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Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Intermittent Fasting Advice

2 replies

Orangetree42 · 07/07/2025 08:42

Hi everyone I’ve been calorie counting with reasonable success but I keep plateauing so I’ve decided to give intermittent fasting a go to shake things up. Can anyone offer advice on their experiences or a good plan to follow for a busy mum? TIA!

OP posts:
NoctuaAthene · 07/07/2025 13:44

There's loads of info on here if you look back through old threads, it's a mine of useful advice. I'd start for a gentle introduction by keeping up your calorie counting but adding in 16:8 on at least a few days a week, perhaps building up to everyday. On the 16:8 you eat during a window of 8 hours a day (can be any 8 hours) and fast for the remaining 16 (you can and should drink during your fast window but stick to water or other zero cal drinks like herbal teas or black coffee). In practice for most people it means skipping one meal a day, so either no breakfast and no morning snacks, eat lunch at 12ish and dinner at 7ish, no late night snacks, or eat breakfast and lunch as normal at say 7am and 1pm, then skip afternoon snacks and dinner, don't eat again until dinner the next day. You don't have to buy/cook any special foods or count macros if you don't want too, although most people do find avoiding too many simple/white carbs helps.

A lot of people find it surprisingly easy to skip a meal and it certainly fits well into a busy schedule as you have less cooking/eating/meal planning to do - me for instance, for many years I bought into the whole 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day' and dutifully forced down a bowl of porridge or bran flakes or something equally carby (never had time for eggs or other cooked breakfasts), I didn't find it made much difference to my appetite (I actually felt somewhat hungrier mid morning compared to skipping), it gave me no pleasure whatsoever and it just took up valuable calories that could have been better spent elsewhere. So I very gladly gave up breakfast and didn't find it too much of a loss (the few healthy breakfast foods I do like e.g. greek yoghurt and berries I have incorporated elsewhere). I'm also naturally not a little and often eater person, I think it would be hard to do if you were. I did used to snack quite a bit but that was more to do with availability of tempting goodies in the office or the treat cupboard at home, the 16:8 gives me a bit more discipline to stick to two main meals a day. Mind you I wouldn't lose any weight just following the 16:8 alone, I would definitely have to calorie count as well, otherwise the portion sizes at my main meals would creep up and the little add-ons of a pudding here or a glass of wine there would sneak in, but I do find it helps.

If you find you get on well with the 16:8 you could try the 5:2, bit more extreme as on 2 days a week you only eat 500 cals, but I find if you are used to skipping breakfast already it isn't too much harder to then have a very slight lunch of soup or salad or similar, then a small portion of a reasonably normal dinner (usually minus carbs) for 500 cals on 2 days a week. You do have to make sure to keep well-hydrated to avoid dizzy/sicky feelings though. I still have to calorie count the other 5 days to lose weight but because you've effectively created your deficit on the 2 fast days you can eat at TDEE the other 5 days which is nicer esp if you have to account for things like weekend socialising or treats too...

Orangetree42 · 07/07/2025 15:26

@NoctuaAthene that is so helpful and informative. Thank you! I think I’ll give it a go as I don’t think I’d struggle too much missing breakfast and it would stop any night time snacking! It would probably also help me keep the carbs down as I tend towards carby breakfasts. And it’ll make me a bit better about adding a glass of wine after dinner!

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