16:8 IF Friends Wanted

VickiMitkins

I read an article about the 8 hour diet last night that got me interested in IF. I realized I naturally follow the 16:8 fasting scenario on the weekends and vacation (and I'm not hungry). I've been doing the 3 meals and 2 snacks during the work week for a couple of years now. I've lost weight, but I'm always thinking about the next meal and I'm hungry two hours before each meal. Is there a group following th16:8 plan? I started 16:8 today to see how it works for me. Would love some friends to do this with.

qqemokitty

I don't follow any particular dietary schedule, but I do practice, inadvertently and deliberately, intermittent fasting. Everyone does a version of IF at night while they sleep.

Sometimes I am just not hungry at lunch time, and so I just don't eat, and I am OK with that. Though I think it has a lot to do with what you eat when you DO eat.

Are you eating wholesome healthful foods for your meals? That can make all the difference in how long you can go between meals. (Carb heavy? Probably hungry more often. Protein/Fat > Carbs? Probably hungry less often.)

As with all things food related, your mileage may vary. xD Good luck!

VickiMitkins

I don't follow any particular dietary schedule, but I do practice, inadvertently and deliberately, intermittent fasting. Everyone does a version of IF at night while they sleep.

Sometimes I am just not hungry at lunch time, and so I just don't eat, and I am OK with that. Though I think it has a lot to do with what you eat when you DO eat.

Are you eating wholesome healthful foods for your meals? That can make all the difference in how long you can go between meals. (Carb heavy? Probably hungry more often. Protein/Fat > Carbs? Probably hungry less often.)

As with all things food related, your mileage may vary. xD Good luck!

Thanks for the reply. My problem is I'm always hungry at lunch whether I eat breakfast or not. I'm rarely hungry in the morning and can easily be good until 11:00 or later before I want food. I actually eat a pretty healthy whole food diet. I have been gluten intollerant ever since I can remember and went GF 4 years ago, so I eat very few processed grains. I eat lots of fruits, vegies and greens. I limit dairy, fatty meats and processed meats. I will typically chose brown rice or a sweet potato over white any day. Not to say I don't splurge, I do. I love dark chocolate and every once in a while I will make a GF cake or pie. I really think I am hungry because am trying to spread the food out too much while also limiting calories to 1200-1300. I just upped to 1600 calories since I would rather lose slow than feel hungry.

puddinsmom

Hi!

I do 16:8 - eating window during the week from 1-9. On the weekends I try and stick to that unless we have breakfast plans. Evenings on the weekend can be had with cocktails happening after 9 often. I just try not to eat food after 9 on those days and eat an earlier dinner if I did end up having breakfast.

It is very easy during the week though. Once you get out of the breakfast habit.

Add me if you'd like!

puddinsmom

Ohhhh and I eat 1500 cal a day even though MFP recommends 1280 for a 1 pound weight loss. I still lose 1 a week eating 1500 plus my excersize calories back.

imsmooth

I've been doing IF going on 3 months. I do the 8/16 and it has worked for me. I got the idea from the fastingtwins on youtube. They answered a lot of my initial questions. When you first start it, it will take your body time to adjust to IF. The key is to always stay busy, this will help to keep your mind off food. Most cravings are psychological anyway. I experienced the same thing when I first started. When you first break your fast you may want to have your biggest caloric intake. This helped me immensely when I started. You will have to experiment to see what works best for you. It took me about a month of hit and miss till I got it right. What defeats a lot of people is they go into something new expecting to be perfect at it, so when they have a set back they feel defeated and give up. Go into it knowing that you will fail at times (your human) just try not to keep making the same mistakes and you'll be fine. Hope you are successful!!!!

qqemokitty

I don't follow any particular dietary schedule, but I do practice, inadvertently and deliberately, intermittent fasting. Everyone does a version of IF at night while they sleep.

Sometimes I am just not hungry at lunch time, and so I just don't eat, and I am OK with that. Though I think it has a lot to do with what you eat when you DO eat.

Are you eating wholesome healthful foods for your meals? That can make all the difference in how long you can go between meals. (Carb heavy? Probably hungry more often. Protein/Fat > Carbs? Probably hungry less often.)

As with all things food related, your mileage may vary. xD Good luck!

Thanks for the reply. My problem is I'm always hungry at lunch whether I eat breakfast or not. I'm rarely hungry in the morning and can easily be good until 11:00 or later before I want food. I actually eat a pretty healthy whole food diet. I have been gluten intollerant ever since I can remember and went GF 4 years ago, so I eat very few processed grains. I eat lots of fruits, vegies and greens. I limit dairy, fatty meats and processed meats. I will typically chose brown rice or a sweet potato over white any day. Not to say I don't splurge, I do. I love dark chocolate and every once in a while I will make a GF cake or pie. I really think I am hungry because am trying to spread the food out too much while also limiting calories to 1200-1300. I just upped to 1600 calories since I would rather lose slow than feel hungry.

