16:8 any success?

[iddybiddymum]

I've been doing 16:8 Monday - Friday for 2.5 weeks now . I pretty much eat what I like between 12-8 ( not in excess and mostly healthy).

I didn't weigh myself but do feel clothes fit slightly better and feel
A little less tired.

Does anyone have any success stories at all? Would love to hear!

Most people just do the hours, not reduced calories.

I try and stay below 1,400 max, 1,200 for preference, but I'm currently away with family and while I can stick to the hours restricting calories is impossible without seeming like a very high maintenance guest!

Can I ask a question about this? If I do the 12-8 slot is this not essentially just "skipping breakfast" which is what everyone has been told is bad for them for years?!

Hello @onesteptwosteps - from what I have read, Breakfast is the most important meal in the day, was a slogan invented by a breakfast cereal company for an advertising campaign. It's the food manufacturers who don't want us to skip meals.

I don't count calories (although its making me feel a bit aghast because it's basically saying ignore everything you have learned about dieting over the last 25 years). I'm just focusing on increasing my healthy fats and reducing carbs as much as I can.

I'd definitely recommend joining this Intermittent Fasting Group on Facebook. There are so many links to different articles and videos on IF and HFLC diets. www.facebook.com/groups/Intermittent.Fasting.UK/

@ScarletPower how much have you managed to lose so far and in what time frame?
I think naturally my calories have reduced as I don't want to eat as much and can't in 8 hours anyway but really really nterested in anyone who has been doing this for a while as it then shows in works for a longer time not just the initial 2 or 3 weeks like other diets.

Thanks @ScarletPower 👍🏼👍🏼

Loss is about a pound a week on either 5:2 or 16:8.

I agree re breakfast. Calories are just calories really. And studies show that the longer fast does something that means you metabolise better.

And yes, you do need to cut out snacks, and missing one meal pretty much takes 500cals off your day.

Happy Monday all! Today is the last day of month 1 on Fast800. The time has flown by and the results are phenomenal (15lbs down and it seems to be mostly off my previously big tummy, which is nearly flat again).

For the past 2 weeks, I’ve been eating the 800 calories across 3 meals, but I’m going to switch back to 800 calories in 2 meals instead. It’s really challenging to fit the cooking and eating of 3 meals into 8 hours whilst working, so I keep missing the IF window and have crept up to only 11-12 hours of fasting.

Hope everyone has a good week ahead 😊

@HighlandPeach - Good plan - it's the fasting that is important x

@Spotsandstars - ah, I'm not the person to ask about long term success. I've only been doing it just short of 4 weeks and I've lost 5.9kg (I wanted to lose 35kg when I started) which I mostly lost in the first three weeks. My weight loss seems to have stalled this week, all week I have been gaining and losing the same 200g.

Even though the advice forums say you can go a few weeks without a loss due to your body adapted and hidden fat disappearing first, it still feels really unfair). As Dr Fung says calories don't matter, I'll give it until the end of August and then reassess - might have to go and do Fast 800.

Morning all - I did my 1 month weigh in. I’ve lost 7.2kg (16lbs). It’s amazing. My tummy is nearly flat again, I can see a hint of cheek bones and my collar bone and shoulders seem slimmer. How exciting!! I’ve been buying some lovely winter clothes haha. I’ve got 17kg to go till I’m back to my pre-baby weight.

Keep going everyone, this plan really works xx

Woo @HighlandPeach good loss! This way of eating really attacks the belly fat doesn't it? I feel so much slimmer even though I haven't lost a full stone.

It's the end of my first month on 24th but my 4th weekly weigh-in tomorrow.

I wish mine would come off a bit quicker so I could go and buy a lovely new wardrobe but I can't believe I can eat what I have been eating and not put weight on. I keep reading that weeks 3,4,5,6 are known as the healing phase and the body concentrates on 'healing' instead of fat burning during this period. Maybe I just need a heck of a lot of healing :-)

I'll have to concentrate on NSV's instead.

I couldn't feel my liver yesterday! I don't know if this is how everyone with a fatty liver feels, but I had a permanant stretched feeling of pressure under my right boob which was tender when I prodded it and it just felt as though something was swollen under there (which indeed it would have been, stuffed full of whatever it is the liver stores). Anyway last night and today my upper abdomen just feels the same as the other normal side!!! (It might come back so I'm not counting my chickens).

I'm sure my feet are looking slimmer and I can definitely see an ankle bone now. I've had cankles for years but my ankle bone is definitely sticking out.

I'm another lb down this week. I've stuck to the hours, but not been calorie counting, will be the same this week, back to the full on diet next week I think.

I’m a newbie to this diet. Starting today. We eat really late which I know is bad but we start dinner together once children are asleep. We usually eat at 8-9pm. Can I still do this as long as it’s within the eating window? X

It's a myth that the time you eat is either 'bad' or 'good'. Calories are calories no matter what time of day you eat them.

The important thing for this diet is the length of the fast. 16+ hours is recommended. I usually manage 17 by eating at 1pm and 8pm, so a seven hour window.

Luckily I'm not currently working so I can do this. When I was getting up at five thirty for work there was no way I'd manage to wait until one to eat, nor have finished eating for the day by, say, five.

Experiment with finding an eight hour window that works for you.

Pleased to report my lowest weight yet (it fluctuates daily) but for the sake of weekly weigh in I have now lost a total of 13.6lbs.

Week 1 - 2.9kg (6.38lbs)
Week 2 - 2.1kg (4.62lbs)
Week 3 - 0.1kg (0.22lbs)
Week 4 - 1.1 kg (2.42lbs)

Well done @ScarletPower and @VanGoghsDog on your losses. We’re all moving in the right direction 😊

Welcome @Rubbleonthedouble1!

Thank you!
Which drinks can I drink outside the 8 hour window? X

Preferably calorie free ones so you are still fasting. Water, black tea or coffee, herbal tea.

I'd steer clear of fizzy drinks even no cal ones as they make you hungry.

@Rubbleonthedouble1 water and herbal tea, but not fruit teas. I’m working my way through the Pukka range of teabags 😊

Why can't you have fruit tea?

Did anyone else really struggle with nausea and headaches when first starting? I’m only 5 days in but really struggling...I don’t want to give up.

I had nasty headaches every day for the first week but after that they went away.

Good to hear that it will pass! @Outfoxed

It's possibly dehydration but could also be withdrawal from caffeine or sugar or something.

@notevenamum1 - are you doing low carb? or just eating normally and doing the 16-hour fast?

If you are doing low carb, you might need to add some electrolytes - I ordered these and haven't felt as headachey as I first did
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00SP31TCW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?psc=1&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&ie=UTF8

@VanGoghsDog

Why can't you have fruit tea?

@VanGoghsDog good question, it was in an article someone else posted above! I can’t remember why, but it made sense at the time and I stopped 😂