16/8 support group

[Klaudia14]

Anyone interested in joining me here? I posted this on an older thread so will just copy and paste my story below:

I'm on day 8 doing the 16/8. I'm loving it!! I'm against dieting as restrictions always lead me to binges and feeling rubbish. I haven't weighed myself in 5 years as I got rid of my scales due to a very unhealthy obsession with weighing myself. I am very interested in intuitive eating and have been trying to get in tune with my body but it's been hard and the lockdown has thrown me off guard and I was overeating, feeling bloated and fed up. I'm loving 16/8. My eating window is 11-7 and I find this fits well with my lifestyle. I'm surprised at how much energy I have in the morning. Even managing an hour long walk with the dog ...getting up at 7 as well with lots of energy. Feeling less bloated and just happier overall! I think this is really helping me be more intuitively about what I actually want! Having good, hearty food. Butter and cheese and full fat yoghurt! These foods were always a no no for me but I much prefer theses to fat free/low fat options. I feel satisfied after my meals too .
Oh and I can't do this without a bit of milk in my morning coffee ( freshly brewed filter) so haven't cut that out. And have had a cheeky glass of wine during my eating window ...🍷

Fuuuuuuck my window is closing in 10 minutes and I've been too busy to eat anything since dinner at 5.30!

Do the rest of you try to fit in a last hour snack or do you find it makes no difference? I'm concerned I'm going to be starving by 11 tomorrow.

Oh and I've just realised I have an appointment at 10.45 tomorrow so won't be able to break my fast at 11 on the dot!

It's a bit nerve-wracking!

Pmsl. Just eat something 🤭

Good evening. So lovely to see yet more new faces. I hope every opens getting on ok.
It’s been a good day here. That basically means the kids have been manageable 😂
Lovely ham sandwiches for lunch with some delicious honey mustard ham I made yesterday. Then quits fajitas for tea. I feel so stuffed. Didn’t feel like snacking today either. My appetite is changing so much. But the most astounding thing for me is my energy levels. They are so great. I’ve been up since 5, and still feel good, despite having had two long pram walks in the heat and generally being busy all day. I would usually be slumping now, but instead I’m wondering what I can do tonight. Good stuff.

What flexibility app are you using @ElspethFlashman? I really need to add some stretches into my day. My back is sore from lugging about a giant baby!
I did used to stuff myself a bit “in case” when I first started. But now I don’t really follow set times and I just close my window when I’m full. So today I finished eating at 5:40. I set my fast timer and won’t eat tomorrow until 16 hours is up or I’m hungry. I’m generally finding myself naturally going 18 hours these days. It’s amazing how your body settles into patterns.

Your brunch sounds delish @CaveMum! We also had fajitas for tea. I’m so stuffed right now.

Should’ve proof read! *quorn fajitas 😊

Thanks Cavemum and WinterAndRoughWeather, good to know I can still move things about a bit.
And Pandapotato yes , I can imagine it makes it harder and in fact alcohol was the first down fall for me weight gain wise with lockdown and I definitely want carbs the next day which is how I started eating breakfast again .

Thanks for the luck wishes, today was fine but I’ve now got to not make up calories once the kids go to bed.

When I lost weight before I had cut down to one meal per day (was in a rush) but I hope this will still help and be a softer approach, I find it harder at the moment without the usual stuff going on!

Joining in!!

Been doing this for about a week. I’ve got about 2.5 stone to lose. Finding it ok - fairly easy to skip breakfast but once I eat I don’t want to stop...

justanotherneighinparadise super helpful to a newbie. 👍

The flexibility app is called Splits Training but there's loads of routines on it, it's broader than it's name suggests. It's free so there are occasional ads to skip but they're not obtrusive. It has 3 levels for different abilities.

Thanks Pandapotato I do feel a bit more trim and I think things are hormonal for me as my boobs are bigger.

I had a day off yesterday but ate healthy. I think I'm going to switch to 5:2. I spend my evenings really hungry anyway so might as well just have two days of the week being ravenous. Have had a fast day today. I think I've eaten about 600 calories. I'm about to go for a run now. Hoping it will distract me from the gnawing stomach!

Well I started off really well on Friday, my first day, aiming for 14:10 but because a meeting overran I ended up doing 15.5:8.5 and felt fine. Then Saturday I needed to go and do a big food shop first thing so thought I couldn't do that on an empty stomach or is make bad choices, so broke my fast hours early. Sunday was DHs birthday and the baby woke me up at 5 so I ate croissants with him at 7:30 and ended the day with takeaway pizza at 8pm, chocolate, cake and wine in between!
Today has been much better so far, I finished tea at 7 and not eaten since, but I'm so tempted to go and get a snack - kids have been driving me mad all day so I really feel like a treat.
What app is everyone using? I'm using fasting tracker but not sure if it's the best one.

I’m using an app called Fastic but I did used to use Zero quite happily.

I use Zero and track my calories using My Fitness Pal (although calorie counting isnt needed!)

Thanks for the app recommendations.
I think I'm going to really struggle with not having that evening connection with DH over a drink and a snack. We have 3 small DC and are both trying to work full time with them at home. We hardly see each other in the day and we really look forward to something 'grown up' in the evening like a spicy Bombay mix or posh chocolate (this is clearly why I'm overweight!).
DH is a bit miffed that I've said that won't be happening anymore, and I'm worried that it will cause tension, or at least reduce the enjoyment of an evening. We often don't get time to watch a film or play a board game etc by the time we've tidied up and settled all the kids, so it was something quick and nice for us.

