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!.

Hi, hope it's ok to join. I'm a regular poster on MN but have name changed. I've heard so much good stuff about this but am confused as think I've been doing it naturally for years but am at my heaviest weight.
I generally don't eat until somewhere between 11 and 1 and don't eat after dinner which is anywhere between 6 and 8.

I started on Sunday and am doing 12-8pm as my eating hours. I am also using my fitness pal to record my food as I am very very greedy. I am finding it fine so far but am skeptical as to whether I lose any weight - time will tell!

I'm finding that the longer I do this, the less hungry I'm getting. Week 1 I was counting down the minutes until 16hours was up. I'm on week 3 and this week I've easily gone to 17 hours with no issues. I've gone 18 hours today and broken my fast with a mocha, not the healthiest way to break it but it should keep me going without food for another hour or so!

I read The Obesity Code last week and one part of it has really stuck with me. Feasting has always been a big part of all cultures and religions, throughout history, and still is. Weddings, christenings, celebrations, holidays, religious festivals...they wouldn't be the same without food and feasting. Fasting was always a big part of the celebrations throughout history too, celebratory feasts were always preceded or followed by a fast. As a society, we have kept all of the feasting part of celebrations but totally lost the fasting element. Some cultures still have it (thinking specifically of Ramadan here) but in western society the fasting has pretty much been lost.

This has been a bit of a revelation to me. Holidays, christmas and birthdays are utterly miserable when you are counting every calorie and restricting yourself. This has taught me that we can all still fully enjoy these events, but just give your body a good break afterwards.

Since doing this diet I have still enjoyed a takeaway once a week, not a low cal one either, a good fat bastard one but with the fasting afterwards I'm still losing weight. It's amazing. You can still indulge and enjoy your life with this eating regime, which isn't possible on a lot of other diets.

@MoonBabysMagicalKalimba that's interesting. The fasting and feasting really suits me. I've always been a feaster and at the same time find it much easier not to eat anything than to eat little. I've failed with most diets because they involve eating small low calorie meals - I'm never satisfied on a conventional diet!! "Little and often" just doesn't work for me. 16/8 works because I can feast twice a day (and I do!) and then just not eat. I feel very satisfied and healthy.

Well I'm on day 2-planning to eat 11-7 today. Feel very hungry, not helped as working from home today. I've had to take the dogs out for a walk to stop myself eating (so probably a win win). Will have two eggs to break the fast (which is my normal breakfast anyway), and a snack mid afternoon-not sure what? Probably some rice cakes and bits for a snack mid afternoon and then some salad and halloumi for dinner.

I’ve had a rubbish couple of days. Some sad news meant I’ve just eaten without really caring what I was eating, but I’ve still kept to my fasting hours. An example of my diet was yesterday I ate cereal, a pizza, two chocolate bars and some cake 🙄 all sugar. But incredibly on the scales this morning I’m still 0.8 of a lb down?? I’m wondering if it’s going to be a delayed effect and I’ll see the damage this week. I’m going to try and make better choices today.

I need to get new batteries for my scales (a nice lunchtime walk!)
they only day 'low' now, which makes me weirdly happy

I hope next week will be better for you 'skeleton'

@SkeletonsSkins Sorry you're having a tough time. I think what you say highlights why this way of eating is so amazing though. I am a real emotional eater and can often be pushed into bingeing by difficult life events. With a normal diet it would be completely ruined by this. But with IF I somehow still stick to my window which I think does mitigate the damage to some extent. Hope things improve for you soon.

I came on for a moan really. I weigh daily. I was 12st 4lb on Sunday. 12st 5 lb for my official weigh in on Monday then 12st 4lb on Tuesday and every day since. I just want to the scales to move (in the right direction!!). I know If is not a speedy weight loss plan and I've lost 5lbs in 3 weeks which is fine but I so want to get below that 12 st mark. Not badly enough to count calories or carbs though! Anyway, moan over. It's pizza night tonight and I'm just pleased that I don't have to sit eating my sad diet salad while the rest of the family enough themselves!

I started this yesterday, and was fine managing until 12 before eating, but today I really struggled and caved in at 10.30. So, I’ll probably have a 15:9 day today. I almost gave in entirely but a colleague by chance is doing the same thing and already lost 8 pounds.

@Wildernesstips Keep going, one 'bad' day doesn't ruin the benefits you've had so far.

Last night I just couldn't keep to my eating window due to various things, so I decided not to stress about it. I ended up starting my fast an hour and fifteen minutes later than I'd have liked. Not much difference really.

That fast then turned into an 18 hour one, instead of 16. I was busy and just not hungry.

