fasting days as two shakes cost the equivalent of £2 and I’d easily spend more than that eating 3 meals a day especially if I was getting a cheeky Costa, McDonalds, or Subway for lunch although I can and have had that on feed days!

AIBU to think this is amazing and think more people should try it before resorting to spending hundred of pounds on weight loss injections which can have damaging side effects and are affecting Tyoe 1 diabetics getting life saving medication and equipment for that medication?

Obviously fasting is not for pregnant women or people with contraindicated medical conditions but most people could do it if I can!

Fantastic post OP! Really inspiring - you sound high on life! I’m not fasting as breastfeeding, but when I was I listened to a podcast called Intermittent Fasting Stories and it was really inspirational. I can’t remember the name of the lady who presents it but she just speaks to a different guest each week about their experiences. Her motto is “delay, don’t deny” you can have anything as long as it’s in your eating window.

BustyLaRoux · 08/08/2024 08:12

Well done on your amazing weight loss. It’s wonderful when things suddenly click into place. I did 5:2 after my second child. I wasn’t hugely overweight. Only a size 12 and still within the normal BMI range. Bigger than I’d ever been though so I tried this. First month was great. I think I lost 12lbs. Obviously it slowed down over the months, but by the summer I’d lost a stone and a half and was down to the weight I’d been as a teenager!! It can be very effective.

However, a serious word of warning. I developed an eating disorder. I didn’t consult with anyone medical and I didn’t read up about the warnings. I have managed to control my ED to the point where now I rarely feel inclined towards those behaviours, but I had to stop with the fasting as a method to lose weight if ever I put a little back on. Fasting isn’t for everyone. Sure it did help me get my confidence back but it also messed up my relationship with food for a good few years and I have some lasting minor health issues as well.

For anyone thinking it is the magic cure for weight, it can be. But please do your research. It isn’t for everyone.

heinzseight · 08/08/2024 08:10

Iamthemoom · 08/08/2024 07:28

I do 16-20 hour fasts 6 days a week (only water and black coffee) and then longer fasts up to 4 days every few weeks. In those I only have black coffee, electrolytes and 2 bullet proof coffees a day. I have done full on water fasts in my 20s but don't feel I could handle those now and my longest was 10 days to fix a medical issue. I hadn't heard of ADF. I think I'd find that harder than fasting for four days! Day 2 is always the hardest and then I feel great and as long as I take electrolytes there's really no hunger at all.

It doesn't sound like you have much time available to eat food in the regime. When do you have your meals?

PufferFish · 08/08/2024 08:09

I tried the 5:2 diet several years ago. After years of yo-yo dieting I couldn’t believe how quickly the weight dropped off and how easy I found it to stick to. I thought that I’d found a long term solution. However, several months in I began to have episodes of being really unwell. It turned out to be my gall bladder. It took a friend asking me if I was doing the 5:2 diet after I had an episode at her house for me to link the two. Her Dad had had the same experience on the diet. Within a week or two of stopping the diet the episodes stopped completely.
A few years ago I came across the 16:8 diet. I thought I’d try it as it was a gentler version. It didn’t take so long that time for the episodes to start again.
Apparently my body just can’t cope with fasting in any form. To say that I’m gutted would be an understatement.
I’m pleased that it’s working for you though and I hope that it continues to do so 🙃

Ansjovis · 08/08/2024 08:07

It's good that you are enjoying the process but you've only been doing it a month, I would reserve judgement until you have a bit more experience with it. I have a history of disordered eating so chose a very different way of losing weight and two years on I have no regrets about it.

I just wanted to comment on something in your OP about exercise in case it may help someone who is reading this thread. Exercising every day really is not necessary in any case, the body needs time to rest and recover after exercise and not taking those rest days, especially if you are in a high calorie deficit, is a recipe for burn out and injury. Keeping active is great and should be something that is built in to your daily routine but I would advise working in some low intensity days as well.

greengreyblue · 08/08/2024 08:06

Listen to Dr Chatterjee interview Dr Jason Fung on fasting. Why intermittent fasting works .
Well done OP.
I do 18:6 and it’s very easy once you get in the zone. I’m not overweight but at the higher end of normal BMI and using it to get back down. But also the big draw is how fasting helps your body in so many other ways eg prevention of diseases.

Maelil01 · 08/08/2024 08:04

There is fibre in smoothies. The fruit ‘ veg are just pulped 🤷‍♀️

NeedToChangeName · 08/08/2024 08:04

I haven't heard of alternate day fasting. Sounds unhealthy to me, to go so long / often without food

And intermittent fasting just sounds like skipping breakfast / no snacks after dinner

In a nutshell, eat less = lose weight

But, there's no money to be made by encouraging people to eat sensible amounts of mostly healthy food, with biscuits / bacon from time to time. Hence, the diet industry coming up with endless variations of "eat less"

BunnyLake · 08/08/2024 08:03

Apologies for quoting your full OP. I hate it when people do that!

HowIrresponsible · 08/08/2024 08:02

Its been easy for you so far because you're very overweight. I say with no animus but your starting point was over 18 stone.

I only want to lose a stone to a stone and a half and that won't work for me because of the lower amount of weight.

Eating everything I wanted in that 12 hour window would balance out and wouldn't work.

