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 the occasional off day is fine!

Hi all. I'm relatively new to the 16:8 too. I don't have a goal weight because I don't weigh myself, instead I have a goal to fit into the clothes that I've slowly grown out of!

I'm an evening sofa snacker, so I chose a 1pm-9pm window to allow for a bit of that. I know I'd probably have more success if I cut out the snacking, but I do feel that fasting until 1pm saves a lot of calories eg a lick of the peanut butter spoon after making the children's breakfast, or nibbling on the excess cheese after making their sandwiches. My issue is that once I've started eating I'm pretty non stop. So before fasting I'd have breakfast and then pretty much graze until lunch (or just graze and skip lunch) and graze until dinner and again in the evening. Now once I've broken my fast at 1pm I'm pretty good at not grazing so I've cut all of that out. So while having a few After Eight mints with a cup of tea in the evening isn't ideal, I feel I can afford it because I'm saving myself a lot of calories through the day!

I do think it's a good way of eating that really suits me and I can see my body changing shape.

Hello! I've been doing 16:8 for a week, hope it's ok for me to join the thread - was just wondering how long before people tend to see results? I did low carb for a couple of weeks during the summer and pretty much instantly, but after a week of 16:8 and (moderate) low carbing I haven't lost anything 😕

*lost weight pretty much instantly

@LadyMcLadyface Hi. I think really the way IF works is that you end up having reduced calories because you're focussing on fasting a certain number of hours per day. So it can help stop evening snacking or having breakfast but being hungry for more an hour later. It's not a magic diet, so if you're consuming a lot of calories during the eating window you won't lose weight. Really it's just a to to help you reduce calories with a framework to work with.

*a tool to help

@DownUdderer will maybe try calorie counting as well to see if that helps, thank you 😊

Yeah, I find protein nice and filling, but carbs make me feel hungry again quite quickly so I prefer going lowish carb.

LadyMcLadyface I used MFP when I first started the 16:8, and stuck to 1200 calories or fewer each day. I was also exercising quite a lot. I saw a difference in the way my clothes fit quite quickly. I've since stopped all the calorie counting and am allowing myself some of the stuff that I like (chocolate in the evening before the window closes) and I still feel like I'm seeing benefits, and I'm certainly slimmer than I was pre-fasting.

Thanks @TheRogueApostrophe that's great to know! Will stick with it and try MFP, tbh I'm not sure how many calories I'm eating - I'm low carbing but eat lots of nuts so I guess that could be pushing my calories up and hindering weight loss 🤔

Another one joining in. I've been doing 16:8 for a week and haven't lost anything I don't know what I'm doing wrong! I've read mixed things on how you should eat during your eating window and will read this thread for tips.

Just looking for a bit of support I suppose as I'm so frustrated! I lost 7kg over summer but had to seriously restrict my diet - whole foods only and zero sugar. Great results but it wasn't sustainable and I'm not sure I can face it again

EvelynSalt do you have much to lose or are you already a healthy weight? If you're already a healthy weight you'll need to be pretty strict about avoiding unhealthy snacks probably - just the 16:8 time frame isn't enough.

I've found two meals (one a completely normal family meal - anything you'd usually have with the family - and the other healthier - vegetables or salad plus fish, chicken or eggs usually but a smallish portion of any leftovers also fine) and only snacking on fruit or nuts in moderation (no other snacks) during my eating time is what works for me. I only drink black coffee and water (lots) during fasting hours and also tea with milk in eating hours. I also do 18:6 not 16:8.

I stick to that probably 26 days per month, and 4-5 days per month I relax more in the evening, do 16:8 to allow for that and start my eating time later in the day, and have alcohol, though I still stick to unsalted nuts as snacks then as its easier to stop!

I do eat anything, and don't really restrict how much, at the main meal though, including take away pizza once or twice per month.

Since October Ive been trying to walk at least 6 days per week, at least 5 miles if possible but sometimes less if its not possible to fit 5 miles in timewise.

I don't think you have to cut any food group out completely and if you have to be so strict it makes you miserable to lose weight its not sustainable and won't be able to maintain. On the other hand obviously grazing on sugary or processed food 8 hours a day won't allow many people to lose weight.

