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 ...🍷

PomBearSandwich 14:10 allows you to eat 3 meals per day, Just don't Snack in the evening. Breakfast at 9am, lunch at 1pm, dinner at 6pm to finish by 7pm. There's no way in earth that's going to do any harm to a foetus as long as you eat a healthy mix of food. Obviously keto and extended fasts are a no!

I’m thinking of changing my fasting window as I really struggle to make it till 11.30am. Iv always been the type who got up and had some food nearly straight away so 6.30-11.30 I’m struggling. Surprised they haven’t picked up my stomach rumbles on the Richter scale they are so loud! Even though iv done it for a while now I’m finding it a chore and getting the shakes on a morning, which is not good.

I guess to do this long term you have to find the right timescale for your body.

I'm feeling rubbish today as I've had a week off work and started walking 4-5 miles per day but my feet aren't cooperating and First one foot and ankle we're sore die to unsupportive trainers, so I bought walking shoes and got a massive blister in my heel which rubbed open leaving a mess meaning I couldn't put a shoe in that foot without pain even with a blister plaster, so I walked in very comfortable sandals which have caused another blister!

Im going to have an issue with shoes for work now, the best laid plans and all that...

I also put a top I usually like in today and looked in the mirror and thought nope, I look exactly the same mess as two months ago... I'm usually ok with how I look despite being big, but I haven't worn the top in a while and I guess I was expecting it to hang better...

Also read an article on covid (I work in healthcare and get journal updates) about why fat people (it's phrased as fat people in the headline although overweight in the article - I live in Germany, plain speaking...) die more often of covid, and I thought yep, I'm miles off not being in that category, would be a bummer to make this effort and die and leave the kids motherless anyway because I waited until the stress exam was off to start...

Guess life never goes to plan and riding the emotional down wave to get back up again is just part of it but meh.

Thinking for myself and also reading some of your recent posts - I think we should give ourselves a break this ‘diet’ should be about taking control and managing food. I feel a bit shit that I broke my fast early but I’m still in a better position mentally & physically than before I started fasting. A bit of milk in your drink once in a while won’t ruin all the hard work done. Same as dieting or not sometimes some clothes just don’t feel right on a particular day for no reason at all..I had to change my jeans this morn as it felt like they were cutting me in half but they fit last week! I’m trying to think long term and not get de-railed by a bad day/time of the month thing. To just stick to any eating routine is a win for me compared to before.

onwards and upwards troops

Also just to add, I had to break my fast as my boss kicked me off the zoom meeting at work this morning saying to sort myself out cos I looked like shit! - off the fridge I went

Gordonbennit you're right and that's why I don't weigh myself often - I guess the lack of satisfying progress gloom hits no matter what!

I assume you have an affectionate / jokey/ caring relationship with your boss and she or he was being caring not mean?!

Yes my boss is great luckily - but did make me think perhaps I’m been a bit OTT with the fasting.

I have the urge to weigh myself everyday as though I need to check I haven’t put any weight on but Iv been trying not to do it as know it’s not a healthy thing to be doing.

Well iv had my food for today, least I can go to bed early if I feel the need to snack!

Good luck everyone, hope it’s going well or if not tomorrow’s another day to try again xx

Thank you for the dirty fasting info UntilYourNext really helpful.
And so sorry you are having a bad day.
Your blisters sound sore. They're only little but can cause a lot of problems! Hope you find something comfortable for work
GordonBennit thank you for the pep talk. Makes a lot of sense. I have trouble stopping weighing myself daily too
We can do this and we need to not be so hard on ourselves!

The blisters sound horrible, but I always get blisters from shoes I've not worn for months or if I walk quite a bit further than normal, but once they heel I'm normally ok again. I recently switched to walking sandals from walking shoes because the weather is getting hot and I had a few blisters.

I had a hungry day yesterday, I felt so hungry! I broke fast early and ate a couple of extra snacks during the day. I'm due my period today or tomorrow so this might be why.

I'm down 4lb this week, I'm happy with that.

I think my problem is I like to have a project and be doing something (whilst usually simultaniously getting stressed out because I feel I've taken too much on and it isn't worth it/ I should be doing something else/ I should be making more time for the kids...) and this is kind of my project atm - the next thing on the list to sort out - but IF is sort of an absence of doing anything (just not eating between set times) - it's essentially a waiting game. This is both good (I know from the past that actual diets with calorie / point counting and journalling are not good or sucessful for me because they cause me to think constantly about food and I need a Break from constantly juggling a big undertaking alongside work and kids) and not good because who likes just waiting...

Ah well.

It's raining today - we've had near perfect weather with cloudless blue skies and temperatures in the low 20s for the last ten days. Somehow the rain has improved my mood, No idea why! I was really enjoying the weather until a few days ago.

Glad you have a great boss Gordon, it makes such a difference. Mine is very nice but largely useless, we tend to work around him...

DownUdderer it was only your weather comment that made me twig that you're in Australia (or NZ?)! Obviously that's the reason for your User Name

Hi Guys,
Glad to see you're all doing well.
My weight loss has stopped now for weeks and ive got no idea why. I fast for minimum 16 hours (usually 18) on just water (i dont like coffee) and im not losing anymore.
I havent got a huge amount to lose, a stone at most, but its very frustrating
I havent weighed myself this week as its TOTM and i always put on a few pounds naturally.
Since i last posted, ive cut out bread, pasta and potatos. And ive cut down on sugar since i began fasting a few months ago.
I struggle to exercise as i was born eith a heart condition but i do walk for and 1 1/2 hours a day (to and from work) and try to do home workouts 2/3 times per week if i can.

