16:8 Thread continued.

[greengreyblue]

New thread to help us survive the festivities and emerge into the new year in our best shape!🤩

I didn't manage a fast as had very little sleep & needed comfort food which I'm annoyed about now as I've got a crazy weekend ahead - milestone birthday so lots of eating & drinking😩

Will have a relatively healthy but normal eating day today then aiming to shut up shop by 7pm, get an early night & squeeze in an 18 hour fast before it all kicks (dinner/drinks Saturday, lunch Sunday, Brunch Monday & drinks Monday - I'll be broken!!)

16 hour fast today...

Mid morning: banana and yoghurt
Lunch: smoked salmon sandwich, pear and grapes. And a Lindor ball (80 kcal in one?! Who knew! I'd prev eat about 6 of them in one go!)

18 hr fast
lunch: boiled egg and salad. An apple
nuts after work
dinner: leftover pasta with salad, some salty popcorn and some wine.

Are sugar free drinks fine to have when fasting? Currently sitting with a Diet Coke and assume it's fine cos there's no calories?

I do sometimes @Ilikeyoursleeves , particularly at the weekend or in a pub etc. There’s some research that indicates that in some people your brain registers the sweet taste and starts to release insulin so treating it as sugar but I think if it’s not every drink, every day it’s not a major problem.

I personally don't have them during a fasting window @Ilikeyoursleeves because it still spikes my insulin and also makes me feel hungrier. But you need to find whatever works for you.

An 18 hour fast for me yesterday. Lunch was falafel salad with hummus, lettuce and tomatoes and dinner was a homemade chicken flatbread with more salad. Two slimline G&Ts and started fasting again by 7pm.

Give the Gin Stephens podcast (fast, feast, repeat) a listen, she advocates quite strongly for the clean fast which is only black tea and coffee in the fasting window and nothing else (water ok of course!). One of the strongest arguments is it's actually easier that way as body doesn't have any spikes from a splash of milk or a fizzy drink.

I'm finding fasting really hard at the moment, am finding myself in a bit of a binge restrict cycle. Also I am finding I've got a bit out of tune with my body with ignoring hunger in the mornings. Just had two days of eating quite a bit (period due) with shorter fasts. Wondering whether to carry on or not.

Just weighed myself and I've lost another 1.5lb since Wednesday?? That's 3.5lb lost since the new year! Hooray! I've got about another 3.5lb to lose as I'd wanted to shift around half a stone but I'm really pleased with how fasting has made this so much easier! I'm also doing at least 10k steps a day which I think has really helped too.

Thanks for all the advice re the sugar free drinks too. @Cashew1 maybe it's been harder as your period is due? Could you do shorter fasts or start again after your period?

Quite possible. And well done on your loss, that's great!

I’ve just weighed and I’m up to 62kg having been 60.5 (which is target )last week! This can’t be real weight gain given what I’ve been eating right? I’m slightly constipated and have eaten larger carbs portions I think just because it’s so bloody cold! Pissed me off though just to see that number that I haven’t seen in ages. Will report back in a couple of days if it was a blip.
Well done @Ilikeyoursleeves the weight is falling off you despite enjoying treats. How much do you have to lose?
@Cashew1 Revisit after your period, it’s most probably that.

@greengreyblue I got new scales (Renpho) and they can give a fluctuating weight reading. Eg over Xmas I'd go up around 2lb overnight which was weird and not reflective of what I had eaten. That's why I'm now only weighing once or twice a week as the fluctuations were so frustrating! Also my period makes my weight go up so bear that in mind. Don't feel too despondent, weight can fluctuate quite a bit day to day so it's prob that.

@greengreyblue I'm aiming to lose another 3ish lbs by the end of January

That’s amazing that you’re not even overweight and you’re losing so quickly!

@greengreyblue I'm lucky in that I normally have a great metabolism and seem to burn calories fairly easily but a lot of the time I overindulge (esp in the evenings) and eat all the shite and my weight creeps up and clothes get tight. I'm just trying to get back down to a comfortable weight for me which is about half a stone less than I was over Xmas and NY

I’m also 53 and post meno which brings its own weight issues but can’t blame periods unfortunately. I’m sure it’s just water following salt and carbs this week. Hope so anyway. Just at hairdressers on black coffee and looking forward to lunch when I finally get out( foils) but the cold makes me want to eat!

Well done on your weight loss @Ilikeyoursleeves!! That’s really impressive!

I’m feeling your frustration @greengreyblue, it’s so annoying when you think you’ve been particularly good and the scales don’t reflect that. I bet you will have gone back down again by tomorrow or the day after. I reckon being constipated will answer for a lot. I find when I haven’t been going as regularly or if I’m feeling a bit of bloat and gassy that it definitely translates to the scales.

I am back home from dropping DD back to uni after an overnight stay. Had dinner a bit later last night outside of my usual eating window and have eaten a few chocolates and crisps on the drive back earlier. Hope it won’t have too much of a negative impact when I weigh in the morning.

17 hour fast today

Late breakfast: smoked salmon on toast & grapes
Lunch: roll with sausage & an orange
Dinner: chicken curry with popadoms and rice
12k steps so far today after going on a big walk.

Also had a few Lindt balls and shortbread through the day but will try not to eat or drink anything tonight which is a challenge at the weekend!

It’s a personal decision, but you could always try taking a break whilst before and on your period then fasting again in your follicular phase. Dr Mindy thingy advocates for cycle related breaks from fasting.

That’s crazy, don’t believe that reading. I’m sure you’ll be back down to 60kg on next weigh in - your diet is so nice and healthy.

17 hour fast here and was quite hangry. Shouting at the kids a lot ☹️ BUT slept badly and dinner was quite light last night. Had a big baked potato with cheese and tuna mayo for lunch. Some leftover Christmas chocolate… picked a tiny bit at the kids chicken mushroom pasta 🫣 and have had a bowl of spelt spaghetti with prawns chickpeas and spinach for dinner with a glass of Chardonnay!

I started 16:8 six months ago and it's fantastic. I skip breakfast and start to eat 1 or 2pm. However my hair has become horrible, really dry and like straw. I have very thick hair which was just luminous and shiny before.

I used to eat oats and milk or plain yoghurt for breakfast. That's the only explanation I have for my hair: that I'm missing the nutrients oats (and maybe milk?) have.

Maybe add those ingredients to your diet in your eating window .I eat a lot of Greek yoghurt with meals or on berries after my evening meal. You can add oats to mince to bulk out a chilli or bolognaise or just have oats at lunchtime.

@greengreyblue yes, I just don't know what else to leave off my diet as I don't want to eat the breakfast calories. Fasting helped greatly with weight management. Maybe the answer is to add this in and eat less of everything else.

Just add some yoghurt to salads as dressing and maybe oats as a topping to berries or to coat chicken or fish .