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme thank you, that's really helpful! I need to lose about 10kg. I think it's the snacking that's the problem - I've been so hungry by the time I hit my eating window that I have a small lunch and then snack on bits in the afternoon. I think maybe a slightly more filling lunch might help

Hi this sounds really interesting! I have ultimatrly 2 stone to loose. I've had success with bootcamp type lo carb high protein, but pile the weight on again when i stop.

One question if I eat from say 11.30-7.30pm do i destroy the fasting benefits if I have a tea with a dash of milk at about 7am?

I have been doing this since July. No other diet has ever worked for me before - I have no patience for exercise and I would cave in and scoff my face after a few days. But I weighed myself in the summer and I knew I had to take action as I had a BMI over 26.

I can't say it's been easy - some days are, some days aren't. It has been easier to do it while working from home and when the weather was warmer (I am hungrier when it's cold), but harder when working in the office. But I've been strict, possibly too strict, because I've felt it's all or nothing. I used to pig out before and eat whatever I wanted - whole chocolate bars, bags of crisps, biscuits, cake, bread, pizzas, just anything I fancied. Now, treats are a rarity. Some days I fast for 23 hours, other times it is only 16 and not a minute more.

I have lost over 2 stone now and weight 8 st 8lbs. My size 10 clothes are definitely looser and I can't even wear some of my jeans now as they're too big. But I still have a belly- not sure if I'll ever lose that! I want to keep going and maybe lose another 7lbs or so but I will see how it goes. But strangely, no one else seems to have noticed!

I don't know if I will be able to do it forever - I think I may switch to 14:10 eventually. But I will definitely not go back to eating all the junk I did before.

I'm struggling to stay motivated although reading such an inspiring update helps!

I'm not losing weight at all. I need to up my exercise and stop the sugar, I know, but I can't believe I've lost nothing so far

Hi everyone,
Ive not posted on here for a while.
I'm still fasting daily and maintaining my weight (though not losing) i still feel great too!
Whats everyones plans over Christmas?
Are you still planning to fast?
I'm worried about splurging and undoing everything

Whoops, I stopped about 5 weeks ago now.

But luckily I've maintained my losses.

People at work have started noticing a difference, so that has encouraged me to re-start, but I am going to wait till after Christmas. I will just fail if I start now, and get demotivated, and then stop. So best for me to wait till after xmas when I wont fail.

I think I will still fast over Xmas but I will be a bit more indulgent in my eating winter.

Still going here 27kg down, about 20 to go, so no intention of stopping, although DH has asked me to have an evening per week off when I get out of the obese category and into the "just" overweight category (that's not far off and important to me) so we can snack together as it's no fun alone I'm going to try that and see what impact it makes, but not until i've lost another 6kg!

I'm off work until 27th, then working almost every day and several nights over the new year period. I'll continue as I am apart from 24th and 25th, when I'll do 14:10 to allow for brunch, and will certainly eat what I wsnt but not go crazy

We have 1 person joining us for xmas, for 1 day only. I think I've catered enough for the whole street for a week!

So I won't have the will power over the holidays, but I'm back at work on 4th Jan, so I'll start again then.
I have 35kg to go so I'm in it for the long haul, another week or 2 won't matter. (I've already lost 8kg, but it's taken me 4 months-very slow, but I don't mind, as long as it is heading in the right direction)

4th Jan, I am back here with a vengeance.

Can I join? :) I've ballooned since march 2020. Stopping breastfeeding, as well as having to go on slow walks now my toddler won't go in the carrier and wants to walk by himself, and lack of my usual walking commute uphill now that I'm WFH. My clothes don't fit any more and I'm putting fat on in places I never have before (back, under the chin).

Really hoping this works!

Welcome @MoiraRosesWig
Is today your first day?
Its difficult to start of but once you get into the habit its great!

How is everyone else doing?

I didnt weigh myself for weeks over christmas but weighed myself at the weekend and ive lost 4lbs very happy about that!

@Sissy31 Well done! I'm on my third day now and not finding it as hard as I thought it would be. This is how I ate naturally when I was at university, and I was at my lightest then (although my diet was awful and not nutritious at all)!

I'm finding when I do break my fast I'm feeling full so much faster than I normally would, which is interesting.

I joined a 16:8 'support group' on Facebook but swiftly left. So much judgement about 'dirty fasts' etc... I won't be told that a splash of milk in my tea is 'dirty'. That way madness (and an eating disorder) lies. Just going to stick to the basics of the 8 hour window.