16/8 - one week in and still very hungry in the mornings

[hippospot]

Does it get easier?

DH and I are doing 12-8 and are both ravenous in the mornings.

We are both a healthy BMI but want to get rid of our "lockdown layer" of 2-3kg before it gets much worse.

I'm so lacking in energy in the mornings that I'm doing less exercise - surely not a good thing!

I was not an evening snacker and would previously eat in a 12-hour window only (8-8) so I'm surprised at how hungry I feel.

Any tips? Thank you

Hi @hippospot
I'm doing 16/8 too to get rid of my lockdown weight.

You can move your eating window. Maybe have dinner earlier and eat 11-7 or 10-6? Might work better for you, especially if you arent an evening snacker?

I would move it up to 11-7 , that’s what I do and I just busy myself as much as I can until then, getting housework done and out of the way.

Do you mind black tea/coffee? Might help you to have one around 9ish.

Why not shifting the eating window at another point in the day. Would 7 - 3pm work better for you?

When I occasionally do the 20-4, I stop eating after lunch and for the hardest part of my fasting I am asleep

Good idea - it would work while we're still in lockdown but usually we eat at 7 or 7.30pm. Right now both WFH so we could try that. Thanks.

What foods are you eating?

Excellent point Blossom what you eat in you last meal makes all the difference. If you eat rubbish (burger and fries or other highly processed food) you will crash earlier. Go for quality and good fats, not crisps and biscuits

Yeah I'm traditionally a carb junkie. I can do 16:8 or even 18:6 easily with high protein, high fat, low carb meals, but if I eat too many carbs then I'm screwed. Usually for days as then I find it hard to get back to low carb again.

Are you eating enough protein in the last meal of the day? It should fill you up longer than carbs.

This video explains how hunger in fasting works

have a look at other videos in the same channel and check out other authors he cites. Fast 5 is a free book from Bert herrings, which you can download here, just click on "can't pay" and there are few things to learn even if you do not want to do 19-5 shop.bertherring.com/collections/free-digital-downloads/products/the-fast-5-diet-and-the-fast-5-lifestyle-ebook

Also, when you interrupt fasting with for example milk in your coffee/ tea, it releases hormone response which will make your fast harder. So if you are not eating but having a coffee with cream or milk it might be harder

Thanks. I may need to increase the protein in my dinners.

Generally I eat a very healthy diet though - pulses or meat or fish with every meal, and vegetables. The carbs I do eat are always the wholegrain version. I'm not a big meat eater though so maybe a bit low on protein?

In the mornings I drink black coffee, green tea, or water only.

Am still hopeful my body will adapt to the new routine and not feel so hungry.

In five minutes I can eat yay!

Today is the first day I’ve found hard in the morning and that’s totally due to a trashy dinner - met people for a socially distant evening picnic.

Today the meals will be more substantial and the desire for snacking will be gone! I hope!

@Makegoodchoices i totally get you!
I had a day off fasting for my birthday Sunday and am really struggling. I feel lathargic and gross.
But done a 20:4 after to try and get rid of the feeling. Suprisingly i'm not that hungry and my 20 hours ends in 3 minutes so i may go longer. If i dont feel hungry when i reach the end of my fast, i tend to continue it on until i want to eat

Two weeks in and I think I will abandon this whole thing!

The hunger/weakness in the morning is unbearable - I can't concentrate on anything, and it makes me irritable and physically weak. And I've not even lost weight - may have even gained a bit!

I only set out to lose a kg or two, gained during lockdown as my lifestyle is less active now than before (same as DH). Our weights are usually stable and in the 21-22 BMI range.

I will perhaps compromise by eating breakfast at 10am or so, in other words doing 14/10 not 16/8, because I know there are compelling health benefits to letting your body have a rest from digesting food at all hours.

Has anyone else decided it's just not working for them?

It’s much easier if you reduce the carbs, even wholemeal ones. That will help a lot.

Have you tried shifting your fasting window, as many PP s suggested ?

You need to be looking at your whole diet and not just trying to fast for 16 hours. Most people doing 16:8 are eating one or two meals a day, no snacks and very low carb. No wholegrain carbs or pulses. I would take a guess that if you recorded all the foods you are eating that your volume of carbs is too high. When I eat too many carbs I really struggle to fast 16 hours. But it's easy if I get the protein / fat / carb ratios right.

You might benefit from reading the fast 800 book as it covers the science behind it all and also says to start off with a 12 hour fasting window and increase gradually - this should still give health benefits.

I have been doing 16.8 for four days and I don't even think aboit what I eat in the 8 hour window. I do make sure that the last thing I eat is a bowl of full fat natural greek yogurt with a few berries. This seems to really help me keep full in the morning. I run in the morning and do the horses, all on coffee and water.

I think it really depends on your metabolism.