If you are not hungry till 11, don't eat until 11!

I think we all get so caught up in things like "must eat 3 square a day" or "snack so that you eat 6 times a day" or "fast this many hours" or whatever dietary schedule the plan we favor recommends, and then we lose sight of the things our body is telling us.

So, eat when you're hungry and not before. No point in forcing yourself to eat when not hungry because conventional wisdom or a plan says you "should." Eat lunch if you want it at your designated break, or not. Keep whole food snacks at your desk, be it fruit, nuts, or jerky, or even a bit of the good dark chocolate. Keep track of all the intake here just to be mindful of what you are doing, and you may find that your body will determine it's own IF schedule pretty easily.

I'm gluten free too. It's made an incredible improvement in my life.

VickiMitkins

I don't follow any particular dietary schedule, but I do practice, inadvertently and deliberately, intermittent fasting. Everyone does a version of IF at night while they sleep.

Sometimes I am just not hungry at lunch time, and so I just don't eat, and I am OK with that. Though I think it has a lot to do with what you eat when you DO eat.

Are you eating wholesome healthful foods for your meals? That can make all the difference in how long you can go between meals. (Carb heavy? Probably hungry more often. Protein/Fat > Carbs? Probably hungry less often.)

As with all things food related, your mileage may vary. xD Good luck!

Thanks for the reply. My problem is I'm always hungry at lunch whether I eat breakfast or not. I'm rarely hungry in the morning and can easily be good until 11:00 or later before I want food. I actually eat a pretty healthy whole food diet. I have been gluten intollerant ever since I can remember and went GF 4 years ago, so I eat very few processed grains. I eat lots of fruits, vegies and greens. I limit dairy, fatty meats and processed meats. I will typically chose brown rice or a sweet potato over white any day. Not to say I don't splurge, I do. I love dark chocolate and every once in a while I will make a GF cake or pie. I really think I am hungry because am trying to spread the food out too much while also limiting calories to 1200-1300. I just upped to 1600 calories since I would rather lose slow than feel hungry.

If you are not hungry till 11, don't eat until 11!

I think we all get so caught up in things like "must eat 3 square a day" or "snack so that you eat 6 times a day" or "fast this many hours" or whatever dietary schedule the plan we favor recommends, and then we lose sight of the things our body is telling us.

So, eat when you're hungry and not before. No point in forcing yourself to eat when not hungry because conventional wisdom or a plan says you "should." Eat lunch if you want it at your designated break, or not. Keep whole food snacks at your desk, be it fruit, nuts, or jerky, or even a bit of the good dark chocolate. Keep track of all the intake here just to be mindful of what you are doing, and you may find that your body will determine it's own IF schedule pretty easily.

I'm gluten free too. It's made an incredible improvement in my life.

I could not believe how much better I have been since going gluten free. It's not right for everyone, but for me its been a good thing. You are right about getting caught up in what we are supposed to do. I guess that's why the article struck such a cord with me. Today has been good. Normal breakfast of fruit, nuts and lowfat cottage cheese at 11:30 (instead of 8:30) and started feeling a little hungry a short while ago so I ate my lunch (splurge homemade gf pizza and greeks salad). I'm pretty sure I won't be wanting to eat everything in signt at 6:00 like normal.

looseal

Thanks everyone for the inspirational posts. I started 16/8 fast last Friday. It's a bit of a struggle right now,but I'm motivated to keep going.

SW1388

I have a 6-8 hour eating window. Most days I eat all of my calories in one sitting tho

tchan78241

Hello Everyone:
I am very new to this sight, to be exact, today is day 3 for me. One of my co-workers told me about this sight and I decided it couldn't hurt. I've tried everything but not this so why not give it a try. This is about accountability for me and I like it so far. My thought is , YOU BITE IT YOU WRITE IT!
What is the IF you are talking about? What is the 16/8 you are talking about?

gmallan

Hi I just started 16:8 today, changing it up from the 3 meals, 3 snacks approach. So far I don't miss breakfast or my morning snack. The thought of my massive lunch is keeping me going. I will take one day a week off this approach on Sundays as I play football and games are usually at 12. I know that lean gains reccomends training fasted but I don't think I could play without eating - I need carbs for fuel.

