Starting 16:8 tomorrow, any advice

[Makemedoit]

Just that really. Am going start tomorrow. I have about 3 stone to lose in total but hoping to lose about half a stone in the next 6 or 7 weeks. So any tips or advice for me?

@SwordPlaynit too deep for me, and really helpful. Thank you

I have been struggling trying to fast and lower calories for a while.

I have two cups of coffee with one sugar in, tried no sugar but failed. I find once I start eating anything, that kicks in my appetite and it is very hard to stop eating and I’m a late night snacker.

So I think I’m going to try not eating first until 6pm. But will have water and coffee (with sugar unfortunately). This feels much easier for me and have done it for 3 days no problem.

Has anyone else done this or just think its a bit bonkers?

Tbh, I found skipping breakfast easy, as I was never big on breakfast, so often only had tea until about 11am anyway: so it's a relatively little stretch for me. Although it felt big the first week!

I fast through the week, then I let myself have drinks in the evening at the weekend, although I aim to have eaten roughly within my fasting hours even at the weekend (actually, weekend is easier as we tend to eat earlier at weekends). I'm not ready to give up my wine yet (the reason I haven't lost weight fast may be becoming clear to you ;-)

Can I join?
I started trying to do this a couple of months ago when schools went back.
I have one cup of tea first thing, and then nothing until lunchtime. But I found i was cheating. Having a piece of toast at 12, and then having lunch at 1:30.

My problem is dh and I work from home, so we often lunch together.
I cook evening meal, and with dh and 3 teens, I need to fit the fasting round that.

I found it really worked in one way, as I tend to snack, so it cuts out large chunks of the day for snacking!

So, schools back tomorrow. Time to get serious. one cup of tea first thing, then nothing until 12. Then cup of tea, and lunch at 12:30. No snacks at all. healthy dinner and that's it.

I have a lot to lose. I am over 110 kgs. Goal no. 1 is under 100 (that is 10kgs which is about 1.5 stone. I'll start there, haven't been under 100 for quite a few years.

Sorry @SwordPlay was meant to type "not" too deep for me.

@steppemum good luck - do you think your DH would support you by being discreet in his lunch, or making his lunch later and a smaller portion so you could join?

I heard on the radio today that environment is everything. As in, it’s nearly impossible to really change if that tin of biscuits is always there. The tin needs to go. Make the fasting choice the easy one. They found that restaurants that served wine in big glasses - everyone drank more than in small glasses.

Mmm how to try this at home. So hard with kids and people!

I’m 69kg and my cholesterol is high. Not statin high but I really, really want to get it down through diet.

I’m going to persist with the strange sugar plus coffee and not eating until 5/6pm (I don’t get to sleep until midnight, and sooooo much harder to stop eating in the evening). As I’m going to try going with my nature and my kids lives more so it is easier to fast.

Wish I didn’t have sugar in coffee but cannot get to 5pm without it.

Can I join? I started today doing 16:8 and have had two black coffees so far. Hoping to keep my window at 11am to 7pm. I haven't got loads to lose, half a stone but being perimenipausal it's SO much harder than in my younger years 😃

Rejoiningperson
the issue is really that we tend to eat lunch late - 1:30 or 2:00.
mainly just because we are engrossed in work and haven't noticed the time. We eat evening meals at 7 pm these days as I teach until 6.
The problem is when 12:00 arrives I dive into the kitchen for a cup of tea, and then eat toast and then eat lunch as well. I need to either resist the toast, or just eat lunch at 12. (window is 12-8)
I think I will talk to dh about eating lunch at 12:30 each day, then I can have the tea, and then lunch. We make our own lunch, whatever we fancy so that isn't an issue.

The thing is, I haven't told him I am doing it, and I don't want to. He is super slim and does not understand my relationship with food at all.

Of course you can join @badgerread and @steppemum - all welcome!

