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 ...🍷

I think some people get hungry after drinking fizzy drinks, I'd find that really challenging on a fast!

Aim to eat things that make you feel full for longer and that way the fasting doesn't feel too bad.

I think I personally need to eat more tomorrow because I'm feeling hungry this evening. I need to whip up a filling soup with beans and veg I think!

I tried some seriously awful dairy free ice cream today, yuck. I'm taking it back for a refund if I can! It's supposed to be low carb, I don't know what I was thinking!

After reading this thread I started 16:8 on Saturday and I'm pleasantly surprised by how well I'm managing! I'm doing 11am to 7pm and while I'm having hunger pangs in the morning, they're not unmanageable. I have a question though - do most people follow 16:8 every day? Occasionally we'll have dinner with friends and it'll be around 8pm before we eat and I honestly don't think I can fast until 2pm! But does the odd day of a normal eating window set your weight loss back?

I think you can be flexible @Longwhiskers14. Im not sure how it'll effect weightloss, but I should think you'll be fine if you just do your best.

I managed 17hours 20 mins fast over night, that's longer than I normally manage. I just was busy this morning and couldn't eat until we arrived at the beach because I was driving!

Well done Downudderer - that icecream sounds disgusting though - have the real thing or nothing I say!

Longwhiskers14 of course you can be flexible - its meant to be a lifestyle not a diet. Its easier than you think to extend your fast to start eating later though - I change my hours all the time as I work shifts, and do it by extending the fast hours until a suitable time to start eating. Let yourself get used to doing 16 hour fasts first though.

I started trying 5:2 alongside daily time restricted eating (16:8, 18:6 etc.) but it doesn't really suit me - I did one 500 calorie day but tbh it cinfirmed I cba counting calories and thinking so much about what to eat, and the whole thing of "messing up" and breaking "rules" and having to try again another day was annoying. Think I'm going to bin that one!

It did make me realise I can do a 24 hour fast pretty easily - do 16:8 with two meals and a snack, say, or generally whatever but a day without under eating and finish eating at 6pm, then fast completely (water and black coffee) until 6pm the next day and then having whatever I fancy for dinner. That I find fairly easy, so I'm going to do that twice per week instead of 5:2 to give things a boost.

I've lost 15kg now, which is 33 lb in 11 weeks. DH bought me a fancy scales which has somewhat scuppered my good intention only to weigh once per month - apparently I said I wanted one after a glass of wine or 3 but I'm still not weighing often.

I've been going for walks as much as possible and enjoying them. I want to keep that up through winter and increase my distances slowly as I'm usually only walking just over 3 kilometers on my standard route (but it is very hilly and half of its on unpaved tracks and its taking me almost an hour )its a nice walk with lots of good clean forest air .

Have a good weekend everyone!

Nice to see my thread is still here 😊 I stopped IF back in May as I found my hair was falling out and I already suffer with extremely thin hair. Anyway, am starting again as I have piled on weight, feel sluggish and bloated and my hair loss has stopped and I'm taking other measures as well to try and strengthen my hair. I don't want to go on diets, I don't weigh myself but I am missing how I felt when I was doing 16/8 so here I am again.
I started on Tuesday last week and so far going really well. Lots of energy still a bit bloated but I know the water weight takes a week or two to shift from my body. Am hoping my clothes will start to fit comfortably again. I have gone up a size for first time in many years
Btw, my eating window is 10-6 and I have a small breakfast and lunch and a biggish dinner (tea) plus snacks here and there. Mainly fruit and veggies with hummus, nuts etc

I hope everyone had a nice weekend.

I've been off and on 16:8 (mostly off!) over the past year, but I want to give it another go. I don't find it difficult to skip breakfast, but I find that if I have only two meals a day, a) my... ummm... digestion really slows down, perhaps partly due to the lack of the muesli I'd normally have for breakfast, and b) I really crave snacks in the afternoon.

Do you all do 2 meals a day, or do some of you pack 3 into your eating window? I'm thinking that if I have a little bowl of muesli at 12 to break my fast and a really late lunch at 2:30 or 3, I will find it much easier to make it through to dinner without biscuits!

Sorry - just spotted that's what you do, OP. My eating window is usually between 11a.m. to 7pm and midday to 8pm.

@lazylinguist I think everyone is different and if your body needs muesli it's a good idea to break your fast with it. Sounds like you know what your body needs which is great. I'm all for intuitive eating and listening to what your body needs. It's why I love IF as it's not a diet and last time I did it I ate normal food and ate with my family. No special 'low anything' separate meals for me! The only thing I will not do this time is the milk in coffee first thing in morning. I have since learned that it's called dirty fasting? And it may counteract with all the goodness I'm trying to achieve with my health! I need my cuppa first thing in the morning so it's black coffee for me ☕

To throw you all off I changed my username haha. I wanted to add that I have been binge listening to The Intermittent fasting podcast since I found it a few days ago. Lots of episodes and lots of good info on there . They also answer listener questions on each episode. I started with the oldest episodes first

Thanks.

The only thing I will not do this time is the milk in coffee first thing in morning. I have since learned that it's called dirty fasting? And it may counteract with all the goodness I'm trying to achieve with my health!

Yes, I think I'm going to knock the tea with milk on the head too. It's hard - a cup of strong tea with milk is so part of my getting up routine! I'll just have to have one with my muesli later.

I eat three meals and a couple of snacks, my tummy feels too hungry to cut out meals!

I had heaps of hair falling out at the beginning of the year. I stopped washing it so often, stopped brushing it when it was wet and bought a silk pillowcase. I've seen such improvement with my hair now.

