Who wants to start intermittent fasting?

[cosypompoms]

I'm no expert but I have been doing Intermittent Fasting (IF) since September and I've lost 9kg/ a stone.

I eat breakfast at 7:30, lunch and the tea at 4. So my eating window is finished by 4:30pm. So it's a 9 hour eating window and 15 hours of fasting.

I haven't read any books about it but I do listen to podcasts about it.

open.spotify.com/episode/7hKdAJpfDEeRnGDEo42MWP?si=RpKRylgHTb6nJtmBPPH9dg

open.spotify.com/episode/5YEfEhHllXaFxiEO6WZxMq?si=11rhciaDSkKj_V8p2mAU6w

I don't know anyone in real life who does IF so thought there would be a community here.

I’m also looking to get back into fasting, after massively failing and falling into some pretty bad eating habits the second half of last year. I have about ten kilos to lose. I find that OMAD works well for me. If I’m with people for a weekend (or just really hungry) then I’ll switch to a 16:8 style fast.

I’m currently having a cup of earl grey without milk. I only drink black coffee, and also love milk free earl grey, green tea and white tea, but for some reason black tea without milk just isn’t for me. Honestly, more often than not I’ll drink tea with milk when fasting. It’s only 10ml per cup and I love it and don’t feel that different when not having it. But trying to kickstart in the right way for now.

Does anyone have any tips for drinking more water? I rarely get that thirsty and can sit at my work desk with a glass of water there all day and at the end of the day, I haven’t even drunk half of it. It’s one habit I just can’t seem to form.

I did 16/8 for 6 months last year and slept so much better and generally felt better about myself. Had a life crisis and fell off the wagon but started back again on Monday.

currently doing 20/4 but I am having milk in my morning coffee. I will phase that out and move to 16/8 in the next few weeks.

I'm focussing on meeting my protein requirements rather than calorie counting

@HairScratcher ... yes, I am doing that too... what are your go-to proteins? And how much are you aiming for??

I seem to be using a lot of eggs, high protein kefir and then one main meal with protein at centre - like chicken, beef, fish, tofu.

I’m vegetarian so aiming for 60-80g is tough! Any recommendations for low carb, high protein recipes would be good!!

eggs, tofu, quark and Greek yoghurt are big ones plus I’ll have beans and lentils and grains and nuts. Also peas and cheese. Just try and have variety really.

I like making dips from the beans and lentils

so ill have quark with fruit puree and some puffed oats or spelt or grape nuts

my Big cheat is the aldi protein pudding which has 20g protein. I have one a day as dessert. I’ve not managed very well with protein powders.

@HairScratcher - pulses are your friend - hummus, dahl, bean salad etc

@HerbalTeaAndCake - I have ALWAYS had milk in my tea on fast days. I still lose weight when I drink less wine

I’m going to get back into IF shortly. Currently reading Fast like a Girl by Mindy Pelz. She’s the one who recommends not fasting in the week before your period.

@NewYearNewYu @HalloumiFries eat around the kids schedule too. I want to eat all three meals with them so I don't miss meals due to fasting. It does mean that I stop eating at 4:30pm which is a good 6 hours before bed so I think that's pretty good to take advantage of the sleep time fasting.

@MissFancyDay in a podcast there was a story of a very obese man living in McDonald's food who started fasting but still eating McDonald's food and he lost loads of weight just sticking to an eating window.

@allnewfor2024 welcome!

@loveyouradvice that weight loss is incredible

@pippablackwell I don't drink much water in the day either. But I find if I drink almost a pint when I get up I actually end up needing it. I hat I mean is I forced myself at first and then I quickly became reliant on it.

@loveyouradvice for protein I have mashed up cannellini beans and nuts and seeds I my porridge. Cannelin beans/butter beans/ kidney beans in soup and lentils or beans in curry or chilli or whatever for tea in the evening.

I'm going to weigh in tomorrow as it's Friday and I'll report back. Obviously expecting a gain after Xmas with all the wine and snacks. I've pretty much stuck to the eating window but far more food than I normally would.

I've started the Gin Stevens book. I am excited to start, and it's interesting that the first month seems to be basically just concentrating and finding the fasting/eating window that suits you best, and not dieting.

I am feeling hopeful and confident. Good luck to everyone x

Following, as very interested in starting this!