@Rejoiningperson how on earth do you not eat until the evening?! I'm doing 14:10 / 15:9 atm. Window is either 11 - 9 or today I did 10.30pm last night (enjoyed some red wine and cheese) til 12.30 today. I'm also using MFP to track calories and not going over 1500. I'd prefer 1300 as apparently I'd lose 1.5lbs a week, but I just try my best.

Did a 15km hike today! Along with school run x 2 I've done 26k steps... Shattered! But have noticed I do get more energy approx 1-2hrs before breaking my fast. The sunshine has helped today.

How's everyone else doing?

feeling really good. I weighed myself before I started and I am 3 kgs lighter than I thought to start, maybe doing it through March worked!

One day down, 1,000 to go

@SatsumaFan it’s weird I know but I never have an appetite in the mornings, and I can go for a long walk and still not eat until I get back! But once I do eat... appetite kicks in. I have to say it’s til 5 or 6 pm though, and today I cracked at 2pm and ate half a big packet of crisps...

Day 3 done, Day 4 tomorrow, up early though so won’t last til 5pm. BUT I am strangely losing some weight. Could this be the breakthrough and I am slim forever?!!!

How is everyone doing?
It is hard to remember, but not hard to do.
Like this morning, had a handful of blueberries while waiting for the kettle to boil and then went - Oh bugger!

But apart from that, it is good, and really makes me realise how much I snack! No wonder i am overweight.

@rejoiningperson I'm so envious of those who don't need breakfast. The novelty of just having a cuppa has worn off 10 days in. I wake so so hungry and am missing my Weetabix. Gonna try stopping eating at 6pm so can have cereal 8am/9am. Did my longest fast last night, 15hrs, but felt rubbish. Know what you mean about as soon as you have that first meal and your metabolism kicks in then you can't stop eating.

@steppemum yes! Has definitely highlighted how much I snack and mindlessly shove stuff in me cake hole. I did the same this am making kids packed lunches... A raspberry was really squishy and turning to liquid so I ate it and I look longingly at the treat cupboard and biscuit tin so often throughout the day...

Had a crap day and turned to food. So didn't log anything on mfp pretty down in the dumps so hoping tomorrow is brighter. Just off to bed, night all.

It's interesting what you learn about yourself. I've learnt on a workday I need breakfast but not on weekends. That I could have a late lunch and skip evening meal easier than skipping breakfast. Anything I eat in the evening, even a salad, feels "heavy". Also going low carb really brings home that rather than making massive, big changes I need to simply stop having rice/potatoes/with every meal!

Oh satsuma.
don't give up lovely.
remember tomorrow is another day. Every day you manage without the terrible snacking is a few less inches on the hips.

How's everyone doing? I've just weighed in and only lost 0.5lbs despite the 15km hike and fasting for 6 out of 7 days (either 14 or 15hrs). I did fall off the wagon Thurs and had a bottle of wine (friends were over in the garden), crisps and popcorn. Then I had a meal out yesterday (but had salad for my main ffs!) but was good the rest of the day. Frustrated it's not more when I've effectively gone from 2, 500 kcals + a day over three meals and snacks, to two meals a day totalling 1500 kcals max (some days 1200) and have increased my exercise and am fasting. But I'm realistic and know it's going to take time.

I'm on the Fastic Facebook group and keep reading that during fasting you should only have water and not, for example, weak sugar free squash or fruit tea as your body may think it's sugar and prompt an insulin response? I was hoping if it was calorie free it would be ok. Have been drinking quite a bit of fruit tea and pints of weak squash to curb the hunger in the morning... Now I'm confused. Not sure I could fast on just water tbh.

well I've managed it every day except yesterday.
And i haven't lost anything

But I am still going to keep going. I know that i am eating loads less especially snacks.

Yes, insulin gets triggered by anything sweet, however, not everyone's bodies react the same - some people can be insulin resistant. Anything under 50kcal doesn't break your fast though. Even if it's sweet, the insulin response should be much milder when it's a small amount.

