Eating Toooooooo Much

weighless114

I’m doing the 16/8 intermittent fasting diet, I find the 16 hours fasting quite easy but I’m eating way too much in the 8 hour window.

TracyL963

You might need to increase the number of hours you fast. Reduced eating windows can help some people reduce calorie intake pretty naturally, others not so much.

I don't fast myself, but here are a bunch of posts...........

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/search?domain=all_content&query=intermittant fasting&scope=site&source=community

AnnPT77

Yup, if weight management is the goal, IF doesn't eliminate the importance of calorie intake.

If your only reason to IF is weight management, IF is fully optional. It's only a weight loss strategy if it helps you reduce calories. If you have other reasons to do IF, that's great . . . but getting the calories in line will be key for body weight.

If you want to keep IF-ing, then the normal considerations for reducing calories or increasing satiety will apply.

It's normal to feel hungry in the first couple of weeks of a new, reduced calorie eating routine. That's more about accustoming the body to new habits.

Beyond that, satiety tends to be very individual. Some people are sated by protein, others by fats, some by high volume (such as low-calorie veggies), some by specific foods (potatoes and oatmeal are common but not universal), and more. Some people find reducing carb intake to reduce appetite, but that's not universal either. Many people find so-called whole foods more filling than ultra-processed foods.

Even eating timing can affect satiety, obviously. You're doing 16/8, but people here report doing best on anything from one meal per day (OMAD) to all-day grazing on small portions, and everything in between.

If you pay attention to how you feel - times when you're more crave-y or less - you may be able to suss out changes you can make to feel more full more often.

The appetite triggers aren't even necessarily about food intake: Sleep quality/quantity, habitual triggers (example: eating while watching TV), boredom, emotional or stress issues, types/timing of exercise . . . all of those can affect satiety, too. If you notice patterns, use those to experiment with changes, see if you can improve the situation.

If you use your diary and personal insights, apply a little canny detective work, I'm betting you can find some solutions. Maybe reducing your eating window is it, maybe not.

Best wishes!

springlering62

Since it’s all calorie based anyway, is IF really the right choice for you?

I have to have a steady drip of meals and snacks or I go nuts and my brain goes into the mode of Feed me! Feed me! Food! Food! Let’s think about food!!!

There’s no inherent magic in IF, since you’re getting the same number of calories.

It really helps me to pre-log all my meals and snacks. That way I know what’s coming, when to expect it, and that I’ll meet my macros reasonably well. (I also look at macros in a weekly average, because my per diem may be low or high in one or another.(

Anyway, just a thought. If IF is your jam, go for it. But if just hearing the word “jam” sends your mind in another direction……at least think about it. This has to be a long term plan. Can you live with IF forever? If you do lose, how - or will- you change over once you reach goal and switch to maintenance ?

cmriverside

Are you pre-planning your food or just randomly eating what's available? Are you hitting close on your macros? Lots of fresh whole vegetables, protein, fats, legumes, whole fruit, nuts, lowfat dairy?

cmriverside

I meeeeeeeean. The majority of us ARE here because we don't control what we eat very well

Keep trying different things. It's a process.

neanderthin

Yeah, it's not a diet.

HealthyHeartQueen

Have you tried to increase your protein? It helps to curb my appetite.

EveryDayisDay01

I’m new but I’m guessing you could change the 8 hour window during a different part of your day; morning lunch or evening because most of us are less hungry at one or more of these parts of the day & u could have your 8 hours during the less hungry part so that u eat better?

jimmydr5

@weighless114
16:8 is pretty good provided the calorie intake and food quality are in check for those 8 hrs.
Do to my irregular work schedule. I shifted mostly to mandatory 12:12 with 2-3 times in a week 20-24 hrs fasts. For me it’s helping. But I totally agree, 16:8 is better on a regular basis; but I just cannot keep it; I tried; so I switched to at least 12:12.
Recently finished 72 hrs fast too. 🥰Am loving it.
IF Also depends on what kind of workout you are doing and how frequently, the intensity, blah blah …
Eg. difficult to have intense IF with daily HIIT.

rileysowner

My only suggestion, not knowing what your macro breakdown is, would be make sure you are eating sufficient protein. For most people it gives a feeling of satiety more quickly. Fats hold that feeling longer for many as well. To add, part of the whole process of losing weight is learning the read those signals better and listen to them. For most, after years of disordered eating, that takes a while, which is why logging what you eat and sticking to that calorie goal is important. It is retraining yourself.