Losing weight by Christmas 16:8 worked before.

[Changednamealready]

PS A big challenge for me is finding work overwhelming and being tired at the end of the day and looking forward to food. I need to break this pattern so would be interested to hear how others cope.

Well done Meirion. I came into the house this eve one ate three bagels! Straight from the oven. So. Not great but for me that’s not too bad for a binge. I am grateful to the 16:8 because I’ve had that and actually I can stay within my kcal limit (also had berries, yoghurt and couple of squares of dark choc this afternoon).

Before 16:8 I’d have had a bad day and thought “blow it”. Now it’s a case of “oh well” move on eating period over. I’m also noticing boobs are getting smaller but bum remains huge. Mother nature’s little joke at my expense.

How is everyone else doing?

Meir do you get dizzy on days you don’t eat until 7.30 pm? How do you cope at work during the day ?

Down udder brill you are feeling more energetic !!

I’m finding low carb is helping me. I’m fuller longer and don’t get that sugar crash afterwards. I’d hoped to see another pound gone this morning but now I’m hoping to see a pound gone tomorrow morning!

I’ve done an 11k step hike this morning. So lovely but a bit to sunny and not enough shade.

@Changednamealready, I don't get dizzy, just a bit hungry. But I am going to stop doing long fasts because I've done 24 hours twice and it leads to over-eating afterwards, defeating the point.

I'm going back to a 16:8 schedule with regular meal times. It's better for controlling my appetite.

I’m finding 16:8 good and I like to follow a schedule, it just helps me feel in control! I find it easier to tell myself no, to a snack if I know I only have to wait another hour for something.

I’m managing to eat things that I’m enjoying. I think that helps. I’m sure I’ve had hummus almost everyday!

Meirion - hmm 🤔 that’s the thing about fasting, I was shocked that 16:8 really helped with my appetite control. Interesting to hear your experience of eating once a day.
I had breakfast today night if v little sleep and day ended up with three bowls of cocoa pops with raisins which happens to be a driving combination and I I totally absolve responsibility for all my actions and blame the kids.

DownUdderer So glad it’s helping! As you can see from. My posts I’ve had some blips but generally get back on track again straight away.

I think with 16:8, for me it’s helped stop what I used to do, which is eating breakfast and having a busy morning and having elevensis and then an early lunch and then plenty of snacks.

Thanks for this thread. I am going to now do 16:8 from 12 noon as the lightbulb was that I will only need to feel hungry for 4 hours with light at the end of the tunnel - 12noon - and I don’t actually feel that hungry in the mornings anyway so I don’t think that will be too difficult.

I will have 3 meals proper meals - so 12 will be breakfast - 4pm lunch and 7-8pm proper dinner.

The other light bulb is that if I am eating those proper substantial stuff at 12 4 and 7 - I will not need to snack as I won’t be hungry.

I will be doing SW recipes - with lowish carbs and highish protein - loads of fruit and veggies for fibre. Need to lose loads of weight but want a healthy habit for life and hope this will help.

Does anyone exercise in the mornings - so at the end of the fast - is this dangerous - or a good idea?

I don’t go to the gym or anything like that, I normally get out a couple of times a week for a hike and take something to eat with me, so if I feel hungry I stop and eat.

I fast from 6:30pm to 10:00 or 11:00.

I have three meals and one snack and I’m aiming for low carb.

It feels like normal routine now (after a week and a half). I’d like to think I can stick with it. Loosing weight certainly keeps me going so, so far so good.

Thanks down that time slot sounds really doable - much easier than my 12-8pm eating slot - I never eat as late as 8 so I am making it extra hard by fasting for longer - so will look at eating 10/11am to 6/7pm.

If you eat late - say eating out - do you shift the time you start eating again the next day - so say finished eating at 9pm would you hang back until 1pm the next day or just get back to normal slot?

I think if I ate late one evening I’d see how I felt next morning! Breaking fast early one time won’t hurt, but sometimes I feel glad to just hold off for ten minutes. I tell myself ‘just wait ten more minutes’ and sometimes another half an hour flies by.

How's everyone doing? I had a serious diet lapse last weekend but I am back on the calorie-counted wagon now. This is a relief. I am glad I did not think that going off the rails meant I might as well stay off them.

I'm exercising a lot at the moment because it helps me make better eating choices and was a contributing factor when I successfully lost 30lbs several years ago. I do something every day, 7 days/week. Right now I'm alternating an hour of brisk walking outdoors with 40 minutes of dumbbell exercises and lunges, squats, etc.

