How soon do you see a difference?

[SpideyMom]

Hiya

I've started IF, 16:8. I'm only on day 3 and already feel great. I am a night time binge eater and it's ruined my life to be fair. I'm a healthy weight at 10stone but been stuck in a starving then binging cycle for 15 years.

Its early days but its helped me stop the binging which was my biggest problem. I'd eat so much junk in one sitting I was ashamed. How I'm not bigger I don't know but my body just looks horrible.

I only have around a few kg to lose to be at my comfortable weight. I already feel more focused, alert and in control and overall better mentally.

I was just wondering how many weeks did others feel a difference in clothes? It's my clothes that have become tight hence why I want to shift a few kgs. But ultimately IF for me is about being able to control myself not eating after 8pm (normally I will binge after 9pm).

Thank you

I think for me it was a couple of weeks. interestly I first saw a difference in my middle, which is my trouble area - without keeping my weight down I am definitely an apple shape.

Well ive managed to shoot up 3lbs than before I started so I am really upset. I haven't broken a fast once. And I am finding it surprising easy. I'm drinking nothing but water. I'm not binging or eating sweet things. I'm easily within 1500 calories a day or less, but considering I could binge between 1500 and 3000 calories alone each night (which has completely stopped), I'm defo eating alot less than i was, and no chocolate, cake, biscuits etc. I cant lie I am abit lost and sad about it. As overall I feel great.

But as a small weight loss was a reason for me starting this, to see an increase when my habits have totally changed has left me very deflated and sad

It could be water weight?
Time of the month?
More exercise?

So many things influence your weight.

Are you counting calories too or just fasting?

Thanks. I'm trying to not get too worked up about it. I am due on yes so hopefully thats what it is. Im not really exercising more as I'm on my feet all day pretty much and though I'm counting calories with MFP I wouldn't say I'm restricting food. However I'm not having anything like chocolate, sweets, cakes or biscuits which are all the foods that would trigger a binge for me. Strangley this week I haven't missed them at all. My calories aren't going over 1500 a day but as I said in a previous post I would binge nightly anything between 1500 and 3000 calories alone. I think because of this itself I was shocked to see the weight go up on the scales. Hopefully after a few weeks I will start seeing those changes to my body, as mentally I feel amazing already.

I'm still continuing and feeling good. I haven't found it hard at all really. I was scared I'd feel hungry after not eating for 16 hours but it feels like I've enjoyed my food more. Ate normal sized portions and actually felt full without any need to pick. I need to remind myself that this is a long term change for me. My binging was out of control to the point I've had to be referred to an ED clinic. Though I'm not overweight (how Im not I really dont know) it's the emotions attached to the binging I need to address. I suppose in a way fasting is working well for me right now as it helps me channel my control elsewhere.

I'll just keep going. Surely something will change eventually

It sounds like IF is having really positive effects for you!
If your feeling good I wouldn't worry too much what the scales say.
It's more that likely due to TOTM.
Sounds like your doing really well!

Thank you. I hope so.

I must admit I am finding tonight abit hard as I've baked some treats for my family and friends for tomorrow and the smell is incredible. I didn't even sneak a piece of chocolate. Normally I have the mentality that 'a little bit won't hurt' but then it escalates fast. I didnt even have a piece.

I guess I'm doing IF fast so many reasons. Not only to cut of the binging but to hopefully have a better relationship with food too.

It took about 5 weeks for me to notice any difference in terms of weight or size. I did/do lowish carb with IF and for the first few weeks the scales stayed the same (although I felt so much better in general and had more energy) but suddenly the weight started shifting and I am half way to my goal weigh and clothes size now :)

Thank you so much for this. I'm still going and I really do feel amazing. I'm actually shocked but the weight has come down ever so slightly after it went up again. I must admit I'm not really watching my diet, however I am eating better than I was, without any binging.

But your post has made me feel better

TBH I have done the 16 - 8 for quite a while without losing any weight, I get slightly less bloat but that is about it.

Can I ask, did you have much to lose?

I am really surprised as my diet was very sugar heavy. I would binge every single night on sweets, Cakes, chocolate, Biscuits, ice cream. I really expected not having them after years of quite frankly eating myself silly, that it would have made more of an impact than what it has.

Other benefits are definitely happening but I just can't understand why such a drastic change in diet hasn't really done alot

I have been doing the 16:8 for about 4 weeks now and I haven't lost any weight at all according to the scales, but I can definitely tell I have lost belly fat and feel so much better. I am also sleeping better. I haven't really reduced calories enough to lose weight, I just want to sort out my awful eating habits of bingeing sweets and chocolate every night - sounds like your eating habits, op. . I am seeing this more as a way of life rather than a diet and I am not putting any more weight on, at least! If, after a few more weeks, I still haven't lost weight then I will have to reduce calories as well but I think it will be easier by then as food is becoming much less of an issue. Good luck with yours too.

I weigh almost 10st and only want to lose around 7-10lb.