Personally, I really don't think that's the reason you haven't lost more weight. Just ask yourself - how long did it take you to build unhealthy eating habits/ being in calorific surplus..? And you've only been doing this for a week. It's going to take time, of course.

Just stay consistent and be patient. You will see a difference eventually :-) And don't beat yourself up about slip ups. Cortisol - stress hormone - also inhibits fat loss. Obsessing over your weight and feeling guilty won't serve you.

Just try and relax, tune into your body and to your hunger cues and remember - if you're consistently in calorific deficit, you WILL lose weight - it might just take a little longer.

Happy Sunday xx

@SwordPlay thank you SO much for that wonderful post yesterday morning - it was exactly what I needed to hear! You are so right

well. I have been ill since Sunday.
Really painful stomach, but not sick/nauseous.

Totally thrown fasting etc out, but also means I haven't actually eaten anything.
There was another thread yesterday about the amount of calories in things which has got me thinking about food choices

Hi everyone,

I’ve been doing this myself for a few weeks and find this thread a little less overwhelming for information than the 16:8 thread on the go from the New Year.

One question I have: is the focus of the benefit more on the length of time fasting (ie the longer the better) or the length of time eating (ie the shorter the better)? I’m trying to be on an 11-7 eating window but sometimes at weekends that doesn’t work because, for example, we have dinner too late on Saturday and breakfast too early on Sunday. So my fasting window for Saturday into Sunday may only be 13-14 hours, but the eating window probably opened later on Saturday morning and closed earlier on Sunday naturally, so over the course of the weekend it would have averaged out roughly to 16:8, iyswim.

We’ll see tomorrow if this is having any effect - the first two weeks I did it I lost over a kg but then Easter intervened and I gained it all back 🙁. I’ve been really trying to cut back on unhealthy snacking (and like a PP, not making a big deal of it with my DH) and I already don’t drink during the week so I will be really gutted if, well, my gut doesn’t decrease.

Good luck everyone!

Sorry to hear you've been ill @steppemum, hope you're all better now?

Welcome @mommybunny I'm a complete newbie so no idea about your question sorry. Are you using the Fastic app and on the Facebook group? Might be worth asking on there if so. Good luck with your weigh in tomorrow!

I've really struggled to stay focused and eat healthily since the weekend when I massively fell off the wagon. Got so drunk on Sunday then had the hangover from hell Monday. Has really made me realise the effects of lurching from one sugar/starchy carb hit to another in terms of energy levels. I felt sooo much better and more energised when fasting AND eating healthily (I'm skipping breakfast then having a decent lunch and dinner, mostly fresh wholefoods and meat etc).

It's so hard to get back into the healthy zone again now, but I'll persevere. I've put 1lb of the 1.5lbs back on thru drinking and eating crap!

Thanks @SatsumaFan

I’m considering the Fastic app though I’m already a gold WW member and use that app to track my weight (and as a crutch in case I need to start “pointing” again...). I certainly won’t pay for Fastic (is it worth doing if you don’t pay for premium?). I’m not really on Facebook.

I did manage to drop 400g (about a pound) this week, which I’m pleased about. I would love to get down to 58kg although I can’t seem to make any meaningful progress breaking 60 (I’m 5’3 and a half - healthy BMI but certainly not skinny). I’m 60.4 right now but that’s an improvement over a couple of weeks ago when I was well over 61 and worrying I was backsliding.

Good luck getting back to healthy eating Satsuma! Taking each day one at a time is cliched advice but it really does work.

You can track your weight on Fastic. I've got the free version and it's got enough features.

Yes I'd recommend the free version of Fastic in combination with My Fitness Pal (though I've now downloaded another one called Nutracheck which is meant to be better for those of us in the UK).

I'm getting a bit bored of the apps really but they are keeping me accountable. I'm back in the fasting for 14-16 hours and eating healthy zone again, and want to stay that way for a week now (then it's my big birthday and it'll all go out the window!).