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.

Well I've stuck to fasting hours - often doing more than 16 - and cut out alcohol all week apart from a teeny bit of gin that needed using up Saturday night, and lost bugger all 🤣

My clothes definitely fit better though and I know I've overdone it food wise anyway so not feeling disheartened.

Well 1 week in and I’ve lost 2.5kg but I think a good chunk of that is because of weighing at different times (first weigh in was after a big dinner pre fasting and todays was first thing in the morning). Going forward I will be consistent with today

3lb lost this week. Very happy as it's been effortless. I know it'll be less next week but it's nice not to be fixated with weighing/measuring and calorie counting.

👏👏👏👏to all those who’ve lost weight and also for everyone who is still here slogging it out.

Well done everyone 👏
For me 1.1kg lost last week, despite a long NY weekend party that resulted in 2 shorter fasts so I'm happy with that.

Well done everyone keep at it! I’m not great with weighing can become depressing so stick with clothes I feel better in.

Good day today nothing apart from water till 12.30. Finished eating a bit later than had hoped today but going to gym in the morning and then got back to back meetings so hoping tomorrow will be ok also!

@NadjasNightclub yes keep going. Some people even gain weight at first. Now that really would be disheartening.

I wish I'd measured my waist measurement's rather than just weighed on the scales.

@HairScratcher that's brilliant news. When do you think it's best to weigh? I do first thing in the morning

@MrInbetween the true test is if clothes fell better isn't it.

@PermanetlyTiredPigeon that's absolutely fantastic. What a loss!

@NatureGlimmers that's a great loss. I'm hoping I can lose like you even though I've had wine and chocolate over NYE.

I really wanted wine tonight. Almost talked I myself into having one but I'm glad I've held out. I absolutely love drinking wine so it's my biggest test. I told myself how much better I'd feel tomorrow morning as even one glass makes be feel groggy.

I don’t think it matters when you weigh as long as it is the same every week - I find first thing best

Yes I think weight can vary by up to 7llbs at different points on the day.

@cosypompoms Well done for resisting 🍷

Thanks for your insight @loveyouradvice it’s actually really helpful to know the story behind the story. You can read about weight loss or life transformation stories and then wonder why it doesn’t work for you but if you know all the motivations etc then it’s much easier to see how it might be relevant to your own situation. I definitely need to work out how much time I can give to the process and really what I’m doing it for.

Haven’t decided whether to weigh in here or not because I know I want to lose weight but I want to do it without the numbers becoming all consuming and I don’t want a life ahead of me that relies on weigh ins, would love to find a way of eating that is sort of manageable without over thinking in the long term but that is well balanced, hoping IF might be the answer!

@Pepperypottery yes it's important not to get bogged down with numbers and weigh ins.
I do weigh once a week but I like the pressure of it but once is enough for me.

I'm finding I feel hungry this evening already even though I've had three good meals. I think it's the bitter weather but I'm going to have a hot water to keep me going. I can't remember if you can have lemon water or not? Does anyone know. Of course I can google it!

Well yesterday was day one of my period and I spent the whole day starving despite eating as I have since the 1st. I guess there is some truth in our discussions. My issue is though, I find the first few days of fasting the hardest, so don’t want to fall off the wagon once a month. Today has been fine so far though, so maybe it is just one hard day a month for me if I stick to it.

How is everyone doing?

Did well the last few days, but know tomorrow will be tricky as WFH (fridge only a stone throw away!). Also today I had a crappy meeting and was upset afterwards to hit the work biscuit tin 🫣 but then focused on super healthy tea!

@NewYearNewYu usually on my first day of my period I am so hungry, as in nothing satisfies me. But being peri my periods are pretty sporadic so hoping this won’t be an issue. But well done for getting through it!

I’m doing ok. Meeting a friend for lunch next week so need to consider that. I’m not exercising due to an achey hip but hope to come up with a plan there

I've been doing well so far with me OMAD in the week and fasting until 1:00 at the weekend. I've done a full fast today which surprisingly was hardest at about 11am (before I normally eat anyway) so must be psychological. It's gone well though, so I might try one or two water fasts per week. I don't do well with longer fasts though. I felt pretty rotten after a four day fast last year.

Still fasting, just need to be a bit more conscious of what I'm eating I'm general. When there's no time to go to the shop for lunch it's too easy to reach for the chocolate, but that's all gone now so as long as I don't buy any more I'll be fine. Doing dry Jan and feeling a ton better for it so that can't hurt.

I’m going to join those weighing in today. I have lost 5llbs since the 1st. Reckon that is all the weight I gained in December!

My one vice in life is drinking full sugar coke (can’t bear the taste of sweeteners) - so cutting that out takes a lot of willpower!

so since starting the fast I have cut added sugar and if I want something sweet I have melon (lots of sugar but at least adds other good things. I also have a couple of pieces of dark chocolate.

trying to focus on making my diet healthier and more protein based as long term I don’t want to be fasting so much or restricting but just having healthier eating habits

Still fasting. Went out for dinner last night and felt great about the fact that I'm following a lifestyle where I can easily do that and it not risk me falling off the wagon or going against the plan. Will weigh in on Sunday.

Good to read everyone!!!

@NatureGlimmers i had this thought about eating out so booker me and DH into a restaurant I wanted to go to!

I fell over this thread last night and you all inspired me! I tend to snack until 9pm (when I was reading this thread!) but only ate at noon today! (Two spikes of feeling hungry before that, but worked through it!). Although easier to do as was wfh so only me to hear my tummy grumbling!

Do I expect tomorrow to be harder??

Any comments about eating late evening and then going to lunch versus eating early evening only and then having breakfast?

Thanks!

@BobbleHatDay there are people on this thread with different eating windows so it’s about working out what is best for you. I start eating at 2pm with lunch and have dinner early so I am roughly doing 19:5. It is working well so far and I was hungry in the first week but it seems to have settled now.

@BobbleHatDay my fasting window tends to go later. It suits me better (both in when I feel hungry and my routine). If it works for you, then great. If not you can tweak it. And this might be me, but I'm terrible at what predicting my appetite will be like. Some days I'm fine, and some I really have to focus.