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 ...🍷

Also checked my BMi and I am officially obese 😕

@Pandapotato that's great that you are not giving up and are sticking with it. Hopefully you will see a bigger loss next week.

I am on day 8 now, and I am getting used to it. I am looking forward to my cup of tea at 11am today but I'm no longer crazy starving as I was earlier this week, even after my morning exercise.

@WinterAndRoughWeather I loved your saying: Hunger is the best sauce, they say. I've never heard that before, and I thought of it the past few days when I have really, really enjoyed my breakfast and 11am tea, whereas before I would have had about 4/5 cups by now and would be just chugging them down and not really tasting or enjoying them.

I did sneak on the scales and am a few pounds down already, but this is between Weds (when my new scales arrived) and today, so it's probably water or some such. Am hoping I'll see a change next week.

Apart from a tough few days I can see this getting easier to do, my appetite is definitely decreasing, and as I am eating normal foods I am not obsessing about food or craving things either. Just eating what I fancy and when I fancy it, and my body is doing the rest by reducing my appetite gradually. I am amazed at myself for not snacking in the evenings, that is a real weak spot for me.

Hello @AnCailleach and @fabricstash - happy to share my thoughts and challenges along this journey with you. I am trying not too sound too evangelical after just one week, but I am feeling positive about this all today

Hi all, I'm doing better - have managed until 11.00/11.30 the past few days now, lots of water seems to have helped with the nausea. I also find it easier not to snack in the evenings as once I know my window is closed, that's it! Only been a few days so no change on the scales but I definitely feel less bloated. If I get hungry I am saying to myself "great, this means you're burning fat"

Has anyone read On Eating by Susie Orbach? I find it a fantastically useful companion to 16:8, because it’s all about tackling comfort eating, bingeing and so on. I find it really helps me to focus on what I really want to eat and whether I really want to eat, when I feel the urge to gorge (which is at some point every day...).

Glad you’ve got over the hump Finals, and hi to all the new people.

Getting rid of the bloat is one of the nicest things about fasting I think, tinky. You just feel so much lighter and energetic.

Hello so happy to have broken my fast for today. I am going to try and keep to 1-9pm for my eating window. Really ok when I am working and busy. Not looking forward to the weekend...

Hi ladies can I join you please, I aim to start the 16:8 diet tomorrow. I have 1.5 stone to lose in the first instance. I am hoping to eat between 10 and 6. What resources, books or apps have you found helpful. Thanks xx

I am using zero which seems good - only on day 3 though

Hi all - can I join? I'm giving this a go, starting today! Picked 11-7 as my window and not eating until 11 was fine - but then yesterday I ate 'normally' so I don't know if it'll be harder tomorrow since I've eaten less today. I'm 13st - I'd really like to get down to below 12st, but I'd settle for 12st7, which puts me (just) in the healthy BMI range.

Hi everyone 👋 thanks for the welcomes.
@finals1234 it's great to hear that you feel so positive about it! All tips greatly appreciated.

My window is 12 til 8. The first day went OK, I did feel wobbly in the morning but made it 12. I then ate as normal for the afternoon, which I think is great. And because I didn't feel that I 'couldnt' have anything, I actually made healthy choices rather than craving treats, if that makes sense?! It's weird how our brains work!!! After 8, I really noticed how much snacking I usually do out of habit rather than hunger.

DH is on board too, which I think helps - going to bed last night, we were planning how we will break our fast today 😅

Hope everyone has a good day - drink lots of water!

Great to see new faces! The more the merrier!

Thanks @WinterAndRoughWeather, I might try working up to extending a bit. I’ll also look at that book.

Great that you are feeling good about it a week in @fabricstash. The decrease in appetite is fab.

@tinkywinkyshandbag glad the nausea has subsided.

Still no change on my scales - but, my bra band has needed tightening from where I usually wear it and my belt too. I joined a few IF Facebook groups and lots of them seem to tell people not to expect weight loss straight away. Something about healing from the inside. I need to read more about how it all works I think. A friend recommended the gin Stephens book and podcast, so if I ever get a few quiet minutes again, I’ll give that a go!

Have a lovely weekend all of you! We are planning on getting our first take away in months tonight. So excited to have it without feeling like I’m breaking any diet rules.

Hi all, can I join please?

I’m on day 6. My window is 12-8, I usually break my fast with a decent lunch, then something smallish mid afternoon and then a big dinner. I haven’t weighed myself yet, I’m going to give it another week or so. I have 2 stone to lose, my weight has stayed stuck at the exact same point for about a year and won’t go below that, no matter what I do! I’m hoping this will work.

I totally get the hunger is the best sauce mentality. Yesterday at 12 I just had a boring tin of tomato soup and a cheese sandwich, but as I was so hungry it was SO tasty and I really enjoyed it!

