16:8 does not feel like another shitty diet!. I managed to lose fat, have more energy and feel positive about life.

[sbh1991]

Hey,
I want to share my experience, I tried several diets in the past with little luck, I found them boring and I usually ended up caving in, binging on food and ending up back at square one.

However, I finally found the 16:8 fast really worked for me in losing weight.
I enjoy my food and more importantly I enjoy life without having to restrict myself anymore. Life is too short as they say!.

Weight loss can fill like a constant uphill battle, I know that feeling first hand. So, I would like to help where I can, let me know your struggles with the diet or what problems you have?. Happy to give tips or inspiration to others from my experience.

It is the little steps every day that add up to big results over time 😀. Let's all help and support one another!.

Can you tell me more about a typical day and now this works? Thanks x

I agree op. I lost the weight I needed to (2 stone) now do 16 8 3 days a week and eat normally

So do you just skip breakfast completely then? Do you actually eat exactly what you want for the 8 hours? I can’t imagine that would work for me. I would want to eat too much.

I agree OP! I'm always raving about 16/8 on MN! I was a skinny child who suddenly become chubby aged 14. I then spent almost 30 years yoyo dieting. I'd starve myself, get slim, relax a little put on weight. Both scenarios were soul destroying and like many women I was obsessed with food and my weight. In my early 40s I discovered 16/8. I didn't expect much from it - it was just yet another "diet" I'd try. I expected it to work for a while then I'd lose motivation. How wrong I was! I've been doing it for a few years now and feel great! I've finally been liberated from my obsession with food. I eat what I want. I really do. It helps that I'm not someone who would want to binge on biscuits and take aways BUT I'm also not someone who eats low fat diet foods.i don't count calories, I just listen to my body. I tend to eat between 10am and 6pm. This suits me. However I work part time and if it's a day I'm doing conventional office hours I'll eat between 12pm and 8pm. This would be my typical day's food if I was eating 10am to 6pm. 10am I break my fast with a big fruit salad then I'll habe a substantial brunch - something like a cheese and onion toasty, fried egg sandwich or fish finger sandwich. I have thick bread, plenty of butter. No diet food!! Around 1pm or 2pm when most people would have lunch I'm still pretty full but maybe a little peckish. I feel like I often eat for sake if it at this time - just for pleasure. I'll have something small maybe crackers and cheese, or a bag of crisps and a biscuit, yesterday I had a cream tea. I have my main meal of the day when I feel I need it. I'm usually hungry between 4pm and 5pm. I'll eat whatever I want and a very big portion. It could be a big curry and rice, a risotto and salad, veggie shepherd's pie and veg etc. The key thing is I have a really big portion, I don't count calorie or cut out fat. I think fat keeps me feeling full. I often drizzle olive oil over all my food, sod the calories - its good for you. By eating like this I'm full until bedtime. I've lost weight, dropped from a 14 to a 10. My BMI is 22. I'm now just maintaining. I find it's impossible to put on significant weight eating like this. If I've really been going for it I might put on 3 lbs but by not eating for 16 hours it really is damage limitation. You're never going to put on 10lbs even if you've been binging.

I'm interested in starting this but not sure if it would work when I do long shifts (13 hours) and am sometimes not getting a break until late. Is it something you do for 3 out of 7 days, or every day?

I like 16:8 too and it's helped me lose weight, i eat 1pm-9pm.

Do you do this every day to lose, then intermittently to maintain? How long did it take you to lose the weight? I have a lot to lose!

I guess my issue is long days - when we're back to normal it will be leaving home 6am, back 7.30pm.

How does it work with family life/couple life? We usually eat fairly late after kids are in bed. Can I have tea (drink) in the 16 hours?

Oh, and assume drinking water is ok. I drink black tea which I guess is ok, but no booze.

I’d put on 5lbs during stay at home so tried this and have lost them, but nothing else is budging. I have 25lbs to lose. I have a eat lunch at noon and dinner about 6. I might have snack after or something light about 3pm, definitely nothing after 8. Alcohol, maybe 2 drinks on a fri/sat. But again stop at 8. Shall I keep going? Nothing else I’ve tried has worked, I’m at my wits end.

Where do you find 16:8 diet plans?

@bumpsadaisy11 There is no plan - that's the beauty of it. Just eat what you want (within reason) for 8 hours a day - you can choose which 8 hours. Then don't eat for the remaining 16 hours.

@travailtotravel Yes long hours working do make it harder. You can still do it but would probably have to be really organised and prepare decent meals to take to work. During the fasting time you can have black tea/coffee, herbal teas, water etc. Just no calorific drinks or food.

I guess I can start with 12:12 🤓

@travailtotravel I aim to do it every day but in reality probably do it about 5 days a week. I never do it on holiday or when we guests staying. I know some people only do it about 3 days a week to maintain. I'm assuming they eat pretty sensibly on the other days!

@SallyWD thank you for that. I am genuinely interested.

It's exciting to try a diet that I haven't tried before. I am fed up of trying Slimming World all the time, as well as numerous others & yet I am still massive!

One question I do have, can you drink coffee with skimmed milk during the 16 hour fast part?

@Backlashstarts well you can choose your 8 hours to fit in family meal times. I actually have dinner earlier than the rest of family but I'm happy with that. If I wanted I could start eating later in the day and eat dinner with them but I prefer to eat earlier. You can drink any non-calorific drink - Black tea/coffee etc.

The point is it’s not a “diet” it’s a different way of eating. I have combined it with an hours cardio almost days which I do when I get up then don’t eat until 11 12 ish having had and early ish dinner at 7 ish.

@HerRoyalNotness I'd stick at it. Maybe up the exercise a little, be a little stricter about what you're eating? I really find this works without being strict though. That's the only reason I've stuck at it for years. I never feel deprived and am nearly always full.

Hmm, I might try this. I could definitely do a 12:30-8:30

@bumpsadaisy11 I think you can have skimmed milk with tea during the fasting time. I've heard as long as you don't have more than about 40 calories it's OK! I've just got in to the habit of having black coffee and tea and green tea - only during the fasting time.

Interested in this as my next step really is surgery and I don't want to go down that road at all. I think I would be fine with restricting eating hours but I'd struggle with not drinking tea with milk.

Interested in this, I think the only bit I’d struggle with is the no milk in my coffee while fasting, I could forgo the sugar but would a dash of milk be so bad?