My 16/8 / 18/6 fasting 80 pounds to lose journey

[TarasChoc]

I've just started this Woe last Monday and I'm very happy with how much more naturally this comes to me than anything else I've tried. I fell into it accidentally after starting The fast 800 a few weeks ago. I had a few things on and found the low carb and calories aspect hard to stick to but realised I was still in a decent deficit, eating less sugar and doing a 16/8 without finding it all too hard. I've now fallen into 18/6.
I am tracking calories, I'm only eating two meals and the occasional snack so I don't find calorie tracking hard.

I'm looking at losing 70 pounds so I'll be in this for the long haul. I'm currently doing a lot of research listening to Gin Stephen's podcast and reading Delay, don't Deny , The Obesity Code and Fast, Feast Repeat.
I've been weighing everyday to track the trends but my official weighin day will be Monday.

that sounds v sensible, I always try to do everything in one go and start off well and then give up!

I will be starting tomorrow - just had dinner earlier than usual so will not eat anything tonight after 10pm which is my usual snack danger zone!

i’ll fast from 11-7 tomorrow as will be out from 7.30-9.30 with kids activities. Chicken, mushrooms and stir fry peppers for dinner tomorrow and omelette in the morning.

ive tried fasting a few times and struggle to stick to it so would welcome any tips!

i am a diabetic in denial so welcome any support from those who are have success with it @TarasChoc

thank you! Xx

Good luck with starting!
My first attempt was at doing the fast 800. I figured it was easier to have a low calorie protein lunch and allow 600 calories for my evening meal.
I kept going a bit over but realised after a while I was actually fasting. I read up about 16/8 and then switched.
I've more calories and its much easier even though now I mostly do 20/4 or a bit less.
My top tips are read as much as you can to arm yourself with how and why this works.
Drink lots and lots of plain water while fasting and try and keep busy outside your eating window.
Don't try and take on too much go slowly and easily with yourself. It took me a few weeks to fall into this and make it workable. I say my window is now mainly 20/4 but I never think of it like that. I time 16 hours after I last ate and when that time arrives if I'm hungry I know I can eat. I've just been really busy for a few hours recently each time my fasting window opens and its distracted me but its not necessarily a goal.
I'm heavier than you and up until I started this I was hungry all the time. I'm on steroids too which didn't help. Once I started fasting and stopped constant snacking I stopped feeling hungry. Aside from the brief time I tried the fast 800 I'm not low carb. I am usually more careful with what I eat and put effort into my meals. I do keep an eye on making sure I get enough protein to keep me full and I try to keep sugar lower.
Today's food was an individual momenti salami pizza, Thai green curry with lots of veg and cauliflower rice and a pack of belvita breakfast biscuits and a few cups of tea with milk. So it's not perfect or anything but it's pretty good too. That all came to 1250 calories. I like to have a weekly average of 1500/1750.
On normal calorie deficits I would be hungry on this once I make fairly wise choices and stick to my window I'm rarely hungry and usually very full after eating for quiet some time.

oh wow thanks for such a detailed post and lots of great tips@TarasChoc

i ate around 12.45pm today with a lovely veggie omelette with cottage cheese - didn’t measure food though so need to work on that!

i do need to read up more and what we can and can’t eat

have done stir fry veg and mushrooms for dinner tonight with salad and air fryer chicken breast pieces - way healthier than I’d normally have.

need to get weighed to get a real starting point and definitely need to up my water intake - it’s terrible!

I hope you got on well since @MooFroo

In regards eating I eat what I like but I'm conscious of making good choices. I make sure all my meals are really nice and something I want to eat.
When you're only eating a couple of meals it would feel like been deprived if you weren't enjoying them.
I think the main rule is to maintain your fast and not over eat.
I've looked back at my diary and my first couple of days of proper fasting were 1850 calories, it went down a bit after that and it's now averaging weekly at 1500. However if I were hungry and needed to eat more I would. If it were consistent thing I would add in more protein and good fat to my meals to satiate myself better.
Find your own way and what works for you and what you think you'll manage going forward.

