Where am I going wrong with IF?

[sqirrelfriends]

Hi all, I started intermittent fasting (16/8) in April and initially saw a loss of 2kg but nothing since then.

I have been having a little bit of milk in my tea, I've heard conflicting advice but do you think this will break my fast and negate any benefits?

Also I've started eating healthier and exercising since January (no alcohol, added sugars, less carbs and shakes for lunch). This didn't lead to any more weight loss but when I started to eat breakfast I seemed to start losing weight, is it possible that lack of calories has actually stopped me from losing?

Please lend me your wisdom, I'm still carrying extra from when I had my DS almost 3 years ago.

I do 16:8 from 4pm to 8am the next morning. I only saw results when I started exercising first thing in the morning before breaking my fast.

Thanks @elephantasia

I've started running most mornings and it makes me starving which I'm hopeful is my metabolism doing something. Do you have 3 meals during your eating window?

There is nothing special about IF for weight loss purposes. It is just a way of restricting your calories by eating in a smaller window. There are other benefits but not specially weight loss.
It’s simple(although sadly not easy), you need to be burning more energy than you are consuming.

What does a daily food intake look like and what exercising are you doing and when?

Hi @Pippioddstocking

I go for a run every other morning, c25k and up to about about 4K in half an hour. On other days I do random bits of exercise around the day and try to get at least 7000 steps and close the rings on my Apple Watch.

Food is cups of tea with some milk, then a shake for lunch (about 200 cal) and an orange (roughly 60-70). I don't snack and have a normal dinner of about 600 cals and sometimes fruit for desert. I don't drink any alcohol except for 2-3 glasses of wine spread over the weekend.

Before January I was fasting but eating less than ideal food, drinking during the week and not exercising much and my weight is still the same despite being really good and starting to exercise.

1000 calories a day and exercising? You're not eating enough

You're running so would honestly be better off counting calories (1600 or so, definitely no less) every day. You need to nourish your body not starve it. You're going to need your metabolism for many years so don't mess it up!
Focus on healthy foods, it sounds like you've got all the basics in place.
Keep on running, keep eating healthily & the extra weight will go. It might be a bit slower but that is far, far better in the long run.
16:8 is just another diet, there's absolutely no proof that it's good for you to fast but plenty of evidence that it isn't a great idea.

@sqirrelfriends 3 meals and way too many snacks but still see a loss

If you are fasting the book "The Obesity Code" is a real eye opener

OP my first question is, are you actually overweight?

@AcornAutumn yes, my bmi is 26 and I look very podgy but I'm a size 10-12. I look much better as an 8 as I'm so short.

[quote sqirrelfriends]@AcornAutumn yes, my bmi is 26 and I look very podgy but I'm a size 10-12. I look much better as an 8 as I'm so short.[/quote]
Ah, by a mere hair then.

I sympathise because although I'm very fat, I only care for vanity reasons. But i'm not sure you should keep on like this. Exercise is so important for a million reasons, not least fun and quality of life, so you need to fuel your workouts.

@elephantasia

If you are fasting the book "The Obesity Code" is a real eye opener

I'll have a look, I've heard of it before and the theory behind it is what caused me to try IF in the first place but I'm not 100% sure of the science behind it.

It sort or rings true that our bodies revert to a set weight, no matter what I do I'm pretty much always go back to here.

Blimey, if we revert back to a set weight I'm not likely to do well...!

I'm hoping it's not the case either autumn, I keep looking at my fitness pal and after every diet I'm back to 65 kg. It's like my body likes being at that weight. I'm hoping that it's just due to my eating habits which admittedly haven't been the best as I tend to relax and enjoy myself a bit too much after I finish a diet.

I'm not actually dieting but being careful not to overeat. Lost 7lb since Jan which is better than a poke in the eye etc

I wanted to do something completely sustainable so there's no sense of being on a diet. Not sure how the Obesity Code would interpret that - sorry, can't face reading it.

My parents had many friends who lost weight in their 60s and seemed to find it easier, perhaps because they'd retired, had fewer demands on body etc.

That's amazing weight loss, well done.

I think it's the best way to do it, make a lifestyle change but I can't seem to manage it long term.

@sqirrelfriends

That's amazing weight loss, well done.

I think it's the best way to do it, make a lifestyle change but I can't seem to manage it long term.

Thanks I'm disappointed, thought I'd lose a lot more but oh well 🤷🏻‍♀️

I find that I lose more weight if I eat a few extra calories. There have been plenty of times when I thought I'd blown it at the end of a week, just to find out that I'd actually lost more weight than usual. I'm not talking about a ton of extra calories, maybe 200-300 a day? I don't calorie count but tend to eat the same menus over and over. So I always know when I've added some extras. My metabolism works better if I give it 'something to do' on a regular basis.

@AngelSings

I find that I lose more weight if I eat a few extra calories. There have been plenty of times when I thought I'd blown it at the end of a week, just to find out that I'd actually lost more weight than usual. I'm not talking about a ton of extra calories, maybe 200-300 a day? I don't calorie count but tend to eat the same menus over and over. So I always know when I've added some extras. My metabolism works better if I give it 'something to do' on a regular basis.

Yup, when I started eating breakfast the weight shifted a bit. I think I might go back to IF but add in a few extra calories at mealtimes to see if that helps.

Exactly the same happened to me. I didn't have masses of weight to lose but am prone to high sugar levels - after reading about the benefits of fasting, I started fasting between my evening meal and lunch the next day.
I found it easy and initially dropped a few pounds but my weight settled. A few months later, I added breakfast back in and I lost a few more lbs without even trying.

I don't know the reason but you're not alone! I did wonder if your body just gets used to your way of eating and changing it up occasionally makes it more efficient (a bit like with exercise). However, if you're exercising, I would perhaps up your food intake a little... I know I struggle to run to my full potential if I'm restricting calories.