Anyway feel free to add me. There is an intermittent fasting group on here with a bunch of info and people who do various versions of IF

chesq77

intermittent fasting litteraly changed my life. in a good way! when i bulk for mass i do a 16-8 window but when im cutting to loose weight its best to have a smaller window like a 20-4 or a 18-6. the results are crazy. I do a 24 fast every sunday regardless if im cutting or bulking and everything seems to be running along great!

SarahSmilesCA

I read a funny post on BB.com about how a guy loved IF so much he wished he could marry it. I have to say I totally agree with his statement...though I am still holding out for tall, dark and handsome some day

I LOVE 16/8. LOVE IT. I attribute it as the number one thing that has enabled me to work out hard. I burn almost 1000 calories in exercise a day and I know I am able to do it because of the eating schedule. I have energy when I need it.

I do not eat from 9 pm to noonish the next day. I eat two-three meals a day, with total daily net calories between 1400-1750 net depending on my workout schedule. I have a target of macro nutrient ratio. Proteins 150: Carbs less than 100 :Fats 50-70. The first meal I eat within an hour of my workout and I eat the lion share of my carbs and calories and the second meal of the day I tend to eat less carbs and calories. The last meal is always a high quality slow release protein shake with MCT an hour before the feeding window ends.

I can even eat an occasional sugary treat. I have eaten ice cream nearly once a week since February and as long as I do it right after my workout meal and maintain the calorie deficit and marco ratio I still lose weight. I think part of this is because IF forces your body to regulate blood sugar spikes. You are not eating most of the day, so most of the day your body has no reason to produce excessive insulin. When you are eating most of the food is usually right after a workout, so you are just replenishing your liver glycogen. So the damage is reduced because you eat most of your calories in the one hour window after your workout.

Some say you should shoot for a 20 percent calorie increase of TDEE on strength training days and 20 percent decrease on cardio/rest days. I don't do that, I just follow what MFP tells me to eat in net calories, and always keep between a 500-1000 calorie deficit.

Exercise is critical. Both strength and cardio. The whole reason 16/8 was created was for athletes. It is not for couch potatoes.

IF has been an easy adjustment for me because I work out most days from 10 am to 12 noon so I really don't think about food much during my waking non-feeding hours. I don't like breakfast, and I find that after the first week, I just don't have any issues with food in the morning. Sometimes I am little light headed, but I added a BCAA supplement that helps a lot. Many on the market, get one with electrolytes.

Now the really good news. Blood sugar and and over all blood chemistry has improved triple fold. My hypothyroid is FINALLY under control (my body seems to be absorbing my meds better now, go figure) . 40 lbs gone since Dec 26. Lower BAD cholesterol, higher good cholesterol...you name it, it improved.

This works for me.

SarahSmilesCA

quote:
If you are not hungry till 11, don't eat until 11!

I think we all get so caught up in things like "must eat 3 square a day" or "snack so that you eat 6 times a day" or "fast this many hours" or whatever dietary schedule the plan we favor recommends, and then we lose sight of the things our body is telling us.


Eat when you are hunger, DON"T eat when you aren't. That is why IF works. If you need to eat at 11 am do so, for many women, they need a 14/10 program. Eat, Stop, Eat... (it is the name of a book on IF)

achonator

I'm following the 16:8 IF.My advice is to try to get as active as possible up until the eating window.Do stuff that take your mind of hunger and drink plenty of water aswell.That's atleast how I deal with it.

mockchoc

I read a funny post on BB.com about how a guy loved IF so much he wished he could marry it. I have to say I totally agree with his statement...though I am still holding out for tall, dark and handsome some day

I LOVE 16/8. LOVE IT. I attribute it as the number one thing that has enabled me to work out hard. I burn almost 1000 calories in exercise a day and I know I am able to do it because of the eating schedule. I have energy when I need it.

I do not eat from 9 pm to noonish the next day. I eat two-three meals a day, with total daily net calories between 1400-1750 net depending on my workout schedule. I have a target of macro nutrient ratio. Proteins 150: Carbs less than 100 :Fats 50-70. The first meal I eat within an hour of my workout and I eat the lion share of my carbs and calories and the second meal of the day I tend to eat less carbs and calories. The last meal is always a high quality slow release protein shake with MCT an hour before the feeding window ends.

I can even eat an occasional sugary treat. I have eaten ice cream nearly once a week since February and as long as I do it right after my workout meal and maintain the calorie deficit and marco ratio I still lose weight. I think part of this is because IF forces your body to regulate blood sugar spikes. You are not eating most of the day, so most of the day your body has no reason to produce excessive insulin. When you are eating most of the food is usually right after a workout, so you are just replenishing your liver glycogen. So the damage is reduced because you eat most of your calories in the one hour window after your workout.