Cooking: Pinch of Nom and SW. Meal planning: yes. I don't love it, but it works.

Today has been a long day (I’m in Australia) and I just hope that when I weigh in the morning I’ll have lost a pound. I’ve just been so hungry! I’ve not gone over my calories though. I just want to loose weight once.

Yep checking in, again a few days off the wagon. I know it works yet have found it hard to just say no to creamy coffee in the am with a carbs breakfast.

There way too many cakes at work, I had one to be social and that was nice then the next morning every time I went to the kitchen grabbed something else. A sugar frenzy and reminded me - keep cakes out of sight! Time of the month though so my resolve is always lower and a stinking cold.

Days I skip breakfast without fail I eat better, even on days I don’t do so well my overall intake is lower than on days I had eaten brekkie. So interesting. Yet I have a feeling on days I have then gone on to have a very low energy lunch I tend to overeat more later. It’s all about what works isn’t it!

Meir I’m like you in that my daily exercise (cardio) keeps me on track. The last few days I haven’t exercised as I have a cold and these are days I’ve had brekkie and just overeaten.

I think daily cardio is helpful.

Downudder - you didn’t go over your kcal- well done! You lost a pound, that’s great.

Hi Inish,

It sounds like your plan is a great one.

I have exercised faster and I can say for me it greatly varies. Some mornings it has felt like I’m running through mud, and others I’ve felt like I can keep going for longer. Without doubt it always lifts my mood for the day. I think I had the best weight loss exercising first thing- I think that may be to do with just being in a better mood all day.

Though out it this way I did 5 k in 45 minutes in the morning and felt awful. I did it in 27 minutes in the evening (after having quite a reasonable carb intake). But as mentioned, exercising in the morning kind of kept me on track if that makes sense.

I’ve never been good at exercise or anything in the morning!

Interesting that you skip breakfast OP - I am looking at it as only postponing breakfast in the hope that my 3 meals condensed into a smaller window means that hunger won’t develop and I won’t crave the snacks. I do think that the availability of sugary snacks to hand all day everywhere is the temptation - and the best way to beat temptation is not to have it available easy at home but not at work, station, etc - so next thing is not to be hungry as this is where the risk is.

I have breakfast at 10:00 or 11.00. And I have lunch at 1.30 and a snack at 3.30 and dinner at 5:30 with the kids. Then only water in the evening. I am low carb and rarely feel too hungry. I get hungry sometimes but I think that’s a normal and ok thing to experience. Anyway so far I’m loosing weight and I’m happy. I’m down 10lbs since I started 16:8 15 days ago. I’m so so happy to have lost weight. I actually believe I could be a happy weight by Christmas!

That’s an amazing loss DownUdderer - well done!

Hi everyone, hope you don't mind me jumping on. I've been following this thread with interest. I started 16:8 on Monday & I must say i have found it remarkably easy to follow... so far! I've even managed a 22hr fast this week!! Quick question, because I'm a newbie to this... has anyone had any drastic weight loss results?

You've all inspired me to get back to the 16:8 way of eating, I have done it before lost some weight and then the eating window just got bigger and back came the snacks!!!!! Anyway let's not dwell on that a Xmas goal sounds good - My eating window will be between 12 - 8 two meals a day and no snacks, unless I really feel I need something to stave of a migraine!!

I shall have a weekly weigh in on a Monday - how about everyone else?

My first week as well - M-F straight forward - but I have been a bit caught off guard this weekend to keep to the window - maybe I need to shift the window at weekends. I weigh in on Wed.....so will see then.

Good luck everyone. I’m hoping to see a loss on the scale tomorrow. I’m in a mini plateau and I’m getting annoyed.

Triceratop (great name! I live in a house with dinosaur obsessed little ones)of course you’re welcome to join.

Well done for progress so far.

I have recently started letting the snacks and breakfast back in too and weight has crept on again so getting back on it. I’m going to try two meals a day or three but delay the breakfast or skip it. What worked for me before was to not eat until 12.00.

@Changednamealready I've been following the same principle as you & been skipping breakfast. I'm currently clock watching as I'm absolutely starving!! I've upped the exercise this week too. I weighed myself this morning & I'm 6lbs down on the scales since Monday... I know that this is water weight but a loss is a loss!!