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.

Another great result! Well done :)

@Littlepiggiesinblankets thank you, I hope you're doing well.

I can't believe I'm at the week 12 mark. The time has flown by.
I can really notice how much better I look and more importantly feel already. I've much more energy and I'm really enjoying wearing some lovely dresses and coats that fit properly again.
I've worked hard on my "diet brain" the last couple of weeks which has helped restore my confidence that I will lose this weight and keep it off.
As a serial yo yo dieter of almost 30 years it's finally nice to feel at peace with how I eat.

Oh wow! Huge congrats @TarasChoc - that’s amazing!
ive done my first week but lost no weight yet 😫started gym too and definitely eating less carbs, better food - need to up water and do more steps

playing the long game so sticking to it as I like the control of eating at times I’ve chosen and stops late night munchies!!

As a serial yo yo dieter of almost 30 years it's finally nice to feel at peace with how I eat.

I came across your thread via Active Discussions and just wanted to say WELL DONE!!! You are an inspiration 😎

Well done @TarasChoc - you are doing brilliantly. The weight will stay off because this is not a diet and you are not waiting on it being over. There's nothing about this woe that isn't sustainable simply because you can lengthen and move your window to wherever you need it to be.

@MooFroo thanks and well done to you. The first part of this Woe is to spend time getting it right. Gin Stevens advises that it can take 28 days to change to burning fat and not to weigh yourself during that time.

Thank you @ShellsOnTheBeach that's really kind☺️

@Neeko it's an amazing Woe, so flexible, no feelings of deprivation and like you say so easy to adapt when needed.

I had been a little worried about December with Christmas and a holiday in less than two weeks. I feel confident now that I can be flexible, enjoy the occasions and still end the month with a little weight loss.

Week 13 results 1.6 pounds down which takes my total lost to just over two stone which I'm thrilled with.

I was out for a lunch and a dinner this week plus had a few drinks over the weekend.

I also had a non scale victory. The group I was out with had a picture taken. I am happy with how I look in the picture, which is an unusual but nice feeling for me😊

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
Week 10 -2.6
Week 11-1.4
Week 12 -1.6
Week 13 -1.6

Total lost -28.6 pounds

Super well done! Amazingly consistent results! Mine are more mixed because I keep cheating. Will try to get a grip!

Thanks @alwaysonadiet1 it's the first time I've ever consistently lost every week for this length.
I think that's possible because even though I've a longer eating window at the weekends, it's still more limited than previous weekends eating fests were.
It can take a while to get used of this WOE but you know yourself you'll get there. I'm happy for you that you're getting results, it's a lovely feeling, well done.

I'm sure you are an inspiration to many,@TarasChoc - keep up the good work!!

Ah thanks @FlowerArranger that's very kind. I've received so much support and kindness on this thread, it really helps me to stay accountable.

Well done @TarasChoc that’s a huge loss!!
im enjoying 16/8 a lot more than I expected and eating much better overall - slipped this weekend with more food than normal while out and then had family over for dinner

been TOTM and scales which had shown a 1.5kg total loss on Friday seem to have gone up a kg again this morning 😫😫

i need to drink more water and also walk more - doing straight training at gym and hoping to start Zumba classes this week so hopefully that’ll help!

@MooFroo I hope the scales have settled again. I find it always takes 2/3 days after the weekend for the water weight to go. I Weight daily and use an app to record so the fluctuations don't get to me as much. In the beginning I hated inputting the "gains" especially when they were large. Now having that data to look back on is really helpful and reminds me fluctuations are normal.
Water is a major key to this. I find its a little harder to down when the weather is colder but if I don't I struggle.

I was slightly hungry when I got up this morning which is unusual for me.
I was considering breaking my fast early but the realisation that I would most likely be hungry and eat all day, then be bloated if I did was enough to make me wait and see if the hunger would pass.

I'm starting to see a reduction in my peri menopausal belly which makes a big difference. The last few pounds loss really seems to have helped that area. My skin feels really soft and smooth. Because I'm not eating as often I don't have bloating after meals either. Plus I feel much fitter and have more energy. Who would've thought that losing what's realistically only one fifth at best one quater of my excess weight could make such a difference to my overall wellbeing.

Great news on the shrinking belly @TarasChoc :)
it is mad how a relatively small amount of weight loss makes a huge difference.

my scales staying the same so I’m just going to stuck with it and celebrate the non scale victories. im definitely eating so much less crap - I would have scoffed so much chocolate by now and having controlled times to eat makes it a lot easier

was feeling hungry last night and would have normally had a late night snack or two! But went up to bed instead - and ate nothing.

deffo need to drink more. Having a bath tonight and will try and get another early night in - gym tomorrow and Friday morning. Instructor is happy with my moves and progress so that’s good too and another non scale victory!

Sounds like things are going really well for you both @TarasChoc and @MooFroo Delighted to hear it. Isn't it amazing how you can avoid a snack that you would have previously eaten because you have a "my window is closed but I can have it later if I want it" mindset? It's been a total game-changer for me.

A non-scale victory here. I have a Christmas night out coming up and I'm in the unusual position of not knowing what to wear as so many things fit! It's been so long since I could comfortably wear some of them that people will think they are new. I'm considering a costume change half-way through the night (not really). Such a refreshing change from trying things on and finding they are too snug.

Hi @TarasChoc just come across this thread it's really intrigued me. You're doing so well!
Years ago I lost 4st on SW but I'm now in a much different position, I am a full time working mum to a small child and i am studying for a degree alongside so I have next to no free time to batch cook and plan anymore. This 16:8 sounds ideal for me!
Could I ask you to share some ideas please. What do you typically eat in a day for your meals/snacks. And do I have to cut out alcohol?
Thanks in advance 😊

Well done with the gym results and not snacking @MooFroo the scales are only one reflection of success, the non scales victories are what we live for really.

