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.

@alwaysonadiet1 thank you so much😊
I can really relate to your user name too. Always seemed to be on a diet but still gained weight. Mostly I don't feel like I'm on a diet now. I am careful and watching my calories and windows but I don't go into panic mode or consider refusing or just ditching my plan when social plans arise. I modify my eating window and if necessary accept that I'll have a smaller calorie deficit that day.

Enjoy your holidays, hope you have a lovely break away.

Back home tomorrow and starting on Thursday. Quite excited

Hi all, I just started back with IF this week ...yesterday actually!! Feels like longer😮
I successfully lost weight with IF/low carb 2 years ago but have almost regained it all. To be fair I'm not looking to lose a whole lot...5kg would be fantastic.
I'm not calorie counting, going for 16:8 and a home made low carb diet. Sugar is my absolute downfall so I'm going cold turjey there which means about a week of sheer torture. But if I can ride that out it definitely gets a lot easier.
Good luck to you all, it's very inspiring to read your great progress.

Good luck @Carusa123 I hope the carb flu isn't too bad for you.

I'm not doing low carb but I don't rule out doing it for short periods after holidays or special occasions to get me back on track. I just checked my carbs on my app and a typical day is 110/120g which is a big improvement for me. I would imagine the reduced sugar/carbs are also helping me not feel hungry or have cravings.

I've still a long way to go but my head finds it hard to process that I'm losing weight sensibly and that for me it's a decent amount every week. I'm used to losing a pound or pound and half during the week and messing that up at weekends resulting in very little progress which gets lost when I've holidays and the like.
Now I'm losing weight steadily, I've a larger calorie deficit and I don't feel deprived. It's hard to get my head around and I'm really hoping my usual self sabotage when I'm doing well doesn't rear its head again. I don't think it will as I feel very content in what I'm doing and I'm willing to make compromises the days that are tougher than others.

Starting today. Hoping for 10 lbs loss in 6 weeks as Christmas celebrations will start early with a friend visiting from Italy. I've ordered a new party dress! Feeling optimistic... here goes

Well how's everyone feeling heading into the weekend? I can feel my resolve weakening already 🥺
I've had a good few days...well the headache has been brutal but I knew that would happen. My stomach already feels less bloated, havent weighed myself but hopefully have dropped at least 1 lb. If I can stay out of the fridge tonight that will be a big win. Am going to parkrun in the morning so that should be a good start to the day.
Good luck to everyone over the long weekend...hope we can stay strong!!

Joining this thread. Mostly 19:5 here but with the occasional 18:6/16:8. I'm a stone down over about six weeks. Current BMI is 24.5 so I know it'll slow down but it does feel sustainable. Best eating window for me is 10:30-15:30 or an hour or so later. I don't count calories at all.

Well done @TarasChoc on your consistent weight loss. You seem to have really found a WOE that works well for you. Long may it continue!
Well done @babysteps22 also...a stone in 6 weeks without counting calories, that's awesome! Are you low carbing? I'm trying to reduce carbs but not actually counting anything, just cutting out obvious things like bread, pasta and of course all things nice in the sugary treat world. Would love to shift 10lb in 6/8 weeks. I know its possible if I stick to the plan. But will I?? 🙃

How are you getting on @alwaysonadiet1 ?

Welcome to the thread @babysteps22 I think it took me exactly 6 weeks to lose that first stone too. Even though I've lots more to lose I do feel that every week since that I'm seeing changes.

@Carusa123 good luck with the park run, I hope the headache has passed by then. I found electrolytes used to help with headaches.
On weekends I give myself extra calories, just on Saturdays really. I focus on a weekly calorie deficit rather than daily only. I would usually eat 16/8 or 18/6 on Saturday and Sunday. During the week its now typically 20/4 or 21/3. That extra leeway is the difference between me staying on track and just giving up.
Give yourself time to find what works for you. It may take some adjustments.
I've found that fasting works for me because of most importantly the reduced hunger but also removing a meal and snacking means I've more calories to make what I do have nicer. That makes it worth while.

So far so good! Not being stricter than 16 8 while I get used to it. Going to brush my teeth at 8pm every evening to keep me off the wine. Weigh ins will be Fridays. Good luck to everyone.

Not low carbing though I probably should. I just find it a really easy way of restricting calories without counting and measuring them. I don't fast strictly as I have the odd cuppa with a dash of skimmed milk when I want one outside my eating window which feels a lot more civilised somehow. I know I can roughly aim for 1lb a week now after the initial fast loss.
I find it so good for mental clarity which if I'd heard it before I'd tried it, I'd have thought would be a load of rubbish. But definitely true for me. Being 80% full of crabs 80% of the time makes me sluggish and that's where I was before.

80% full of CARBS not crabs 🦀
80% full Of crabs would admittedly be a good protein source

That made me laugh so hard!
I feel much better without all the processed carbs too. I drink 2/3 mugs of tea with a little milk during my fasting window too.