You'll eventually plateau when you've lost more and it won't work. Slow and steady is best.

DeliciousApples · 08/08/2024 08:01

That's great you've done so well.

This article has put me off. It seems balanced and is from the British heart Foundation so it's from a responsible place. It does say further research is needed though:

www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/behind-the-headlines/intermittent-fasting

RettyPriddle · 08/08/2024 07:59

Well done OP. I’ve found your post really useful. I will start the same after my holiday! Keep us posted on your progress.

Feelingblue77 · 08/08/2024 07:58

@crazybeelady would you mind sharing which plan you are following as my situation sounds similar to yours!

OP - well done! Really pleased for you.

Areolaborealis · 08/08/2024 07:58

Not really shocked. If you miss a few days of worth of food/calories each week for an extended period you are going to lose weight regardless of the philosophy behind it.

What's great is that you have found something that works for you. Challenge will be adapting it when weight loss goal is achieved.

CoffeeGood · 08/08/2024 07:53

I'm really glad you have found a way that works for you but please don't say you fast for 36 hours because you really don't and it's quite misleading to say you do!

ineedtogwtoutbeforeitatoohot · 08/08/2024 07:50

Keeping it off is the problem
It's not sustainable.

coodawoodashooda · 08/08/2024 07:50

Well done!

soupfiend · 08/08/2024 07:49

If you already have gallstones its problematic, I have a number of friends who are nurses who say that (and have experienced it themselves)

BunnyLake · 08/08/2024 07:48

EatStopEat · 08/08/2024 00:57

On alternate day fasting - not 16:8 but fasting for 36 hours then eating anything you want for 12 hours. E.g stopping eating at 10pm on Sunday and not eating until 10am on Tuesday. Eat all you want until 10pm and the cycle continues. No calorie counting but essentially cutting calorie intake in half.

Thought about trying it for ages but never in the right headspace. Watched a Michael Mosley doc on Netflix out of respect for the great man and saw him talking about it again (welled up a bit when he was talking about wanting to live longer I must say) then just decided, F IT. I’m doing it.

Age 53. Starting at 18 stone 4. Aching knees and back, swollen ankles, couldn’t go upstairs without needing 5 mins to get my breath back, DC complaining that I’m heavy breathing over them 😳, high cholesterol, high risk for T2 diabetes, high blood pressure also hypothyroidism and deep in menopause,

In just over 4 weeks, I have lost 20lbs. Now 16stone 12. I absolutely love my food on feed days. I thought I would overeat but I don’t. In fact I haven’t got time to eat everything I planned (oohhh, I’ll have you tomorrow kind of thing 😃).

I work out in the gym on feed days so I go every other day instead of pressuring myself to exercise everyday and then not do any at all! I eat chocolate bars, big meals etc. I have started making overnight oats ready the night before feed days which I am loving and really fill me up. Drink tonnes of water etc. I have cut out normal bread and have gluten free instead just because it made me extremely bloated after fasting (wouldn’t have otherwise), gluten free pancakes with syrup too. More natural gravitation to healthy food now.

On fast days, I drink loads (as well as electrolyte water), have coffee with sugar, herbal tea with honey and two milk shakes with protein powder and ground flax seeds for extra nutrition. I will probably switch to fruit and veg smoothies when I get fed up with them but not yet!

I was worried I would be dizzy or have headaches but nothing! First few fast days were hard but now it’s so easy. I look forward to eating the next day and even fasting afterwards when I feel stuffed (!) and think about what I want to eat. I’m not starving when I wake up after fasting either and feel very cleaned out so to speak.

I have a busy household (2 adults - 4 older DC), I WFH, and it works fine. Don’t mind cooking for family as know I can have it tomorrow. Honestly I never thought I’d ever find a diet I’d keep up for more than 2 weeks which was my limit. I can’t keep up with calorie counting or denying myself nice food for months on end, so depressing.

I can see the benefits already to my skin, so much less tired, mental fog lifting, no swollen ankles!, dress size gone from tight 20 to comfy 18. I can almost run upstairs and the difference to how hard I can work out in the gym is amazing in just a month which is due to the fasting IMO. In addition there are internal benefits from fasting which will be adding up. I feel 100 times better than a month ago. I know the weight loss will start to slow down but I expect to reach a reasonably healthy weight before Christmas and can then do occasional fast days if my weight starts creeping up again.

Honestly, I really want to advocate this way of losing weight. It’s not a fad, we are designed for feast and famine. No extra costs, actually save money on fasting days as two shakes cost the equivalent of £2 and I’d easily spend more than that eating 3 meals a day especially if I was getting a cheeky Costa, McDonalds, or Subway for lunch although I can and have had that on feed days!

AIBU to think this is amazing and think more people should try it before resorting to spending hundred of pounds on weight loss injections which can have damaging side effects and are affecting Tyoe 1 diabetics getting life saving medication and equipment for that medication?

Obviously fasting is not for pregnant women or people with contraindicated medical conditions but most people could do it if I can!

Well done! I’m going to photo your post and keep it for the future as I’d like to try it if I need it. I’ve been hearing a lot about fasting but don’t feel at the moment I would be able to do it. I’m currently on Keto which is not too bad and I am losing but it’s slow. I’m very intrigued by your experience so thanks for posting.