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!.

@DianneWhatcock
Apparently so!
I have a fasting app which now says i am in 'fat burning mode'
Im just going to fast as long as possible and when i do break the fast i will stick to my 1000 cals and stop eating at 8pm hopefully this experimenting will pay off !

@feelingdizzy so encouraging to read your post, I really feel optimistic that this might be the answer for me. Mindless eating is my downfall. I eat for the sake of eating. I'm either being 'good' or 'bad' and just want to find a normal balance.
I do have one question for those experienced with this:
If I have a day where its going to be tricky to stop eating in my window eg going out for dinner with friends (not a problem right now obviously!) is it OK to have a day off or will it ruin everything? Should I try and start my window later in the day to compensate?

Just coming on to say that I'm a bit blown away by this, day 3 my stomach is noticeably flatter. I've already dropped 2 pounds. At first I thought it was going to be really hard but actually it's really easy to not eat till 12. I'm definitely eating far less and happy with smaller portions. I'm having black coffee about 10am but I'm finding by 12 have almost forgotten about eating. I lost 3 stone with SW and have more or less kept it off so I'm also doing that between 12 and 8pm but before 16/8 it was getting too hard to stick to on Lockdown. 16/8 and sensible eating might beat this little Menopause tummy after all.

Personally I wouldn’t have a day off as those day notoriously turn into a huge binge fest. I would just fast until the meal and then restart the fast after the meal has ended.

Having watched enough of those super skinny programs I can tell you that unless you’re going out to eat somewhere where you’re going to opt for poached trout on a bed of watercress with no sauce, you’ll probably eat over a thousand calories with no problem at all. So I’d treat the one meal as my days allowance.

you can never 'fail' just postpone.

@InfiniteSheldon completely agree. Last year when I got down to a BMI of 23 my waist was so small!!! I love how this diet does that as it means even if my legs are still quite big I look noticeably smaller due to being ‘cinched in’..

The expense is in the new clothes required last years shorts all fall down 😁

I'm really noticing an increase in energy too. It's my totm and normally I'd be working my way through my own weight in carbs! But I haven't craved any more than I eat normally.
Completely agree with this ending the food obsession. I'm enjoying looking forward to normal meals not diet meals but I'm not obsessing about food.
I'm hoping that not calorie counting in my eating window is ok.

@HorsesDoovers I wondered this too

@RubyRedz that's brill! Can I ask what your app is called please? I'd like to get it

I'm definitely not calorie counting as that will throw me into full blown diet head and I desperately need to avoid going down that route, its what has lead me to losing and gaining over and over again and gradually getting heavier and heavier and more depressed. That may well just be me with my issues around food though

I'm sending my thanks to all the contributors to the 16-8 threads - I've been reading for a few weeks and started a bit blind to the theory of how it works.

I started with 12-8 and have been listening to some Dr Fung videos (as someone mentioned) and really makes sense to me.

I can see changes happening to my shape - waist becoming more defined. I'm trying not to worry about the scales as have had cross-trainer delivered and using free weights so will worry about how clothes fit, rather than scales for now.

Well done @Fizzy. So pleased for you 👌

Well this never happens...I’m bang in the middle of my eating “window” and I just shut the fridge and didn’t have a slice of homemade lemon cheesecake. My thought process seemed to be...”I can totally have that now if I want. Or I can have it later before 6pm. Hmm I’m not actually really that hungry now. Will leave it.”
I mean this literally never happens to me.

I guess this is what they call mindful eating. It’s seems to be an unexpected side effect of 16:8.

I'm thinking of starting this diet today. I have 1st 4lb to lose

This is really fascinating and I’m keen to try after hopping on and off Slimming World. My only concern is that I’ve got such a strong ‘breakfast is important’ mindset. And I’ve always been taught that skipping breakfast is bad for weight loss. So I’m so intrigued to read everyone’s experiences! I think I’ll start off with 10am-6pm as my window do it just feels like a late breakfast. I’m definitely an evening snacker so that will make a big difference! Oooh thanks everyone I’m excited!

@LinManWellWellWell I definitely have that mindset about breakfast. I have amazed myself by not eating until 11am and not really being bothered by it. I have then been having a carb free salad for lunch as I am quite full from eating at 11am. Witchcraft I tell you

if you are a breakfast person you could move your window forward to 8am-4pm

but tbh, give missing breakfast a try. I discovered it was having tea that made me feel queazy without food first thing. switched to coffee first thing and it was fine.

I’m a 10.30-6.30 eater, it suits me because I don’t like eating late, it’s not good for my digestion. Once you get over the initial hunger pangs in the morning it seems to pass & waiting until later works out ok, not sure I could wait until lunchtime though.
The thing about this diet is it is sustainable long term, whereas most diets aren’t.

I do 16:8 everyday it's a way of life... but if I'm not counting calories lol easily don't stay in a deficit and don't lose weight. Calories in calories out is everything. But always appreciate the other benefits of fasting.

I love breakfast too but find I can make it to 10am easily enough. Not sure I would manage as well if I was commuting into the office. (Especially now the morning breath issue has been highlighted!)
I think it’s mostly habit, and once the habit is broken it won’t seem weird anymore.

Not sure I would manage as well if I was commuting into the office. (Especially now the morning breath issue has been highlighted!)

well, people are supposed to to come too close.

*to not come too close

With the toddler’s bedtime, I don’t eat dinner til 7.30pm anyway so I fast 8pm-12noon and I’m surprised how at ok it feels. I wake up a bit peckish but water and coffee curbs that, then I start feeling hungry just after 11 but certainly not “need to eat now, few faint” hungry. Just a bit tummy rumbly. It’s been a revelation!

DH tried doing it with me and he was so hangry and grumpy by 11am he was getting on my nerves so I told him to just eat

I must admit I will find it hard skipping my late night tv snacks