@wejammin You can still do that, just put your eating window back.
So if you do that of an evening at 9ish then just fast until 2pm in the day so you can stop eating at 10pm on the days you and DH have your nights together

Its amazing whar having one day off can do
I took a day off for my birthday, had a bbq and drank till late then stopped eating at 6pm last night and plan to fast as long as possible today. But oh my god i feel awful today! My body isnt happy with me at all (probably the overload of carbs!)
I cant believe just 1 day off can make me feel so rubbish!

Back on it now, ive realised how much better i do feel on this plan!

Can I join please?
I've been doing 16:8 for 3 days now having found this thread. I feel much more energised this morning than I have in a long time.
Lockdown has been terrible for my weight - I have no idea how much I've put on and if I'm honest I don't want to know. I have managed not to weigh myself since the end of August last year - that is a miracle for me - the scales have dominated my life since I was about 12 - I'm now 50.
What I am really hoping is that doing this will give me back control over eating. At the moment just knowing I can eat what I want between 1 and 9 is such a fabulous feeling and in actual fact I haven't gone overboard at all so I'm sure I am eating far less.
Once I've got into the swing of it I will look at calorie counting maybe, but knowing how messed up my relationship with food is I will be taking baby steps.
If I weigh what I think I do then I have around 2.5 stones to lose. My goal is going to be getting into my size 12 clothes (currently bursting out of stretchy 14s so must at least be a 16)
Good luck everyone

I’m going to put this on here because as a daily weigher it can sometimes seem as if you’re not getting anywhere....

Hi I would love to join for some support and motivation. During lockdown I have put on 5kg I only realised when I went to put on my swimming costume and it doesn't fit at all. I have been wearing mostly dresses and baggy shorts so never really noticed the weight creep up until the scales showed me the awful truth.

My biggest problem is sweet things, we always have biscuits and sweets in the house as treats for the kids, but I often snack on them too whenever I'm in the kitchen!
My friend did 16:8 from January to April and lost 10kg with very little effort so I feel it's the way to go. I am officially starting today!

Welcome @CheerfuIPotato @JamieFrasersSassenach @Fizbo !
Hope you're all okay, the first few days can be difficult but try your best to stick is out and ajust your eating window to your lifestyle

Hello! How is everyone today? Very hot here. I have grumpy children who didn’t sleep well in the heat. Joy 🙄
Broke my fast after 18 hours with a yummy brunchy meal of scrambled eggs, home baked ham & avocado on toast. Delicious and very filling! Boring tomato pasta for dinner i think. It’s too hot to spend long cooking.

@Mortigua how did you find one meal a day? Does it feel a bit extreme? I think I need to cut my portion sizes and not snack to boost weight loss. Finding that a bit hard to do at home. I was thinking that when I go back to work (should be now, but I’m extending my mat leave due to covid) I’ll probably be able to do it a bit easier as I’m so busy.

@CheerfuIPotato you will find that not being able to stop feeling gets better as your body adjusts to fasting. I started off just fasting and allowing myself to eat anything in my window, but now I’m adjusted, my appetite is regulating itself much better. I think there is a psychological element too. I’m not fearing hunger so much, so not as tempted to stuff my face before my window closes o “load up.”
Thanks for sharing that scale thing - it’s me all over!

Thanks for the app recommendation @ElspethFlashman, will take a look.

Quite a few of my mates have had excellent success with 5:2 @Hoolajerry. If it feels right for you, then go for it. Stay here to let us know how you get on?

I’m using Fastic @wejammin, but not that keen on it tbh. It’s constantly trying to sell me upgrades.

@Sissy31 days “off” leave me feeling really lethargic. Good motivation to keep on plan.

Welcome @JamieFrasersSassenach and @Fizbo! Good luck!

By accident I’ve ended up fasting for almost 17 hours today - got on a work call that should have been 15 minutes with the intention of eating afterwards and the call ended up an hour long so I had to head straight to school to pick up my daughter (half days on Tuesdays at the moment) so didn’t get to eat until I got back.

Felt surprisingly ok actually, hungry but by no means starving or lightheaded. Made myself a cheese omelette to fill up on protein and will try to limit myself to snacking on fruit before dinner. Not sure what we are having tonight.

@Pandapotato Yes i defo didnt feel good!
Suprisingly though ive done a 20 hour fast straight after(ending in 1 minute) and i dont feel that hungry!
I could eat, but i wouldnt say i am starving.

Does anyone else ever get to the end of the window and extend it if you dont feel too hungry? I find i do this alot but always stop eating no later than 8pm regardless of when i start eating.

Personally I think Id struggle to profoundly extend my fast unless I’ve mentally adjusted for it at the beginning of the fast. For example I don’t think I’d easily turn a 23 hour fast into a 36 hour one. I can easily go a few hours over but not 12 hours.

wejammin I'm still going to have wine night every week with DH. Maybe even twice!

Like you, it's important to us to have those evenings to let your hair down and reconnect with a bit of banter.

As far as I'm concerned that's non negotiable. But I'm going to forgo the snacks if I can, and switch to slimline G+Ts, and only 2 of them at that. And try to kick my eating window a bit further the next day.

Today I didn't eat till 1.30 because of my appointment in town. So in the end I was fasting for about 19 hours. I was wierdly ok. Thank God for tea! As long as I have my cups of tea I can manage anything!

(I'm trying to transition to black tea but it's gonna take a couple of weeks I suspect)

Well done Elspeth 👌

Well done, thats great!
I did do my 20:4 today.
Ate between 3-6.30
I had a cup of tea at 3pm
Homemade pizza and salad for dinner at 5pm
And a apple and an orange as snacks/dessert at 6ish

Lets hope i can make it up for the wine i had over the weekend!