I've had another good week. I thought it was going to be a struggle as Monday and Tuesday I felt very flat about it all. I couldn't figure out why but I think it's residual feelings from years of dieting and waking up Monday mornings with guilt for having a "bad" weekend. I have a smaller deficit at the weekends but it's still a deficit. I also extend my window to 16/8 or even 14/10.
I think the worry on Monday/Tuesday is ingrained from previously sticking to weight loss plans religiously for 4/5 weeks after which everything starts to slowly slip and slip.
A part of me feels this is too good to be true and something I've deluded myself, like so many other times, that this WOE is the answer for me. But so far every Monday I get up and naturally fall back into my typical day of at least 19 hour fasts. It just seems second nature.
I know I'm probably repeating myself a lot in my updates. I'm not trying to bore or lecture anyone. I post here to get my feelings out and have a place of reference if I need it in future. Hopefully that'll be helpful to others too but I do realise for most people it's waffle🙃

Hi,
Firstly well done on your weight lost journey, I'm currently overweight and have started going to the gym.

After reading this thread, I'm really interested in IF, please can you share what times you start fasting from?.

On a day I'm feeling focussed and 'ok' I fast from 1530 to 10:30 (19h)
On more stressful days I eat later and fast after an early dinner (16h minimum).

I try never to eat first thing.
I don't always success

I'm never hungry first thing so it suits me to skip breakfast. The earliest I eat my first meal is 1pm but usually its around 2pm. My last meal/snack is usually 5.30/6.30.
It took me a few weeks I think to realise a shorter window worked for me. But I always have a default position of 16/8 to fall back on if things don't go to plan and my routine is out of sync or I'm hungry.
Give yourself time to figure what will work for you.
I read and I've found it accurate, that if you're hungry around your usual first meal time if you give it a half hour the hunger will go and you won't get hungry again until the next usual meal time.
Drink plenty of water, eat plenty of protein and add in good fats, reduce processed carbs. The first few days are probably the hardest as you'll be dealing with sugar cravings. Get that period over with and then it'll get easier. You'll be able to find what suits your lifestyle and adjust it until you've got a good routine. Good luck!

Thank you for reply

Thank you, i downloaded an app which gave me the times 10am-6pm. So will give these timings ago , and see how i cope. And if needed willl adjust the time as you have advised.

WEEK 9 WEIGH-IN -2.8 pounds

Week 1 -5.5
Week 2 -2.3
Week 3 -1.4
Week 4 -2.4
Week 5 -1.4
Week 6 -1.2
Week 7 -1.8
Week 8 -2.6
Week 9 -2.8
Total -21.4

I'm happy with any loss but whenever it's over 2 pounds I'm thrilled.
Today will be a little difficult. We've to travel a 7 hour round trip. I'll be eating out which isn't really the problem. I think my fasting window should still remain around 4 hours so that'll be fine. The issue will be not to be able to drink as much water as usual as I won't be able to get to toilets. I'll just have to be careful with what I drink. Time wise we can't stop on the way there but on the way home it's not an issue.

Fabulous! Well done!

You're doing so well OP. I love reading your posts.

Thank you both🙂

@GladysGladioli I'm a bit embarrassed by how much I bang on sometimes but weight is a very complex issue for me. I've lost count of the many times I thought I had found the answer. I'm trying to use this thread to get my head straight.
I've taken to fasting like a duck to water and it's bloody working! At times it seems surreal. I'm still aware though that I've got to work at this every single day and it will be a long time before this becomes second nature.
When I look at what I'm doing on paper it just seems so mad and drastic and impossible long term.
Yet the reality is once I drink enough water, eat enough nutritional filling food, have more flexibility on weekends/special occasions and have contingency plans for the unexpected this is the easiest and most satisfying way I've ever eaten.
The meals and food require very little thinking and everything I eat I enjoy.
My biggest issue is wrapping my head around all of this and trusting the process. So until I do I'll be waffling away on here trying to make sense of my irrational thoughts warped from too many years of buying into the diet industry.

@TarasChoc
You're doing so well, and I completely relate to the surreal feeling of "have I REALLY found something that works and that I can keep up indefinitely???"

I have almost hit my 2-year fasting anniversary 🤩🤩 and honestly I still sometimes struggle with diet brain - it can take a loooong time to untangle years and years of dieting and deprivation and fear of food. But I still believe 100% that this is the way to do it, I'm so happy I came across IF and will fast forever now.

@TarasChoc amazing and so inspiring!

I have had a couple of false starts with this way of eating and starting again tomorrow. I think the issue has been not planning for special occasions and drinking too much alcohol at times.

I have an 8 week goal plan trying to lose a stone, I’ve actually got 2 stone to lose but 1 would take me to a better place in time for Christmas.

Well done on another great result @TarasChoc and great to hear from all the other posters on this thread. I had a blip myself over the weekend...ended up having a few unplanned drinks Sunday night, followed by a planned meal out yesterday. But the slight hangover meant I didn't choose as well as I could have and ended up having dessert also. Anyhow so be it, back on plan today. I've lost 1.5kg since last Monday so that's great and my stomach is definitely less bloated. So here's to Week 2! Good luck all.