My food yesterday was, left over home made Thai green curry with cauliflower rice, home spaghetti bolognese, both had lots of vegetables in them and a little olive oil to fry the chicken.
Snack wise I had a pack of breakfast biscuits and a kimberley chocolate dream.

Yay, more fasting converts :)

I love finding other people who are getting stuck into Gin Stephens and her books / podcast. She has tonnes of great guidance.

I started IF nearly 2 years ago and yes it will definitely be a lifestyle for years for me! It is so EASY compared to every other diet or way of eating I've ever tried.

I started on 16:8 and did not calorie-count because I have serious psychological eating issues 🙈 and if I feel restricted I just head into a binge session... So I allowed myself to eat huge amounts and just get the fasting 'muscle' working.

The first chunk of weight dropped off easily (probably the famous "water weight" or inflammation) then it slowed down a lot... But am now around 60lbs lighter than I was in November 2020 🤩

Have messed around with the odd bit of low-carbing because scientifically it makes a lot of sense but there's no way I can stick to it long term 😏 so I just go back to plain fasting.

I stuck with the daily eating window approach for most of the last two years, varying the window length according to how I felt each day (anything from 14:10 to 23:1!!) but a couple of months ago I decided to try playing around with ADF / 4:3 and I'm really liking that at the moment.

Sorry for the self-centred post 😅 just wanted to share how I'd got on with the lifestyle... I love reading about other people who have been doing it for years, and how they've tweaked it to suit them along the way.

@mumlikeaboss thank you for your reply, its not the least bit self centered, its very kind of you to share your success. I know there'll probably be times along the way I struggle, hearing success stories like yours keeps me motivated.
Well done on your amazing loss👏 you must be delighted.

Been reading and found some encouragement from you all, I have got a stone to lose and find it very hard due to meno and thyroid issues. However 16/8 is the easiest for me and I have lost 2 lbs over a couple of weeks. It does seem to reset things so even on the days when I have to eat breakfast I am happy with a piece of fruit

@TarasChoc yes I'm sure you will struggle. I definitely have, frequently - I've had days where I just couldn't find the motivation to not eat! But IF is very forgiving, and when you plan to eat this way for years to come you begin to realise that a day off doesn't matter at all. It helps you to see the big picture.

@Papershade5 well done on your start 😊 I have a low-functioning thyroid too but thankfully that hasn't stopped me losing weight! A reset is a brilliant way of putting it, I think a fast helps your body to deal with all the food in your system and balance out all the hormones so it's in a good place to handle the next meal.

Thanks guys. Going well overall with the not eating until later in the daytime so been eating around 1-2pm - made an omelette at 2.30pm today as my first meal.
slipped with timing this evening as well as food choices as had a couple of events so ate pizza and cake 😩😩but positive is a lot less than I normally would have done!

im going to be a slow and steady one I think and keep taking it one day at a time and make better choices most days until it becomes a habit

@Papershade5 it is the easiest I've found so far too. I'm a pretty slow loser on any weight loss plan but at least if this one slows too it'll be less frustrating as its easier to stick to.
.@MooFroo it takes a while to get into and to just even remember about your window. It will become second nature soon enough.

Week 3 weigh in -1.4
Less than I would have hoped if I'm honest but it's still very early days and too soon to see any pattern as to what will be my weekly average. I've literally done the most I can so if I get lower losses than hoped for going forward I have to accept it.
From next weekend I'll have social occasions regularly, I'm not sure should I change my weigh in day to a Friday just to allow any water gains to settle. I'll probably extend my window those days to 16/8 and watch what I eat to a degree but eat around maintainance calories.

Week 1 -5.5
Week2 -2.3
Week3 -1.4
Total -9.2

That's excellent for 3 weeks @TarasChoc 😊

If you're anything like me you'll find weekly weight loss swings between small chunks (or even stay-the-same) and bigger "whooshes" of 2-3 lbs. It's never an even trajectory downwards!!

