Any 16:8 Intermittent Fasters? Just Started and Could Use Advice.

[pershing]

Hi,

I have just started doing 16:8 fasting and I could use some advice. I'm ending up eating only 2 meals. Today I only ate one and a snack. It was a big meal though and probably had a days worth of calories, but I'm wondering if I'm doing this right. They say, "Listen to your body," and I am. It's just that I'm having a hard time cramming nutrients into 8 hours, so I wonder what everyone else eats when they do this?

I've got to say, I love the way I feel since I've started! I'm so alert, and I get so much more stuff done. I'm very heavy and I always felt like I had some metabolic syndrome thing going, but I never tested positive for anything. I don't plan on adding any ketogenic aspect until I've been doing this a month. They say it takes 60 days to develop a habit, so that is what I'm doing.

Anyone else have any experience with this?

 

[Tennesotans]

I've been doing 16:8 for almost four years. I try to eat nutrient dense foods early in the day (salad, fruits, nuts). The rest of the day is just getting my daily calories (I don't eat many empty calories). I've loosened the reins somewhat... 5 days are 15.5:8.5, and two days are 14:10. I lost nearly forty pounds the first year and have been stable ever since. Good luck.

I workout most days of the week... first thing in the morning in a fasted state.

I'm no expert... I can share what I've done :: shrug ::
Good luck! :: high five ::

 

[pershing]

Thanks so much.

I have been falling into over eating during the 6 hours lately so the scale stopped moving down. Do you do Keto too? It seems like everyone does it with Keto, but I'm not ready for that yet. I have been having a light meal after the 16 hours are up, and I am lowering my carbs. Also, upping my veggies and fruit, but I wouldn't call it nutrient dense yet.

Even though the scale's not moving, my body is. As in, I visibly see my stomach going down and my clothes are looser. My plan is to stick to 16:8 for two months and read up on Keto during that time. I have a lot more than 40 to lose, but lowering my insulin sensitivity is my main goal right now.

Can you tell me how you handle the holidays? I feel like they could trip me up. Also, what do you drink during fasting? I just made my first container of homemade apple cider vinegar and I'm ready to try that. Sort of. All I can think of is Yuck!

I should start exercising again, and doing it in the morning before breaking the fast is a great idea. I'm gonna start slow with doing yoga from the down dog app on my phone. I guess if I don't tone and keep loosening up, I'll have flabby skin.

Honestly, this is so much easier than dieting. The hardest part for me is giving up eating breakfast as soon as I get up. It's not that I'm hungry or anything. It's just so much a habit.

 

[Tennesotans]

I definitely make exceptions during holidays.

I don't do keto

I *AM* vegan -- (not sure how that factors in... but it seems relevant).

In general I don't like to get my calories through liquids -- I generally drink water and unsweetened tea (THINK of the calories you can burn walking back and forth to the bathroom ) -- I drank diet drinks for many years and feel much better having left that behind.

I'm happier when I work out (I think its good for my body, I think its good for my mind).

I used to have a mild "panic attack" just before 8pm (beginning of my fast). I'm much more mellow about it now.
The only thing about missing breakfast is brushing my teeth when I haven't had anything to eat! #habit

Keep on keeping on!

 

[pershing]

The only thing about missing breakfast is brushing my teeth when I haven't had anything to eat! #habit

That is weird isn't it?

I was nervous the first day. I was thinking, can I really do this? Now I like not having to think about constantly what to eat for meals and snacks. I thought it was going to be hard because I love breakfast so much. Then I realized I could have eggs anytime of the day.

I decided not to worry about carbs at Christmas. However, I will stick to 16:8. I usually stop eating at 5PM but I have a late dinner to go to Christmas Eve and then dinner around 5 on Christmas day. I think I'll do 18:6 on the 23rd. Try to keep to 16:8 on the 24th and 25th and then do 18:6 on the 26th. Hopefully, that will take care of any excess insulin and carbs lying around.

I don't want to get off track because the loosening of my clothes wasn't my imagination. The scale just runs slower than how I feel. I got on the scale and lost a bunch more. That overeating didn't affect me at all! So much for calories in/calories out!

 

[pershing]

Result from my holiday fasting plan was 1 pound gain. That's really good considering I had delved into a chinese buffet on Christmas Eve-yep! 2 plate fulls and cinnamon bread Christmas Day along with Lasagna. I had M&M's last night, so I know I'm nutrient deficient now.

So, I will have a big salad today and tomorrow to get back on track and then plan my veggies and fruits for the following days.

I feel good about how things turned out. Intermittent fasting is a lot easier to stick to than calorie counting.

 

[Tennesotans]

Awesome! I was worried about the vegan cookies my niece sent us.... :: chomp chomp chomp :: -- the scale said good things this morning

 

[pershing]

Awesome! I was worried about the vegan cookies my niece sent us.... :: chomp chomp chomp :: -- the scale said good things this morning

Vegan Cookies? Aren't most cookies vegetarian at least? Ohhhh, the eggs! Yeah, I could never be vegan. Got to have my eggs!

I have that Moosehead cook book and my New Year's Resolution is to make something from it once a week. That's how vegetable lazy I am! Usually, it's sticking veggies in an omelette and eating salads. That's how I eat most of my veggies. I just learned that falafels are made with chick peas and I have 4 old cans of them on my shelf that I need to use up. So there's that.

For kicks, I weighed myself each day for the last week, and on average I was going down 0.4 a day. I'm waiting for a plateau that doesn't seem to ever arrive. This is so easy I'm waiting for the catch or the bottom to fall out. Whatever, I have a long way to go. However, after decades of yo-yo dieting which just kept pushing my heaviest weight heavier, I will take 0.4 a day. I don't want to lose weight fast any more, actually. I can do this forever.

Does everyone know you do Intermittent Fasting? My sons know but that's it. Everyone's so judgey about skipping meals. My mother was complaining about my brother skipping breakfast the other day and how bad it was and how it's 'the most important meal of the day,' and I was like

I thought about trying 5:2 but I know myself. I would cheat and rationalize it. Did you ever try it? I'm fine with doing a 24 hour fast before a holiday or celebration. Two days seem beyond me somehow. I think some people feel there are more physical benefits to 5:2 than 16:8 with ketosis and insulin resistance. I have two Type I children and ketosis is such a bad things in our world that I hesitate to go ketogenic. I've cut out the blatant use of sugars, and don't eat potatoes anymore. But cauliflower instead of rice?

I'm not there yet.

 

[Tennesotans]

My cousin lost 20 lbs using I.F. -- I think she did 5:2. I can't say I've gotten a lot of positive response from family regarding my eating (the don't like that I'm vegan, they don't understand I.F.). I'll generally shared what I'm doing if asked... but I'm not gonna get into a debate :: ppfffft! ::

I'm glad you are seeing good results -- Happy New Year