What a result @Neeko you'll just have to plan more nights out so you can wear everything😊

I can't believe how well, and easy, the mindset of having closed my window works. Once I eat well during my window I'm never really tempted to snack after.

@changingitforthisone

I'll write a separate post later to try and help you get started. I'm no expert but I'll share what works for me.

Thank you @TarasChoc 😘

Hi @changingitforthisone
My first bit of advice would be to read Fast, Feast, Repeat.
My second is to make sure you drink plenty of water.
My third is to give yourself time to adapt to this WOE.

I actually find the more hectic life is for me the easier it is to stick to shorter eating window. Sometimes I prepare a couple days meals in advance but mostly it's made that day, possibly with left overs for the next days lunch/dinner.
I try to have plenty of protein at each meal and I make sure my cupboard and freezer have plenty of back up supplies. When I started off lunch was often a salad, now it's mainly a toasted sour dough bap with tuna/chicken and low fat mayo or ham and cheese with relish or a wrap.
Sometimes I'll have a mug of soup either home made or bought depending on my fancy.
dinners are pretty normal varying from meat, potatoes and veg, chicken stir fry/curry etc with noodles or cauliflower rice, baked potatoes, curried beans and fish, stew, chilli, lasagna.
Snacks for me are nuts, crackers with cheese, breakfast biscuits, lentil crisps or really anything I fancy but really I don't snack much when I do they're my go to.
I cannot emphasise enough just how much I depended on Snacks before. I grazed constantly and my daily diet would've included multiple snacks of chocolate and crisps. I felt peckish all the time, mostly now I'm just not interested in having anything aside.

I eat out and socialise but I don't see those occasions as an excuse to continue eating for the rest of the day/weekend.
If I'm eating out or socialising only occasionally I will have what I fancy. if I'm having a lot on then I'm more careful.
I Didn't drink alcohol during the first few weeks but now I will usually have a few drinks on weekends only.
I weight and use an app to track it every single day. At first I didn't enjoy seeing any upwards fluctuations especially after the weekend, now I love seeing the trends. I think I'm also finding it makes me more aware if I'm getting a little complacent and need to tighten things up a little.
I always have quick back ups in the freezer so that if I'm starved I'll have a meal in minutes. individual bags of frozen veg/rice/pasta, chicken pieces or ready meals. I'll buy a cooked chicken and Ready-made salads or trays of veg on very busy days and that'll be lunch and dinner sorted for a couple of days. It's a bit more expensive but much less so than on any other weigh loss plan I've tried.

I still have at least 50 more pounds I need to lose and possibly 20 more depending how I feel and look. So I'm aware that what I get away with now eating and drinking out and longer windows at the weekends may not work forever and I'll need to change it a little.

This way of eating has changed my whole relationship with food, all for the better. I don't consider any food off limits or eat certain things I don't really like because they are low calorie, low fat, good for you or whatever.

I always consider how to maximise the feast potential of my eating window.
I make sure my meals are filling, tasty and something I fancy. I don't refuse unexpected invitations because they don't work with my planned window, i change my window times or increase them and after that when I'm up for it I'll do a longer fast and most likely just have one meal a day or two after.

I don't force anything, most weekdays are 20/4 or 21/3. I don't plan for this I go with how I feel and if I'm hungry I've no issue stretching it out likewise on other days an hour or two is plenty time for eating.

Sorry for the long post but I wanted to be clear that while I'm really enjoying this Woe and I don't particularly find it hard, it still takes effort and forward thinking.

This is super helpful @TarasChoc thank you so much for taking the time to share ❤️❤️ good luck on the rest of your weight loss journey you're doing an amazing job! X

Just bought the book off Amazon it's coming tomorrow 😁

I've been reading your thread from the beginning, and just wanted to say how helpful I have found it. I've been following roughly the same approach since the end of July and feel so much healthier, fitter, and more alert than I have done for years. And I can feel that my clothes are much looser and/or ones that I haven't been able to fit into for years do now fit. Thank you for recording your journey and helping others of us to keep going.

I'm interested in how you work on "diet brain". I sometimes feel great and other times feel like I have a mental block, as if I won't ever get back into a healthy BMI. I can't work out what is stopping me. Any tips?

@WoolerOwl I think diet brain is a curse for us all. I guess you can't eliminate decades of conditioned thinking overnight.
When it creeps in for me I try to remind myself one or more of the following: that it's impossible to put on several pounds from one meal; that there's many reasons for weight gain; that it's natural for weight to fluctuate up and down; that the diet industry in full of fake food -eating real food will always nourish my body more/satisfying me better; that today is just one day in the rest of my life.

Not sure if that's what you are after.

@WoolerOwl that's an interesting question and really set me thinking when I read it earlier.
I agree with @Neeko it's tough to switch your brain around after decades of negative thinking around this topic.
A few weeks back I found myself doubting that I can actually do this. It made no sense, I'm losing weight, I can stick to this relatively fast and I can see myself eating like this longterm. Yet my head was telling me that ultimately I would once again fail.
I decided that I needed to quell those thoughts as quiet frankly they made me feel really sh!t about myself.
Realistically the worst that can happen is eventually I find I can't stick to this longterm, the best and what I'm choosing to believe is that this is my solution!

Our brains are just playing out our lived experience, I guess. Yet, for me at least, this woe feels different. It takes up so much less brain space, I'm not hungry when my window is closed, I feel satisfied when I do eat and I don't feel guilty about what I eat. Since that's the opposite from the diet experience for me in the short term, then logic suggests that the opposite should happen in the long term too. Ask me again a year from now!