Starting 16:8 diet tomorrow... anyone fancy joining?

[Leopardpj]

I'm starting the 16:8 diet properly from tomorrow after trying it out a couple of days last week and finding it seemed to suit me OK. Would love it if anyone doing the same would like to share experiences??

My 'kitchen closed' at 6.15pm this evening so technically I think I can eat from 10.15 tomorrow but I'm going to see if I can last until midday and eat 12-8 on weekdays. I don't think I'll realistically be able to do it on weekends but am going to try to stick to the general principles of not snacking in the evening/ eating more 'mindfully'...

I have a stubborn half a stone to lose which I've never managed to shift since having my second dd (who is now 3).

I've always dismissed this diet before as I love breakfast/ brunch so much! But I'm now changing my mentality on it and saying I'm basically delaying my breakfast not ditching it. I'll have a big brunch style meal around 12 and then a decent dinner before 8.

I'm hoping it'll suit me as I am not someone who eats loads of sugar/ junk but I do love my food and hate diets - just the idea of being restricted makes me miserable but if I feel I'm just 'delaying' food I feel loads better. My big weaknesses are milky hot drinks (I'm probably going to allow myself a small splash of milk in tea in the morning that'll make it a lot more bearable for me!) also buttered toast, cheese, and snacking on the kids' tea leftovers at 5pm....

Be so lovely to have some company but if not I can always chat away to myself I guess!!

Also planning to listen to some Jason Fung podcasts which are supposedly v helpful!

Anyone else doing similar??

I've had my coffee black by choice for years, so that's business as usual. I actually lasted until 12.30 when lunch was ready, had a normal portion (homemade pasta and meatballs) and a yoghurt and still felt hungry, which was a nasty shock. I guess pasta is not a great choice, although I don't have much in at the moment so pasta it had to be.

Size 8 is impressive, I literally can't imagine being that weight. Right now I'd be over the moon to fit size 14. Maybe one day.

I found after 3 days the morning hunger and cravings just went.
I think this is because your body adjusts from the constant insulin spikes to a much more stable level and your body uses stored glycogen.
I'm down 6kg in a month .
Utterly ridiculous as have been DESPERATE to lose weight for years.
Stick with it.

Been doing it for 2 weeks and still hungry in the mornings.

@Denimdreams I'll do my best! 6kg in a month is amazing. I've only ever managed that with morning sickness, lol.

@Nowillpowerarall I found 9am the hardest time, after I got through that it was OK, but since I broke my fast I've been hungry all day which is a bit miserable. Hopefully my body will quit trying to play catchup before too long.

I do 2 x 650cal meals with plenty of protein-
Chicken, egg, ham, cheese, prawns, feta .
Often a salad based on one or two of the above or a mushroom/ veg omlette for lunch with fruit or plain yoghurt.
Possibly a few nuts
Then a rice and veg based dinner with chicken/ salmon or pork for dinner,possibly fruit or ice cream.

I feel fine on the above, plenty of water and herbal/ green tea .
However if it was a birthday I would have some cake if I felt like it.
I feel very full on the above, zero cravings.

I’m now 3 weeks in and have lost about 4lbs, although I didn’t shift anything in the past week. I’m still averaging about 1400 calories a day and eating a lot of eggs! I was hoping to have lost more but I’ve been particularly sedentary this month!

6kg weight loss is immense, well done @Denimdreams !

Thanks @Bennyjoon
Tbf it just dropped off, to the point I changed the battery in my scales 😂
It's such a relief,no cravings,self control,will power and I feel great.
I'm weighing once a week so will see where I am on Weds.

So thrilled to see all these new joiners! More the merrier!
@SortOfLikeAnOctopusOnlyMoreBlocky good luck with it! I find 11-7 a really good window although 12-8 is more realistic for me now I'm used to delaying breakfast. I pushed it back in stages so I didn't feel too deprived all at once but 12 doesn't fee like a big deal now! My top tip would be loads of water, protein and veg, don't skimp on portion sizes, just reduce your intake of carbs as they give you cravings and make fasting harder! Good luck!
Wow wow wow to size 8 @whirlygirly and 6kgs @Denimdreams !
Amazing progress @MerryHen and @KTSl1964 , it was such a big deal to me too to be back where I was before children weight-wise for the first time ever, I think I'd doubted it was actually going to happen!
@Nowillpowerarall sorry to hear you're still finding it tough, what sort of things are you eating? Could you up your protein and reduce carbs and sugar and processed foods and see if that helped? Or maybe an earlier eating window is better for you?

Does anyone else on this group have osteoporosis or osteopenia? 16:8 has been going really well for me and I have lost 11kg since February however I have had osteopenia for a couple of years and just read that fasting can have a really detrimental impact on bone density. Does anyone else have any information on this, I am wondering whether I need to eat more frequently to preserve my bone mass?

Thanks for the welcome @Leopardpj ☺

Hi can I join you? Such motivating posts. I need to lose weight but need a plan that is sustainable and I’m also interested in the health benefits of fasting having read the books.

Hi @sheepdreams 👋
I feel the same, looking for something I can stick with long enough for it to make a difference. Good luck!