Yes @mumlikeaboss the overall picture is quiet good, its training myself not to get hung up on what seems like a low loss as all those add up too.
Thanks for the encouragement and sharing your experiences, its easy to get bogged down when a week doesn't go as hoped loss wise.
I think when I've two months completed and have plenty of data to look back on then it'll be easier to take the weeks with low or no losses.
There is comfort in knowing its working and that I'm literally doing the best but it's not a huge struggle. I'm very unhappy with how I look and feel and have been for quiet some time but up until finding intermittent fasting even that unhappiness wasn't enough on its own to keep me on track.

Week 4 weigh in -2.4
I've changed my day from Monday to Saturday as for the next few weeks I've got some celebrations at the weekends so I don't think Monday morning weigh will be an accurate reflection of my results. I'll still follow my fasting window those days but will have some more calories than other days.

Week 1 -5.5
Week2 -2.3
Week3 -1.4
Week4 -2.4
Total loss -11.6

My Week 5 loss is -1.4
It's been a lively week, I was out for lunch, two meals and a few drinks on separate days. I stayed within my fasting window and maintained a calorie deficit.
Week 1 -5.5
Week2 -2.3
Week3 -1.4
Week4 -2.4
Week 5 -1.4
Total loss -13

Hi fellow fasters,

I lost 50 pounds with intermittent fasting and have kept it off for over two years.

I started with 5/2 and was a bit of a slow, bumpy road to begin with. I'm very much an all or nothing eater and realised that for me faffing about with 500 calories wasn't for me.

I now do a 36 hour water only fast once a week. It really works for me! I then have 3 days of sensible eating (2 large, healthy meals each day), then weekends are for feasting - toast with marmite, wine, eating out/takeaways, puds, etc.

I'm active - mostly lots of swimming & brisk walking.

I spent my whole adult life being overweight and wish I'd found this WOL earlier.

I'm a big fan of Jason Fung on YouTube. He explains why fasting works.

I'm not trying to 'sell' this, just telling you what works for me - and wishing you well on your individual fasting journey.

Hello, lots of great info on this thread thanks! Wondering how you workout how many calories you can have on the 16/8 my mum is keen to try and would like to support her and trying to read up. Thanks in advance x

@PeanutAnarchy thanks for sharing, its motivating to hear from people who've not only lost the weight but kept it off. I wish I had discovered it years ago too but maybe the way we can make it work is partially from the experience other plans gave us and what works and doesn't.

@TheVikingGirl not everyone doing fasting counts calories. People have various approaches in lengths of fasting times, some people low carb.
I think your mum would do well to read Gin Stevens books and watch Jason fung YouTube clips.

tdeecalculator.net/
I've found the above calculator accurate enough and also James Smith academy one.

That’s great thank you for the tips! 😃

@TheVikingGirl I can't believe people are still recommending Jason Fung. He runs a business based on his preaching which is totally disproven by science. I would never recommend JF for my mother. Look at Valter Longo, diet for longevity instead.

Fasting is a way to cut calories without too much thinking. On a 16/8 it is roughly 300 calories less. If you eat all your calories or overeat in your window , you won't lose.

Thanks @Canggu appreciate the help! Her body clock is out of synch so thinking 16/8 gives her a window to stick to easily.

When you say 300 less, is that less than what the average woman needs or what the TDEE says? It’s all a bit confusing for me sorry! Thanks in advance 👍🏼

Weight loss always comes down to the calories ingested. To lose weight, there needs to be a deficit. This calories reduction can be achieved in many ways. Counting evert morsel and sip (calorie counting), restricting a macro (low fat, low carb, no difference) or restricting the amount of time in which you ingest food . People who research fasting have estimated that in a 16/8 fast, the amount of calories ingested is around 300 less. People do not calculate their calories, it is the average amount that people will eat that is 300 cal lower.
Krista Varady is by far the researcher who has studied fasting the longest and the most, as in published more than 100 papers on it, and is a Professor of nutrition, not someone who earns money out of YouTube ads or subscriptions
You can listen to her conclusions here

Dr. Krista Varady compares intermittent fasting to daily caloric restriction. She mentions that in humans, there are currently no clear benefits to intermittent fasting over daily calorie restriction—rather, it is another method to consider if one's goal is to lose weight. "Intermittent fasting produces pretty much the same weight loss and health benefits as daily calorie restriction. Intermittent fasting is another option for people who prefer to watch the clock instead of tracking data in a food record." Dr. Varady drives home the message that the approach to weight loss is different for everyone. The most important point is to create healthy habits that are sustainable long-term.