Im just feeling really disheartened at the moment

I'm in Australia, @UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme ! I agree with you, the waiting for results is hard with weightloss, especially, like you say when you're focused on the absence of something (eating!)

@Sissy31 do you drink plenty of water? I have to drink what feels like too much water to make progress. Also I think some form of carb cycling can help weightloss when you're in a plateau.

@DownUdderer Yes i think so. Ive always drank alot of water, even before IF. I probably drink around 2.5-3L per day

@Sissy31 have you ever tried an egg get? I've done that in the past during a weightloss plateau.

Autocorrect! An egg fast.

Sissy I'm sorry you're feeling down. I can't Help thinking you're not losing weight because you're already such a healthy weight and don't need to, but I understand you don't feel your best and aren't Happy. Could you perhaps concentrate in toning instead of weight loss, as you're certainly not in need of losing weight for health reasons. I know you already work out, but perhaps If you concentrate in measurements instead of weight and target whichever area (tummy or whatever) makes you unhappy, and try not to weigh yourself for a month... It sounds as though the scales are getting you down even though you're feeling healthier.

Sorry about the random capitals, my autocorrect is set to language recognition but this seems to give it a compulsion to capitalises randomly...

@DownUdderer I couldnt do an egg fast, i hate eggs hahaha!

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme I think that too. I think my body is at its happy weight, its just that i'm not!
I think im going to start taking measurements because i never have before. Apart from the lack of weightloss, i feel great in myself! I have less migraines, my skin is 100x better and even my period pains have got alot better!

@Sissy31 sounds like you’re doing all the right things - I’m not up on the details of it but perhaps you are not eating enough, apparently our body goes into some sort of starvation mode without enough calories. You work out and walk quite a lot so would need extra calories to cover that. I haven’t read all this thread, but what I have read a lot of people seem to have periods where nothing changes then suddenly they begin to loose again for no apparent reason. Though if you feel healthy still for doing IF it’s worth sticking with

Shifting my fasting window has helped me a bit I feel better about IF now I don’t have to wait so long for breakfast. Trying to hold out as long as I can until getting weighed again mainly due to TOTM and feeling bloated with that.

Hope everyone’s having a good day (or night depending where you are in the world!)

Afternoon all. Hope everyone is ok.
Things went a bit pear shaped here yesterday as I was ill and couldn't eat dinner. Had a jam sandwich far too late and had to break my fast early this morning as I felt weak. I keep weighing myself daily which is silly. It was 2 pds off but now 1 has gone on.
I am eating what I normally would just in the window as I thought that was all I needed to do but maybe I should make modifications.
I fe I look slimmer though?? Is that daft?

I've reached a standstill. I haven't lost any weight in weeks, and I am so so hungry all the time. I found it easy in the summer but now it's getting colder, I just want to eat eat eat. I'm sticking to fast times (just) but I think I'm binging too much in the eating window

floss
I think I must be doing that too. Ugh

I counted down the minutes today until I could eat my yogurt for breakfast! I eat dinner quite early because I couldn't hold out all morning for breakfast.

I've done a lot of walking today, 11km. In sure my legs will be tired tomorrow!

wildthingsinthenight I think you probably have to change the way you eat a little bit, mainly in terms of "extras" like snacks or If you we're in the habit of desert/ pudding or supper (in the sense of a fourth carby meal like toast or cereal late evening). I don't think you have to change your actual meals unless you previously lived on take aways, bread and frozen junk food (which I'm sure you didn't!)

I've changed my snacks from processed sugary things especially biscuits and chocolate, to plain natural yogurt with a banana, or olives or walnuts or cashews - apart from anything else it's easier to stop eating those! I was (am) a have one biscuit, finish the pack (if alone and especially if studying) person However I think I am heavier tgan most on here, so I probably had more bad snack habits to change!

The only thing I've changed meal wise is bread - I'm mostly avoiding it unless it's integral to a meal we're eating as a family or at work (pizza base, wrap, sausage sandwiches) but that's generally easy to minimise and I'm eating bread less than once per week - sandwich lunches are replaced with a huge plate of steamed vegetables with two fried eggs on top, or salad with boiled eggs, or plain yogurt and two or three pieces of fruit and a handful of nuts. That's just what's evolved as easy to do so far. For family meals in the evening we're eating the same things we always have.

I realised weight's coming off more easily for me because I'm nearer the start of this (9 weeks in) and started heavier though! I know the last stone is always the hardest to shift!

I haven't weighed in a while - planning to on Saturday (I don't have a scales at home) but I had to make a new hole in my belt yesterday - I measures my belt and it's six inches smaller than the belt hole I was using in the middle of july 🥳 I also managed to squeeze into and do up some old "interim goal" trousers I haven't worn in several years - they're still too tight to actually wear as clothes, but a sign of progress as I couldn't get them done up no matter how I tried a few weeks ago.

Blimin odd that I can't see any change in the mirror though!

I am in the habit of chocolate UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme!
And could cut down bread a bit too.
Thanks

Weighed myself this morning and I now weigh the least that I have weighed in probably a few years. I’ve lost 14/15lbs in total and I can now see it and other people have noticed too.

I still want to lose another 16 or so lbs but I’m feeling really good and in no hurry as I’m finding it really straight forward to follow and I want to stick to the plan full time.

I was only ever about half a stone overweight but the difference in being able to move more easily and freely is amazing!