16/8 fasting, please help me figure out a schedule

[Disney1fan2002]

16/8 fasting is when you only eat in an 8 hour window for the day and fast for 16 hours. Many people on keto do this. It is supposed to help your metabolism and has some health benefits.

I want to start eating healthier. I would love to go full-on keto, but even if I just cut out carbs I know I will be eating healthier. I am not sure I can give up bananas and oranges. I really would like to do the 16/8 fasting, but I work 12 hour overnights, and I do not keep an overnight schedule on my nights off.

On the nights I work (630p-700a) I think I would be fine with my 8 hours being between 9pm-5a. My 2 week work schedule is 4 on,(Thurs-Sun) 1 off,(Mon) 2 on,(Tues,Wed) 7 off(Thurs-Wed)

Is it impossible to switch to a different fasting schedule day to day?

 

[scanmom]

I would like to figure this out as well. I work 12 hour shifts overnight too - but I am 7pm to 7 am, 7 on/7off Could I make this work? And- I switch gears on my week off - I sleep at night like a normal person!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Probably if you Google "16/8 fasting advice", you will get more and better information.

 

[Christine]

16/8 fasting is when you only eat in an 8 hour window for the day and fast for 16 hours. Many people on keto do this. It is supposed to help your metabolism and has some health benefits.

I want to start eating healthier. I would love to go full-on keto, but even if I just cut out carbs I know I will be eating healthier. I am not sure I can give up bananas and oranges. I really would like to do the 16/8 fasting, but I work 12 hour overnights, and I do not keep an overnight schedule on my nights off.

On the nights I work (630p-700a) I think I would be fine with my 8 hours being between 9pm-5a. My 2 week work schedule is 4 on,(Thurs-Sun) 1 off,(Mon) 2 on,(Tues,Wed) 7 off(Thurs-Wed)

Is it impossible to switch to a different fasting schedule day to day?

Sure, it's possible. You do what you can do and you find an 8 hour window to eat when you most naturally feel like eating and that can change from day to day.

I did try it several months ago (although, not a shift worker) and I didn't see any better results with than when I do caloric restriction throughout the day. But I can see where limiting the hours you eat would help control caloric intake just because you run out of time to eat. I don't think it matters when you do it so long as you are limiting food for an 8 hour timespan.

 

[DisneyRobin]

Hi -
I’ve been intermittent fasting for a while now - for the past year with a few exceptions like vacations!

I find this to be the easiest diet I’ve ever done since you basically just don’t eat when you’re not in your eating window - not much to think about! Lol

My usual routine is eating from 12pm- 8pm and I find it very easy to do. You can have water, coffee and tea (no milk/sugar) while you’re fasting.

If I have a late dinner event, I just eat later the next day.

Once I got used to eating only during my 8 hr window, it became easy to cut that back to a 6 hour eating window. I do that a lot and sometimes cut back to a 4 hour window. You just get out of the habit of eating all the time!

I eat a lot healthier during my eating Windows because I need good nutrition to keep me going. I’ll usually plan 1 or 2 good healthy meals (protein, veggies) and eat some fruit each day.

I feel so much better eating this way!

 

[DisneyRobin]

Rather than doing Keto (especially since you mentioned bananas and oranges!), I think that a much healthier plan to follow is Whole 30. You can google it for details and you don’t need to pay anything or sign up for anything...

I think one of the big difference btwn the 2 diets is that on Keto you can’t have a lot of fruits but they encourage full fat dairy. On whole 30, you can have fruits but can’t have any dairy.

Basically on whole 30, you stop eating added sugar, processed food, white flour, grains, dairy, alcohol...

It’s called whole 30 because you commit to doing it for 30 days (‘you can do anything for 30 days’). I have adopted it as a lifestyle and just make exceptions on vacations, celebrations, etc but try to stick with it most of the time to stay healthy. It can be a slippery slope for me when I cheat so I try to be good and get in the habit of eating healthy.

If you google it, you’ll also find lots of free info like blogs and suggested shopping lists for various stores like Costco, Trader Joe’s, the basic supermarkets, etc. All sorts of free info and tips online. It’s very helpful!

 

[kaytieeldr]

My usual routine is eating from 12pm- 8pm and I find it very easy to do. You can have water, coffee and tea (no milk/sugar) while you’re fasting.

What about artificial sweeteners? I need my black coffee-with-Splenda!