She has also written a book.

@Canggu this is the fasting forum not the calorie counting forum and this thread is dedicated to my own weigh loss journey using fasting.
If you'd prefer to promote your own preferred way to lose weight then please feel free to start your own thread in the relevant section.

@TheVikingGirl I would encourage your mum to do her own research and find out what resonates with her.
I've chosen fasting as I found once I ate breakfast I was hungry all day long. I felt driven to eat. I found when I didn't eat breakfast I could go hours without eating, was more full for longer and didn't graze throughout the day. I read about insulin resistance and hunger hormones and everything made sense. I've always done really well on low carb but it's never a way of eating I can continue long term. I love calorie counting but found it hard to maintain even a daily 500 calorie deficit which is needed to lose one pound of fat each week.
I've found with intermittent fasting and calorie count that I pretty much can eat what I fancy and maintain approx 1000 calorie deficit daily. I've no hunger, don't really need will power and no longer feel a slave to my appetite.

As for the pitting Varady against Fung or whoever. If you look you'll find evidence you want to further or dismiss every weight loss plan going.
They all have a way of making money out of it which is to be expected and all will receive criticise or praise depending on the audience.
If your mum feels fasting is for her let her give it a go and see if it suits. There's some really helpful threads on here, lots of free podcasts and YouTube material on the subject.
Dr michael Mosley is also worth researching but ultimately the weight loss plan that works and keeps the weight off is the one you can live with.

Yesterday was the first day I really struggled. I was knocked out of my usual routine early in the day. Also I weight daily to get an overall graph rather than a weekly snapshot and my weight is either fluctuating up or at a standstill all week.
I know weigh loss isn't linear and that if I've a deficit it will show eventually.
I dealt with it by extending my window and to 8 hours and eating more as I was hungry. I still maintained a 500 calorie deficit. I wasn't feeling too positive when I woke this morning either but I put on a jumper and heavy shaping leggings which I hadn't worn since spring and had a real jaw drop moment. The leggings aren't tight across the high waist band like they were and the jumper is no longer fitted on me. I think I'm about a little over a stone lighter since I've last worn them. I didn't expect at my size a stone would make such a difference but it really has.
My lesson this week is that I've to keep really busy during the early/first part of the day when fasting and remember to drink lots of water. Oh and once I'm doing everything right with a decent deficit, to ignore the scales!

I'm glad to say that my inner struggles are over, for now at least. It's always my brain that ends up sabotaging my efforts and I'm determined that this time I'll work on changing that.
Part of the season I think Thursday was such an emotional day for me is that I realised that with my current losses I won't have as much weight lost as I had hoped for Christmas and won't get to goal when I expected.
I actually know not to make these plans but can't help myself. I thought I had a good estimation on how much I would lose weekly but it turns out even a half pound out makes a big difference over time. Usually at this point when I realise I won't make my goals I decide what I'm doing isn't working and throw in the towel only to gain more weight.
This time it's different, I know I'm doing my best. I'm eating well 80/20, have a decent deficit, I don't feel deprived and for the first time in years don't need massive willpower to lose weight. I don't want to change anything, drop more calories, do longer fasts or eat keto and for now I don't need to. What I need to do is stay patient, stick to what's working, scrap timeline goals and enjoy been free of hunger and cravings 90% of the time.
This won't be the last time I'll struggle and that I'll doubt that this WOE is one for me but I'll continue working through those days and pick myself up and keep going.