@DShrute we sound very similar to be honest. Our weight and loss goal too.
I think you are right though. The number on the scales doesn't massively bother me but see it creep over 10stone did make me start to worry. It was like a 'this is it, all my years of bad eating are finally catching up with me' moment.
So far I've lost a few kgs which is great and to be honest if I stay at that weight it wouldn't be the end of the world. As I do feel I'm less bloated, more alert and organised, sleeps still abit rubbish but we have a dog waking me up at 2am every night lol. My clothes are going on easier, hair is looking healthier, and my skin is becoming clearer and this is all less than 2 weeks into IF.
My binging was the main thing I needed to stop and this is the longest I've ever gone without doing it

It's definitely worth doing. I find it easier to know I can't eat anything after 8. There's no such thing as just 1 chocolate! I don't understand how the scales aren't dropping though, my jeans are fitting properly again so the weight is going...just not sure where 😊 . With fasting, I read that the body gets to repair and heal overnight instead of having to deal with digesting all the food.

I always wonder this, how clothes feel better but weight change really isn't much. Maybe we really do need to just focus on how we feel rather than the number on the scales.
I suppose I just can't get my head around the quantity of food i was eating and poor choices I was making not having a dramatic effect on my weight now I've stopped doing it. Then again I was extremely lucky that everything I was eating didn't result in my being seriously overweight. I dont get that either. I'll remain baffled lol

I'll watch this thread. It would be good to get an update in a few weeks if you are still doing this, op. To see how it is comparing?

OP, you mentioned being stuck in a starving-binging cycle. If the starving part of the cycle was effective, it could have been just enough to offset the binging and might be why you're not seeing a massive change now.

That pattern of behaviour, if severe enough could warrant a diagnosis of bulimia. The starving is a form of purging and happens instead of the self induced vomiting typically associated with bulimia. Although, tbh starving as purging is really common, just less recognised.

Anyway, it sounds like you're making massive changes. I would wager that you will see more weight loss but more importantly, you're doing so much good for yourself.

Thank you. I've actually had my first consultation with the eating disorders clinic today and she has pretty much said that, that the starving could have offset the binges. But she has agreed it would be beneficial for me to join her group and find techniques and coping mechanisms to hopefully relieve me of binge eating.

I'm very open about my binge eating. I find it's the less talked about eating disorder and people, as well as ourselves generally just refer to us as simply greedy or make a joke out of it. My relationship with food is poor and I need to get it resolved as I dont want it to impact my child, which he has already started making comments about things he shouldn't eat. This has controlled me since my late teens/early 20s.

Annoyingly I felt so heard in our video call that I have since eaten half a pack of biscuits, a penguin bar and half a tube of pringles. But I cant tell you why I did it. This is in no way a normal binge for me and I would consider this overeating, but I have to be honest, I feel absolutely ashamed and so disappointed in myself. My stomach actually hurts now but I feel such a failure. As it wasn't a case that I'm finding IF hard, I just lost control.

I'm going to continue with the IF as it has cut out the night time binging (one day at a time) so far. I feel it keeps me in more of a routine, I can plan better, but this is such such deeper issue than worrying about not losing a bit of weight. I do need to focus more on the other benefits as I genuinely do feel them. But right now I'm going to feel sorry for myself and be annoyed by what I've just consumed.

I can gain/lose 3lb overnight. It depends on what I've eaten / period being due / whether I've not been to the loo for a few days.

My true weight is only evident after my period and when I've not eaten anything processed (salty) or done any exercise for two days.

I think I just need to skip the scales and know I am doing my body good by not eating after a certain time.
The number on the scales clearly triggers me more than I thought it did.
I'm still in a mood with myself for eating bad food choices. Thankfully no binge but I still feel I've failed today with IF as I should have ate better

I have been doing it for about 5 weeks and have only lost about 4lb. However my skin is clearer and I have felt much better.

I have been really bad the last 3 days and eaten lots more than usual and today haven't been feeling great. Will try harder tomorrow.

OP, today was a bad day for you, but you can start again tomorrow. 💐

Just wondering how everyone is doing? I'm still going. Been nearly 3 weeks now. No more weight loss but it feels a way of life now and isn't too bad at all. This is also the longest I've ever done without binging

Hi op. I deliberately am not weighing myself yet. I just feel better, it's not a hardship to not eat of an evening now. The family were all getting a late takeout last Friday and I genuinely didn't want it, I felt like my stomach was closed for the evening. So based on that alone, I am feeling this is the way to go. You are doing so well too by not bingeing. I am not dieting during the day, just eating normally so I think weight loss is going to be slow.

Exactly the same. I absolutely love having the control back and not restricting foods in my eating window. I had a small bite of my sons chocolate today. Normally that would turn into me going into the house and finding the next thing to eat and then the next. I had no interest at all. I have no desire now to eat of a night time too. I never thought I'd be able to stop the binging. It's ruined my life since my late teens/early 20s. That alone makes me feel amazing that its regulated my eating and normalised my thoughts on it

I was the same with the takeout. Normally I would have eaten that, then something (lots) sweet after it, even though I had already eaten earlier. Are you sleeping better?