Easing myself in...sticking to window but not being strict as so many tasty things still in the house. No alcohol though since Monday, and my black coffee in the morning habit stuck over Christmas so at least that's not a shock to the system.

@Crazycatlady79 welcome along.

@NadjasNightclub same here. Real life can't resume until the kids are in school so we are still in holiday mode.

I weighed today and have put on 1.1kg (2.4lbs) over Christmas

Finally braved the scale and pleased to see I've only put 1lb over Christmas. However, I do have about 5st to lose! I'm going to set small targets of 7lbs to make it less daunting. I'm doing 16:8 but should I be also focusing on specific food groups? I'm currently just focusing only healthy meals and avoiding snacking between meals so any advice on what I should be eating would be really helpful.

I think if you’ve gained less than 3 lbs over Christmas that is pretty good going.
I am still managing the 18:6 and today is the first time I’ve done it with black coffee and I think it does help stop hunger.
Not sure how today will go as I am eating out, but will try to resist the puddings. We also still have some Christmas treats but the dc are doing a good job of hoovering them up.

@loveyouradvice that is an incredible weight loss, did you calorie count as well?

@pippablackwell I’m the same with water but actually feeling unusually thirsty while fasting. I’ve just bought a 2L water bottle that I’m going to fill every evening at 10pm. I’ve tried a number of times to improve water and never succeeded before. I end up feeling like I’m spending the whole day going to the loo! But maybe my body will acclimatise eventually 🤷‍♀️

Have managed to do 16:8 for my first 4 days without feeling too bad without breakfast, feeling hopeful!

I think there are lots of ways of starting out but Gin Stephens recommends eating exactly the same type of food as you were previously for the first month of fasting whilst you build up your "fasting muscle" and your body gets used to fasting.

Then once that month is over, her advice is to work out which foods work for your body, but generally recommends a diet high in minimally processed foods, and things that don't spike your blood sugar too high (e.g. reducing refined carbohydrates) but she also makes the point of avoiding too much restriction - i.e. don't cut out whole food groups, eat when you're hungry, don't try and keep to calorie limits during your eating window as that can lower metabolism and slow weight loss/make it difficult to keep the weight off.

I know a lot of people do prefer to keep to a calorie limit and that's what I've done in the past but I am trying this alternative way of thinking now. It's certainly helping heal my relationship with food which has been an unexpected positive.

@NatureGlimmers I agree I think we should've thinking of this as a whole lifestyle now. It's not a diet it's a new way of living. I'm literally having a glass of wine right now and not worrying about it. It's Friday night and if I want to realistically stick to IF (which I have done for 4 months so far) then I will be drinking wine on a Friday night!

Friday is - taking down the tree while having a Martini.

Here's a funny thing.
Michael Mosely did the original programme in August 2012
the first Mumsnet threads popped up the next day.
Over the following year as interest snowballed, we, here, worked out how to make 5:2 work for mums and older ladies
such that several of us were quoted in Moseley's first book

The books proliferated but the Mumsnet threads stayed grounded.
Its why I cam back after several years to get my Mojo again !

@Talkinpeace dr Michael Mosley is great isn't he. I love the Just One Thing podcasts

@cosypompoms 2.4lbs over Christmas isn't bad at all! Are we all doing a same day weigh in, or just as and when we feel like it? I was thinking of logging weight on Mondays to stop myself getting obsessive with checking every day.

I do a Friday because I've had four strict days up till then and I want to enjoy the weekends.

Once a week is enough for me but that doesn't suit everyone.

I tend to do Sunday as it means I behave at the weekend! Guess we just all do our own thing and post if we want.

Monday for me - after my run and before my shower!

I'll probably do Fridays.
I started doing what the book suggested a week before Christmas- fasting, but not restricting my food choices. I loved Christmas and I made the most of all the food and drink - I profoundly enjoyed it all, rather than just grazing on it because it was there.
In that time I have also been to the gym every day (bar the bank holidays) hoping to get a head start on reducing insulin resistance, and eaten a huge variety of fruit and veg, for the micro biome. In that time I've put on 4lb, then lost 2 of them.
Today I look brighter - my skin looks better, eyes healthier, so although nothing shows on the scales yet, something is moving in the right direction already.

@NatureGlimmers thank you. I've just had a look at her website and see she has books too. This is all new to me so it's great to get some advice.

I need this thread! Had great success with IF in the past but have slipped back in recent months.

I am enjoying reading about how everyone does it.