Advice on 16:8

[vincettenoir]

I have been doing 16:8 for 12 days. I am keeping to it and managing to exercise and I feel ok. But I am not noticing any weight-loss or increased energy. For context I have approx 10kg to lose so I thought I would lose the first few lbs quickly.

Do I just need to keep at it? Or am I likely to be going wrong somewhere. I have not been calorie counting in the 8 hour window but I haven't been overeating or having sugary snacks / dessert.

You need to be patient. For me it took 1-2 months to see a bit difference. I lost 10kg in 6 months with no restrictions on what to eat within the 8 hour window. I never counted calories and never did any keto diet.

Thank you, that's v helpful and encouraging. I'm in no rush. I just do want to make a step in the right direction.

I've been doing this for a week and have adapted surprisingly well to no breakfast, but also keen to see some lbs come off as motivation!

Keep going. It can take a month or so for your body to start responding to your new regime.

I started IF last year and, since April, have lost 3 stones, despite being post menopausal and having an underactive thyroid. I also do 30 - 40 mins exercise daily before eating. I also don't calorie count.

It does work, be patient and good luck.

Thank you @BarbaraBuncle that's v encouraging. I am finding or reasonably manageable so I will stick with it.

Also well done. That kind of weight loss is impressive.

16:8 is my normal eating window. In my experience the hours in which you eat make no difference, it is still down to the calories you consume so if you don't cut them down, you won't lose anything.

The research found people on 16:8 only lost weight in the short term becuase it made them eat less. That said it is also very beneficial for a huge amount of other health markers and will improve your gut microbiome which in the long term may help you loose weight becuase gut bacteria are involved in the digestion and absorption of nutrients.

I’ve been doing 16:8 and calorie counting for a whole month, and have lost the grand total of 2lbs.

I do tons of exercise, and stick to 1800 cals (I worked out my TDEE).

I’m feeling pretty disheartened, tbh.

I found 16:8 kept my weight stable but I didn’t lose anything. I had to go to 20:4 - with some one meal a day days and the occasional 36 hour fast to lose much weight.

Took 6-8 weeks to make a difference weight loss wise for me . I only had a couple to lose anyway and I've lost about 4lbs, don't really want to lose anymore. for me I mostly do it for the health benefits and increase in energy levels .
I noticed an increase in my energy almost immediately

I'm currently on holiday in the Caribbean though so it's gone out of the window for now with the amount of lovely food constantly on offer 😂 but I'll get back on it when I'm home

@LunaNorth I’m disheartened too. I will keep it up for another month because I am able to stick to it. But I’m not feeling the benefits people describe.

My skin is actually looking better. But I have been using retinol at night, so it’s probably down to that anyway.

I confess I had a bit of a mini-meltdown last night. I saw my back view in the mirror, and I honestly feel like I may as well have been sitting on my sizeable backside mainlining crème brûlée for the past year for all the good all the diet and exercise seems to have done me.

But I’ll keep plugging away if you will. Maybe I have the insides of a 25 year old, you never know.

It took me about 6 weeks to notice a difference. If you read ‘Fast, Feast, Repeat’ it explains why it takes time to work. I didn’t reduce calorie intake & still lost weight.