Some say you should shoot for a 20 percent calorie increase of TDEE on strength training days and 20 percent decrease on cardio/rest days. I don't do that, I just follow what MFP tells me to eat in net calories, and always keep between a 500-1000 calorie deficit.

Exercise is critical. Both strength and cardio. The whole reason 16/8 was created was for athletes. It is not for couch potatoes.

IF has been an easy adjustment for me because I work out most days from 10 am to 12 noon so I really don't think about food much during my waking non-feeding hours. I don't like breakfast, and I find that after the first week, I just don't have any issues with food in the morning. Sometimes I am little light headed, but I added a BCAA supplement that helps a lot. Many on the market, get one with electrolytes.

Now the really good news. Blood sugar and and over all blood chemistry has improved triple fold. My hypothyroid is FINALLY under control (my body seems to be absorbing my meds better now, go figure) . 40 lbs gone since Dec 26. Lower BAD cholesterol, higher good cholesterol...you name it, it improved.

This works for me.

Hi. You say this was created for athletes and not couch potatoes so can you tell me is this not going to work for others that are sort of inbetween and do just some sort of regualar exercise like walking? I started to do 16/8 a week or so ago and if it's only for athletes then maybe I should give up now. I'm not interested in being one.

tmitchellh

Hi. You say this was created for athletes and not couch potatoes so can you tell me is this not going to work for others that are sort of inbetween and do just some sort of regualar exercise like walking? I started to do 16/8 a week or so ago and if it's only for athletes then maybe I should give up now. I'm not interested in being one.
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I think it would work for anybody, but I read it was created originally for Japanese Olympians. I just started this in preparation for a new workout plan with more weightlifting. However in the week that I've been doing it, I've lost several pounds already. This coming from somebody who had just had some cortisone injections and couldn't stop eating/gaining weight the last couple months.

giveMEbeauty

Been doin 5:2 for a while , done 20/8 for two days . May try 16:8 tmoro

f33linglucky

I do 16:8 on training days and 20:4 on non-training days. If I get hungry (which may occur during non-training days) I usually drink black coffee with a few packets of truvia and the hunger goes away. But lately Ive noticed my body gets used to not eating until around 4pm. And if Im not hungry, im not eating. Id rather save my calories.

I also tend to feel that as an easy gainer (endomorph) that I am, I find that by sticking to a high carb, low fat diet works best for me. Im no nutritionist when it comes to food, but I can tell you that the body's digestion rate is carbs the fastest, protein moderate and fats slowest. Thats why you feel hungrier quicker when consuming lots of carbs because they are burned quicker. And you will feel a lot fuller for longer when consuming fats, because they burn a lot slower.

Therefore, I tend to try and save my fats for the last meal along with some type of casein (i.e., greek yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, casein protein shake etc.) for slow digestion before closing out my window. This helps me stay full very well into the following day.

Before I did the whole IF thing, I would get hungry all the time soon after my first meal in the morning. I also tend to think it was more psychological, but it may also have something to do with starting up the metabolism causing me to get hungry and as an easy gainer, i have a slow metabolism and therefore, was prone to gain weight easily.

f33linglucky

Hi. You say this was created for athletes and not couch potatoes so can you tell me is this not going to work for others that are sort of inbetween and do just some sort of regualar exercise like walking? I started to do 16/8 a week or so ago and if it's only for athletes then maybe I should give up now. I'm not interested in being one.

IF is for everyone, not just athletes. But athletes burn more calories, therefore a prolonged eating window may be more beneficial instead of cramming a ton of calories all in one sitting.

With that being said, for someone who is a couch potato the opposite would be true, having a smaller window would be optimal as they only need to consume a minimal amount of calories.

But weight loss is always about calories in vs. calories out. You want to eat more? Then burn more calories.

Carol852

I just finished week 5 on 16/8. I HAVE LOST 5 LBS. I am never hungry, I feel better and I have way more energy

nomorebingesgirl2014

Me ????

MrsSchimmy

I started IF following 16/8 just over a week ago and I love it! My binges have been nearly eliminated and I'm more aware of when I am hungry and the food choices I am making. It's finally helping me get down to my race weight that I've been struggling to get back to this season!

Feel free to add me!

Deadlay

I do 16:8 and eat two meals a day. It's great eating two big meals instead of trying to graze like I'm a deer

angela233Z

How has weight loss been for couch potatoes? I have a sedentary lifestyle, but am interested in trying 16:8 - would love some feedback.