 

[gillep]

I hope you find something that works for you. I don't do keto, but have been unknowingly doing intermittent fasting for over a year since I cut out eating in the mornings. I feel great and have lost a bit of weight. I had never even heard about intermittent fasting until I stumbled across a subreddit about it a couple month back, that may be a place you want to check out for advice. I only eat between 11am and 7pm and I pretty much never have cravings outside these hours. I do have a small cheat in that I have about a tsp of half and half in my iced coffee in the morning because my stomach, sadly, can no longer tolerate black coffee.

 

[DisneyRobin]

What about artificial sweeteners? I need my black coffee-with-Splenda!

Not allowed.

 

[DLgal]

Be careful with IF if you are female. It isn't always recommended because it can influence your hormones in a bad way. I naturally follow an IF type regimen simply because we eat dinner at 5pm and I don't eat again until like 8 or 9am the next day. However, there are times during my cycle where I cannot stick to those hours without becoming shaky, lightheaded, etc. I read some articles that said women should not have a fasting window over 14 hours because of hormonal issues that can be triggered by a longer fast. You may want to Google that.

Also, working nights, you likely need to eat something during your shift since you are active. IF works well for most people because they are sleeping a good portion of the fasting period. I would think a window that corresponds to the majority of your fasting hours being while you sleep would work best. You can shift the window on days you don't work.

 

[DisneyOma]

What does your doctor recommend? Carbs are an important part of cell energy and brain function. Unless there's something really wrong with your health, a balanced diet of carbs, fats and proteins is what's best for your body. Be careful of fad dieting.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Not allowed.

I'm out. Thanks

 

[AustinTink]

I was so surprised to hear about this diet recently. Apparently, I've been doing it for a while now and didn't know it. I have severe GERD, so I don't eat past 6pm. It just makes my life a whole lot easier. When I eat late, I have incredible reflux which is so painful and harming my esophagus and teeth.

Anyway, I stopped eating after 6, and I'm not a breakfast person, so I accidentally started doing this intermittent fasting thing. I noticed weight dropping off and wondered if I was sick. Lol. Turns out this diet really works. I don't eat between the hours of 6pm and 10am. It's been so easy, I didn't even know I was on a diet!

 

[RamblingMad]

I’ve been doing this for about a year now. I eat between 12-8. Some weeks I just do a one day fast. I mix it up. One day fasts during the week work best around the holidays.

 

[lorenae]

We do this (my husband and myself). We are both incredibly healthy, and he just had a checkup. He's nearly 65, slim, lean, low fasting glucose, lipids, good heart, etc. All his blood work is better than many 20 year olds! Mine is pretty good as well, but I'm not as lean as him (I'm 55). I have been low carb for 9 1/2 years and am healthier and slimmer than my 29 year old daughter. I have tons of energy, and don't miss sugar and grains at all (but I did at first). I don't gain weight, ever. But I use to struggle a little with weight gain creep before going low- carb. I'm steady at 5'5 and 135 pounds, a size 4. We take no medications at all, except for my B-12 shots for pernicious anemia (due to a lack of the ability to absorb it, which was inherited).

My eating window is 10a-5p. (Usually nearly 5:30 when I am always sure to be done).

It's going to be harder with shift work, I'm sure, but it'll be worth it. Greater energy and vitality and health is my primary goal, but being leaner is a great side effect!

 

[RamblingMad]

I would like to figure this out as well. I work 12 hour shifts overnight too - but I am 7pm to 7 am, 7 on/7off Could I make this work? And- I switch gears on my week off - I sleep at night like a normal person!

One day a week fasts where you don’t eat breakfast and lunch might work better. This is my go to during Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks.

 

[DisneyRobin]

I'm out. Thanks

... or if you want to try the fasting, you could just have a little sweetener. It can’t make that much of a difference - especially if you just have a cup or 2 of coffee.

My husband and I started drinking espresso since cutting out milk and sugar. This way, it’s not a big cup of black coffee - just a little shot of espresso. Lol. Nespresso offers a nice variety of flavors (like vanilla and chocolate!) and they are all sugar free / no sweeteners, etc...

I’ve pretty much given up coffee and just drink espresso now.

 

[Disney_Alli]

I do intermittent fasting and work 6pm to 6am. I generally eat from 6pm to 2am but I really try to stop eating before midnight because my stomach prefers to be empty when I’m headed to bed. It works out great for me and between that and meal prepping I’m down 2-3 pant sizes (I don’t own a scale)