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!.

Thanks all. Yes I'm very very pleased and it's certainly motivated me to keep going. Also loving the lack of bloating and the extra energy. I'm not as tired in the evening and I'm sleeping really well. I feel good!!

I've not lost anything after the first week. I've stuck to it religiously and I've done clean fasts. What's going on?

*moveabdmove have you got a lot to lose?

I'd like to lose about a stone. Do you think that's why it's not working?

Are you already a healthy weight? I always think it’s harder to lose if you are then if you have a significant amount to lose. So it might take you longer.

Any thing with milk or calories is technically breaking your fast - this blog explains it well www.ginstephens.com/all-blog-posts/does-a-clean-fast-really-matter If you want the full effects of fasting, then it's best to be quite strict I think :)

I'm only a tiny bit overweight but I'm a powerlifter so have a lot of muscle so weigh heavier. I'm not sure whether to keep at it or not. It's making me miserable. I'm starving all the time and not seeing any results.

I have been totally strict. I've only had plain tap water during my fasts.

@moveandmove

I'm only a tiny bit overweight but I'm a powerlifter so have a lot of muscle so weigh heavier. I'm not sure whether to keep at it or not. It's making me miserable. I'm starving all the time and not seeing any results.

I don't think any lifestyle change that makes you permanently miserable is worth it or sustainable. Just because the 16:8 eating style works well for some people, doesn't mean it will suit everyone. I think it worked so well for me is because I was quite overweight when I started so saw quick results. Also I have never really been a fan of breakfast, so it is easy for me to naturally skip that meal. Having said that a week isn't a long time not to see any change and if you have a lot of muscle shouldn't your ideal weight be a bit higher than for someone like me who is a avid gym avoider?

Right am starting today, between 1 and 9 will work for me!

I had 2 coffees with a dash of milk this morning before I read this but not gonna worry about that!

I love the fact that the fridge is "closed", that will stop me reaching for the wine which is my downfall on a night!

Hey I've been lurking for a while but I am on day 5 of week one. Calorie counting hasn't worked massively for me, so I'm now combining it with 16:8. Really enjoying it so far and not getting hunger pangs any more. Also seeing your losses so far is spurring me on! I've got 2/3 stone to lose.

Does anyone combine this way of eating with running? I did 5k at 7.30 this morning and not planning on eating till 12ish. Does anyone else do this? The run was slower than my usual pace but that doesn't really bother me.

Oh I might try this. I already eat dinner with my children at 5pm and then clean my teeth and don't eat again but have breakfast at 6.30/7 so will just need to tweak it a bit!

@moveandmove are you drinking loads of water? More than you think you need? That was a bit of a game changer for me as I missed the memo the first few days and definitely wasnt drinking enough.

I've been at this for a couple of weeks now and I'm not struggling with the hunger at all in the morning or evening now. By the time I get to 15/16/17 hours I am hungry but it's nothing compared to how hungry I've been constantly during diets before. The worst was slimfast, I remember gnawing hunger between those bloody shakes!!

Honestly the idea that the kitchen is closed is a huge factor in this working for me.

Move I used to plateau and get downhearted then whoosh scales would lurch down. Give yourself a chance if it’s just been a week!

CheerfuIPotato Me too! It’s the fact it’s not even up for debate...it works really well as I used to gorge myself on sweet stuff in the evening and tell myself it was a treat after a long day what with work/kids etc. Now I am just not eating at that dangerous time, and as I always find it much easier to make healthy food choices earlier in the day I am just eating better overall but without really denying myself.

@moveandmove I found the first 2 weeks hard as it took time for my body to adapt and get used to eating at different times. I now find it the easiest thing in the world. My body's completely used to it and I feel bad if I eat the old conventional hours. I eat from 10am to 6pm as I couldn't wait until 12 noon to eat! Yes this means I have a very early dinner but it works for me. I have a massive dinner before the rest of the family and am still full at bedtime. Maybe try tweaking the hours and give it 2 weeks? But if it's not for you then I'm sure there are other ways to eat that will suit you.

Thanks for the encouragement everyone. I do drink loads of water and always have done.
I'll give it a bit longer to see if I actually lose any weight and start to feel better on it. If not I'll have to decide it wasn't for me.

Move, how long have you been doing 16:8 for? Fingers crossed it starts to work for you!

Checking back in as I've not been on in ages. Great to see so many people have discovered how simple and effective fasting is! I've 'lapsed' quite a bit lately, lots of BBQs (so much meat! so hard to keep track of how much you've eaten!!) and some weekend nights where we drank later than I'd wanted, some chinese takeaway too I also have really bad hayfever lately so am taking antihistamine which increases appetite. But even with all that I'm down almost a stone in 10 weeks and I feel so much better for it. I have another 9 pounds I'd really like to get rid of and I know I can do it. I see a much bigger drop when I really watch what I eat - no bread and no chinese takeaway! but mostly I can eat whatever I fancy for dinner and it's not an issue. My body is used to not eating until midday now, and for the first time in my 46 years on earth I'm not craving chocolate or biscuits! I've been trying to walk 5km every day and really up my water intake. It all helps.

Keep up the good work everyone!

How does everyone manage fasting when it’s that TOTM? I’ve eaten junk today - but kept within calories and my eating window, but I now have a terrible headache and feel rubbish.

Hi - can I join? I read the whole thread this morning and have done 16/8 before, need to lose at least 2 stone (3 would be ideal) I'll be doing 1 - 9 (mainly to accommodate some wine and gin )

I've just weighed myself and I've put on a pound! Why does this method work for some and not for others?

move
maybe you are, conciously or un-conciously, eating more in your eating window?
time to look at your calories and portion size for a few days.
veg are your friends, bulk your meals up with 'roughage' to make you feel satisfies for longer and gives your gut something to do.