16:8 Do I need to calorie count too?

[Hydrangeahead]

As the title says - should I count the calories during the 8-hour window? Especially as I'm not great at self-restraint? 😉

To me, 16:8 fasting is about cutting out either breakfast or late night snacking or both. So it works by you not consuming those calories that you would have had during breakfast or late supper. If you fast but still eat more than your calorie need, you won't lose weight. 2000 calories for example is still 2000 calories whatever time of day you eat it.

You def cannot be eating lots of crap during the 8 hours I did 16:8 two years and I used an app called Fastic. I loved it as it would count down the time and explain what was happening in my body. It motivated me to eat healthy and kept me going.

I find I can maintain and eat most things but to lose on 16:8 I have to be careful and avoid puddings and huge stodgy meals. I have a vague sense of calories in my head but don't religiously count so I know having peanut butter on toast X2 for lunch is far higher than the 150 kcal fresh soup I should eat for example.

16:8 doesn’t work if for 8hrs it’s non stop chips, cheese, chocolate and nuts.
So yes you need some sense of calorie counting/awareness.

Yes you need to calorie count. If you're eating too much in a day(regardless of when it is), you'll gain weight.

Thanks, I've downloaded the app, that's going to help! I've lost a little weight already and hoped to avoid calorie counting as it's so tedious!

I don't eat crap but my portion control isn't great. Will see how it goes, thanks for the comments.

You don't need to calorie count. Just don't graze or snack between meals.

As @Peae said You don't need to calorie count. Just don't graze or snack between meals.

I definitely agree that this would work for some people but maybe not others, It depends on your previous habits and weight loss /maintenance / gain patterns.

Example
If a person has been eating (on average) 100kcal too much a day they'll put on a kg every 10 weeks, say they've done that for 2 years they now have 10kg to lose. They give themself 3 months so will want to burn 0.8kg of fat a week. That'll take a 800 kcal a day deficit (again on average), which is 900 kcal less than they have been in the habit of eating.

They think carefully about their eating habits, and decide to do a 12 - 8pm window, by eating their normal breakfast of wholewheat toast during their lunch break they cut out the calories of their mid morning snack (150) and regular cheese sandwich (550) , and by not eating any snacks after their dinner (200) they can be confident that they will create the calorie deficit required without counting on a day by day basis.