I have had a good long, difficult hike today. It got the blood pumping!

Hello, just to say that I'm still doing this with the occasional lapse and I have moved from overweight/obese to healthy weight/overweight on the BMI calculator. I'm really pleased. I've just had a toastie and will have an active day with a swim and a nice early supper with loads of vegetables. Hope you're all doing ok! I find with black tea it's worth testing a few out to find the right one for you.

I find with black tea it's worth testing a few out to find the right one for you.

There are lots of black teas I like - I'm a bit of a loose-leaf tea aficionado, but unfortunately for me first thing in the morning there's nothing like strong tea with milk! I had mango black tea this morning though, which is lovely. Then just had my strong tea with milk just now and a bowl of muesli. Planning a nice healthy salad and fruit at about 2:45 - we'll see if that prevents my afternoon snacking!

I definitely think this very late breakfast and lunch plan might be the way forward for me! Might not work at the weekend though - I don't think the rest of the family will want to wait until nearly 3pm for lunch!

I do two meals, never 3. Small first meal (soup or veg with steamed fish or frien eggs if I'm at home) usually but eat whatever meal we're having with the family in the evening, without rules or restriction. If I want a snack between meals I have nuts, fruit or a natural yogurt. I have such a lot to lose and its for health not cosmetic reasons, so I'm quite motivated. However my downfall is the couple of weekends per month I don't work when DH and I have a long standing habit of cracking open the wine or beer with the evening meal and having more once the kids are in bed. Its literally only 3-4 times per month but its my biggest weakness.

I can't drink black tea without milk as I only like it strong. I drink ginger or green tea during the day while fasting and black coffee in the mornings.

Wlcome back Klaudia (we don't know one another but welcome back to your own thread!)

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme I also love the odd evening on the wine at home. I try and start eating later than usual / eat less that day as I'll probably be staying up a bit later and consuming lots of really enjoyable calories.

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme thanks for the warm welcome back

My motto is that life is for living and if enjoying a bottle or 2 of wine with your DH is something you both enjoy then why stop it. It's not like you're doing it excessively! My DH doesn't drink alcohol at all so I usually drink a bottle myself over 2/3 nights but have been drinking more than usual in the last few months so am putting a stop to that and IF will help me.

Been a good day so far, broke fast with a yoghurt and granola with nuts and then had a bagel with sliced egg, ham and salad for my lunch, also lots of fruit. Making some tikka masala for tea with homemade naan breads. Mouth watering already 😂

Also went for a walk with dog before and after work...was hoping for longer walks today but it's miserable and rainy here today !

Btw, love the name change, OP. Brienne rocks.
My healthy eating is a bit challenging atm, as we are into week 3 of having no kitchen, as a new one is being installed. However, it's 5:30, well past my snack witching hour, and I'm not even tempted!

@lazylinguist I only just finished GoT and omg I loved it! ( Well maybe not the ending!) Brienne was such a great character and am curious how she'll be portrayed in the books. Have just started reading Book 2. Yikes on not having a kitchen for 3 weeks! I feel for you! I'm sure it will be worth it.

I had my longer walker after all. Went for an hour long, 3.5 mile walk after my tea as the weather has cleared up and it's a lovely evening here now.

I’m so close to getting to 9 stone something, I cannot wait.

I’ve had a big fruit and veg delivery today so I’ve got lots of lovely things to eat that are all healthy.

Stir fry for dinner tonight.

Hello all

Well done to all of you continuing & noticing benefits!!’ I’m still going strong with IF lost 7lb so far.

BUT iv started getting really bad indigestion!! It’s been every night for about a week and also on a morning during my fasting time.

I’m not going to stop doing IF but it’s really not pleasant. Gonna have a google today as to what to eat last before I start my fasting period to help with it as it was really bad last night.

Brienne - we've just finished watching GoT too... for the 3rd time . I'm not a fan of the books tbh - I only made it through one. I'm a big reader and usually prefer books to their film versions, but in this case I far preferred the series.

My new breakfast/lunch timings are a bit of a revelation. I've definitely come to the conclusion that 2 meals a day doesn't work for me. 3 meals might in theory be more calories, but it's not if the alternative is replacing breakfast with unhealthy snacks in the afternoon!

@DownUdderer well done!! 👏

@Gordonbennit have you been doing anything differently? How long have you been IF? Hopefully you find something that works.

@lazylinguist I'm exactly the same, if I skip breakfast I just graze all afternoon and though I don't count calories I probably would consume more by grazing on nuts, crackers etc ( and these really addictive peanut butter filled pretzels we got at Costco!)
On GoT I surprised myself with the books as didn't think it was my style at all but they go into a lot more detail and so far so good. Will rewatch the series for sure!

My day was ok, I was very hungry and at one point got heart palpitations which worried me a bit. Probably not related to IF as it was after I ate my breakfast and lunch. On plus side, my bloating is slowly going away and I'm feeling very energetic

I'm 10st 1 this morning, I'm getting close to saying goodbye to 10st. I'll be happy and relieved and I feel so much better now that most of my lovely clothes fit me again.

I'm in Australia and we're just going into the beach time of year, and it just feels like one less thing I have to stress about. But more than just not feeling bad, I actually enjoy choosing something to wear. Anyway I'm feeling happy today.

I hope everyone is keeping well.

Good for you, DownUdderer . Not really beach weather here in NW England!

I'm really hopeful that I've finally found a way to do intermittent fasting and simultaneously eliminate my seemingly eternal failure/struggle to make it from lunch to dinner without snacking. Although Brienne - I'm not sure I'd be able to say no to peanut butter filled pretzels . It's lucky I don't go to Costco!