I've not posted for a few weeks but the last few weeks have gone really well. It took me ages to get back into the swing of it after being away for work though. I need a plan for next time I go away.

Now, how to handle stress eating when something at work really annoys you!

Thank you for your reply and best wishes
SortOfLikeAnOctopusOnlyMoreBlocky. I hope we both do well. I managed to fast this morning and starting with 16:8. As I have been a sugar monster I will be reducing my carbs over the last few days as concerned about withdrawal and so busy at work!

Aw thanks - the size 8 is definitely on the generous side but I'm taking the win!
I've definitely dropped inches all of a sudden and have spent this week fielding queries from colleagues wanting to know what I'm doing. It's odd how it's just gone from my shoulder and waist area- I wore a dress last month to an event which is now swamping me.

I'm currently reading the diet myth by Tim Spector which is really worth a read. He's one of the chaps behind the Zoe glucose monitoring study which I'd try if I had a spare £600..!

Welcome everyone. If there is an answer to the bone density question I'd be interested. My bone mass has remained fairly stable I think despite 2 stone of weight loss.

Have found this thread and it inspired me to restart IF!

I did it for about 2-3 years a couple of years ago and loved it, found it really easy. I started off with one meal a day and it helped me shed 15kg (2.3 stone), then I went to IF. Then Covid hit and it all went out the window and I haven't got back on the bandwagon since. I'm 5'2 and 63kg (9.9 stone) and I just feel a little bit uncomfortable in my clothes and according to the NHS BMI chart, I'm almost in the yellow zone, so I'm hoping to lose a little bit over the next few weeks, feel a bit more like myself and get firmly back in the middle of the green zone.

I've made my eating window 2PM to 10PM as I live in France and we eat really quite late in the summer! Very excited :)

Off on hols at 160 lbs - now just an irritating last 1 lb into overweight bmi and 10 off the first target set
Resisting wine at airport and going to try and stay on plan for the next week if possible.

Next break is a beach break in early September so if I can get to 150 by then I'll be so chuffed.

Hi all

posting to keep myself accountable! Managing to fast for 16 hours but making gradual changes so eating healthily but not reducing carbs quickly doing it gradually. Have increased water intake and no wine! and it’s Friday. I already feel better less sluggish and that is after only a few days! Surprisingly I have not had any cravings for sweets or chocolate today either. Hope everybody’s moving in the right direction they want to be. Have a great weekend all.

Hi Sheepdreams
Sounds like a good start. I finished my first week. Did the 16 hours fasting each day bar 1 (couldn't face my driving lesson on an empty stomach), but I haven't really made any effort yet with what I'm eating in the 8 hours. Small drop of 0.4kg, which isn't bad considering.
Have a nice weekend

Colleague at work today did a double take at me and said wow you've lost loads of weight 🙌🙌
Made me happy haha

Hi, can I join? Day 2 of 16:8 fasting 6pm - 10am. This thread is so inspirational, got me totally buzzed for it now!

Hope everyone is doing well!
Update from me is that I've relaxed my fasting for now (we've decided to take the plunge and try for another baby) but I've most around a stone in total and I'm so pleased. It seems funny to be thinking about getting pregnant again now I've finally lost the baby weight, ha! But actually I feel loads less worried about gaining weight in pregnancy again now, I feel really confident I would know how to lost it again and I've found something I know I can stick to and that works for me!
Having said I've relaxed the fasting I'm now so used to it that it's sort of weird. I am actually away for the week now and just walk past the hotel breakfast buffet with zero interest, just asked for an cup of tea, which feels ridiculous and a bit of a waste but I honestly have no appetite in the morning now, quite the opposite!
How is everyone else finding things?! Thanks so much for joining me and keeping me motivated! xx

Hi everyone, lovely to hear your update @Leopardpj hope you are having a good time away!

We returned from hols and probably due to a load of walking I'm down to 158 lbs now and in the healthy weight bracket finally. So pleased. Would like another 10-15 in total but I can fit in all my clothes so there's no panic. I would love to be 10 stone something by September.

I'm currently away with old friends and one commented that they thought I had a better shape now than they could remember, slimmer but still with some curves.

For anyone reading this who hasn't started this, at the beginning of the year I had miserably resigned myself to being flabby and 2 stone overweight as no amount of calorie counting or exercise had shifted anything in years.

Hello All
Quick update from me.
Despite a holiday where I relaxed it a bit to eat French bread, cheese and cake I've lost 1.5 stone.
Gobsmacked doesn't really cover it.
The same as @whirlygirly I tried everything and nothing worked.
So happy, no diet, no calorie counting, no talking about being on a bloody diet!
This is me for life now .

How exciting @Leopardpj!
Wishing you the best of luck and hoping everything is straightforward for you - keep us updated if you can!

My update: another 0.7kg lost over the past four weeks. We had a holiday in that time too during which I didn't stick to fasting so I'm pleased to still be making steady progress.

I tried on some clothes I had packed away during my last pregnancy and a lot of them now fit 😃

Hope August is good for everyone!