So many new folks in the last few days. Hi everyone!
I can't believe I have done this for over two weeks now. Thursday and Friday are my anomaly days. We seem to have a takeaway on a Thursday atm so I need to adjust my window as I don't want to miss out. On Friday I always have a drink with my neighbour too. I didn't eat until half one yesterday and was starving by the time I finally got lunch. I had a massive salad with cheese and bacon followed by blueberries, banana, greek yoghurt and unsweetened granola. Family all had pasta, pesto and broccoli for dinner but I don't really like pasta so I just had broccoli and then a cookie which dd and I had made washed down with a couple of g and t's.
Today I had breakfast at 08 15 (toast and marmalade) and for lunch I had a large bacon and hummus salad and then yoghurt and granola. Snacked on brazil nuts and fruit. I am hungry now but I don't seem to mind it.
Doing this has really helped my appetite control. It has also stopped me from bingeing.
I had lost 2.5lbs last weel but I'm not sure how real that was as I was pre-menstrual the week before. Will be interesting to see if I lose anything this week.

Day 3 for me now - had quite a growly stomach before bed last night so thought I'd wake up starving but I'm ok. Feeling a lot less bloated than I have been.

I always think I am hungry in the morning but I have a cuppa and the hunger goes away. Not sure what I will do this morning if the family start cooking a fry up

Morning! We had a Chineese last night. Our first takeaway in months. It was soooo good. But, I’m amazed at how little I could eat compared to what I usually do. This is definitely changing my appetite. I’m still feeling stuffed this morning, so hoping to elongate my fast a bit.

I listened to some episodes of the gin Stephens podcast yesterday. Really fascinating.

Have a good day everyone. The wind has finally died down here, so hoping to get the troops out for a long walk today.

Pandapotato I'm finding that too. I really don't like that horribly full feeling so it does make me stop.
I was hungry last night as I stopped eating at 2 although I had a cup of tea with milk at 4. I dreamt about my breakfast during the night!
Had toast for breakfast at 8. Looking forward to my lunch now. Going to try and find some fresh tuna in the supermarket.
I've managed to clock 17 000 steps already today (been for a run this morning) and am starving.
Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend and manages not to struggle too much.

Discovered it was impossible to elongate my fast with left over Chineese in the house 🤣 oh well! I did do 16 hours though, so that’s not bad.

Hmm, stuck to my window today but pigged out a bit during it...

Only did 15.5 hr fast today. A bacon butty was served to me and I just couldn't wait any longer

I had a terrible day today. Got busy with the kids and lack of structure. Was hungry before breakfast but no work to distract me. Then ate a big breakfast of 3 toast and tea. Then had snacks and junk grabs throughout the day. In the afternoon we had zooms and calls and kids were playing so I didn't have time to think or eat calmly. Everything was grab and go rubbish. Stopped at my window but feel bleurgh today. Hoping tomorrow is better.

Hey, Hope you've all had a good weekend. I've not posted for the last few days, but I have been sticking with it.

Today my dinner was (if I do say so myself) really simple but lovely. I made cashew spinach pesto - which usually has oil, but I tried making it with water instead (I can't eat too much oil for reasons that you don't want to hear..). Basically a handful of cashews, two of spinach, 2 garlic cloves and water blended together. I added nutritional yeast and salt and pepper, but it would work really well with cheese instead of the nutritional yeast. Once the pasta is cooked, just stir it into the pasta and warm it through. I thought the garlic would be really powerful as it isn't cooked, but it was great. I live alone which probably helps!! I had some salad and garlic bread with it.

And after I was craving something sweet, so I tried Jack Munro's hot banana pot - basically a sliced up banana microwaved with some dark chocolate stirred in. So much nicer than it sounds and it really got rid of the sweet craving in a way that an apple wouldn't have.

Weightwise I have been fluctuating a bit, but I am really bad for not drinking enough water and when I do it really makes a difference. It's also coming up to totm.. I'm not worried though, as I know I am fueling my body better.

One interesting side effect is I seem to be losing my desire to snack. Fasting for 16 hours seems to have changed my relationship with food in a really positive way. I found this before when I tried this, but I didn't stick with it and I did go back to my bad old ways - but this time I am hoping to make it just how I do things from now on in.

Hi everyone. Been pretty disciplined this week but haven’t fasted today, as my husband made a beautiful sourdough loaf so we’ve been eating it all day.

Back in the saddle tomorrow!

I’ve started measuring myself so I can monitor the fat loss (I don’t have scales). Will update in a week with some stats...

If you're doing 16:8, do you do it every day or a certain number of days a week?

I aim to do it every day, but if I have the odd day off I don’t stress about it (e.g. yesterday...).

I do every day. But wasn’t perfect at the weekend!
Never mind... back on it today