I am definitely feeling the benefits of fasting this way and I'm only six fasts in.

Hey everyone. Stayed the same! Have stuck to fasting window but not calories. I am only 1lb outside of healthy weight so I guess that makes it harder. I’m sticking with it and will try to lower daily calories for the next week. Hope everyone has a great weekend x

I totally agree that it’s slightly more manageable in times of stress to stick to this than other diets. If I was doing low carb or low cal I’d have absolutely packed it in by now.

So for the purpose of honesty, thought I’d come and update. Thanks for all the well wishes, it really means a lot. My last update I’ve eaten a crap for a day or so but kept within my fasting window and still lost 0.8lb over a couple of days.

So yesterday I ended up not eating anything until 1.30 so did an 18hr fast but it ended up being a McDonalds 🙄 what I did find was it made me feel like rubbish - this isn’t normal. I felt so full and just horrible. So then I wasn’t really hungry for ages so for my tea I ended up having a bowl of cereal and that was it, and then I started my fast so I wouldn’t start eating rubbish.

Today I’ve weighed and I’ve not gained anything, maintaining that 0.8 loss. I went on a long walk this morning and when I got back wasn’t really hungry so did some work in the garden. Just broken my fast at 18hr 50 mins, longest so far! And I’ve just had a ham salad wrap with extra salad and some raspberries on the side. Also having a small chocolate bar. Later I’m going to have chicken, sweet potato fries and veg, so at least I’m putting something vaguely nutritious in my body.

I think being able to have ‘off days’ without actually breaking the rules has meant I’ve not thrown it all in the bin and I’ll hopefully be back on track now.

So I’m on 9lb down in 32 days. I have PCOS so this is the best I’ve ever done. 16lb to go to healthy bmi!

Day 3 and boy was it hard waiting until 12 to break my fast. I think I need to be more realistic and do a 11 - 7 or even 10:30 - 6:30. Or maybe I should extend my window and work towards 16:8.

But, I’ve lost a pound already (although my scales are analogue so not supremely accurate).

skeletonskins 9lbs is good, well done.

I bloody stuck to this for 6 days and put on 2lb. So fed up. Back to it, I only took Sat/Sun off. Clearly I need to be so much better about what I do eat. I wasn't going deliberately crazy I promise in eating hours. Rah, bloody body that likes food and to store fat.

I'm the same. This is day 6 and I've stayed the same. I'm definitely eating less and what I am eating isn't just junk and stuffing my face. Was so hopeful!

@SkeletonSkins I'm sorry to hear you have had sad news 

@Moo678 I have been stuck on 12st 3.8lbs all week (was 12st 4lbs last week). My official weigh in day is tomorrow, so I'm hoping to have lost a tiny bit more, but like you, I am desperate to be under 12st for the first time in several years! We can do this!

I stayed the same last week but I was determined to keep at it...and today I have binged! Stayed within my eating window but eaten loads of chocolate. Feel dreadful now.

12st 5lbs at my official weigh in this morning. Typical. Never mind, this weekend I've managed to get into a pair of jeans which I couldn't even do up before, so it's not all doom and gloom. Aiming to lose 2lbs this week. Fingers crossed it's smooth sailing!

Typical!! I definitely find I get a lot of fluctuations with 16:8 but the overall trend is downwards.

Another lb off for me so that’s 10lbs in 33 days. Interestingly, 6lb of that was in the last two weeks so it’s interesting to see how my weight loss has sped up. I think this is definitely due to my reduced appetite.

Has anyone else had a first week fail? I am feeling so demoralised as I did not cheat the fast at all. Feeling generally fed up with life atm like so many of us so that is not helping. Back on it today. Black coffee all the way until midday.

are you weighing yourself without any clothing, after toilet, before any food or drink on the same scale on a hard surface?

I would recommend you measure your waist, you might show a loss in circumference before it shows on the scales.

I am always astounded how much clothing weights...

Snap @purplepandas

I posted last night in the Fasting topic. Black coffee for me too this morning. I'm also going to stop drinking at that leads to all my bad decisions and it'll give me more calorie space for food. I'm doing 16:8 on 1200 cals.

Thanks @bluefoxmug, yes, wthout clothes, post toilet and always on the same hard surface. Will look at sorting waist measurements.

@Bella444, so sorry you had a tough week too. Hopefully you di not put on, I did. That was doubly gutting. One clas down, some water and black coffee. Going to have to be so strict. Am the heaviest I have ever been and feeling so rubbish about it.

I'm not going to weigh myself until tomorrow. Onwards and downwards, one day at a time!