Do you have to skip a meal on 16:8?

[brightgreensocks]

I've hit a bit of a wall with a calorie counting diet and was thinking about doing 16:8 in conjunction. I read lots of threads on here with people saying they've lost weight without trying too hard on it...but everything I read online seems to say you have to go without one meal (usually breakfast)-is that right?

Is anyone doing eg 11-7, still eating all 3 meals? This is what I've been doing for a couple of days. I haven't eaten any fewer calories really than when I was just tracking calories-will the extra element of fasting actually be useful on top?!

There is a school of thought that says the fasting period brings some health benefits.

For weight loss what matters is calories. I personally find the 16:8 approach helps me control the calories as I am never hungry for breakfast. So I eat a light lunch at 2pm, a reasonably substantial snack at 5pm and dinner at around 9pm.

Yikes a light lunch at 2 @Spodge ?! How are you not ravenous by that point? I wish I could do that but think I'd pass out if I don't eat before 11 (and even then I have breakfast following by lunch at 1-which I am hungry for!)

I do 16:8 but I do eat breakfast. I was calorie counting as well and found that 16:8 helped to keep on track. I've recently stopped calorie counting but still doing 16:8 because the non eating period helps me to keep on top of things and not slip back into bad habits - even eating 3 meals there's simply less time in which to eat and I feel full after each meal so I'm not then snacking on shit. I eat breakfast around 10 (fruit and coffee usually), light lunch around 1.30ish, dinner with kids at 5ish, no food after 6pm.

Ps. I've lost 10kg using combined 16:8 and calorie counting, and still losing but a bit slower just doing sensible eating on 16:8

I do very similar to bearded dragon and its really reduced how much I can eat. There is only so much you can eat in 8 hours! I find I have smaller portions because the time between meals is less so I'm less hungry. And it didn't take long to get used to the fasting part.

Thanks everyone, I'll give it a go!

I find it easier to skip the evening meal, I was reading something the other day about how our natural biological rhythms, e.g. whether we are morning people, affects when we want to eat. Though that mainly works because DD is a older and I rarely eat with her, it would be more difficult if I was cooking for someone else.

I eat three small meals and two snacks, I stick to low carb, so on the whole I'm not hungry. I drink plenty of water.

On my WFH days I don't eat breakfast and have a healthy lunch at about 12pm.

There's no way I could last til 12 when I'm at work so I'll have something like a couple of boiled eggs and some rice cakes at about 10 (it's tastier than it sounds)

Dinner is usually at about 6ish and I'm working on portion control for the first time in my life!

I have 3 meals between 10am and 6pm. This works well for me as I have small kids so just eat dinner with them before 6 but wait until 10am to have breakfast.