16:8 IF. No weight loss week 1

Hi all,
I’ve struggled to get started with weight loss for years now, to the point where I couldn’t even manage 1 day. Difficult life circumstances. Something has clicked recently and I’ve been doing intermittent fasting (16:8) for just over a week but I have not lost any weight. I’ve stayed exactly the same. I’m also sticking to 1200 kcals during my eating window with the exception of Sunday Roast Dinner this week.
I’m hungry a lot of the time but eating nutritious food at my 2 meal times (lunch and evening meal). I am struggling to get enough fruit/veg and protein in and wondered if anyone has any tips? Not really into supplements. Would prefer a whole food approach!
Disappointed I haven’t lost weight this week but trying to keep going!
Thanks for reading :)

Replies

  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,242 Member
    It takes 4-6 weeks to determine the effect that a certain calorie amount will have. 1 week and you’re still in the process of water shifting around masking and real fatloss. Give it more time.

    IF is not an automatic fatloss tool. Fatloss is a product of a consistent weekly calorie deficit over time and not tied to any specific meal timing process.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,979 Member
    What Tom below said. Also, do you weigh yourself every day or only once per week? If once per week, is this by any change on Monday, the day after your Sunday roast? If so it's possible that your body holds more onto water come Monday from more salt in your diet and more digesting food in your intestines. There are many other reasons why weightloss might not immediately show up on the scale, like various points in the female hormonal cycle, new workouts, different clothes when stepping on the scale and different times of the day. Thus chill! It will take a while for weightloss to show.
  • ForesterFit7
    ForesterFit7 Posts: 7 Member
    Thank you @tomcustombuilder and @Yirara. Sounds like I need to be more patient. I have followed SlimmingWorld diet previously and had big losses first few weeks so I guess given the calorie reduction I was hoping for the same. Yirara, yes I do weigh on a Monday and I had the same thought re the roast but I’ve weighed a few times since and hasn’t fluctuated at all!
    Tom you mentioned consistency - I find this hard with most things so wondering whether this needs to be my goal rather than the weight loss, was just hoping for some early loss to spur me on!
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,242 Member
    Thank you @tomcustombuilder and @Yirara. Sounds like I need to be more patient. I have followed SlimmingWorld diet previously and had big losses first few weeks so I guess given the calorie reduction I was hoping for the same. Yirara, yes I do weigh on a Monday and I had the same thought re the roast but I’ve weighed a few times since and hasn’t fluctuated at all!
    Tom you mentioned consistency - I find this hard with most things so wondering whether this needs to be my goal rather than the weight loss, was just hoping for some early loss to spur me on!
    early loss won’t happen.
    Fat loss is a product of a consistent calorie deficit over time and there is no way to override that so the sooner you realize that the better off you will be

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,252 Member
    If your struggling to get enough protein, vegetables and fruit with only consuming 1200 calories then your probably consuming lots of junky processed ones and not eating breakfast (IF) is probably not going to do too much to change your obsessive behavior of over eating. Try to eat whole foods more to replace some of those processed ones and there is no time line or wrong way, even a small progressive change over time will make a big difference especially to you satiety level. Maybe weigh and be more diligent counting calories and making sure your actually in a deficit on a continua basis and remember to take a break from all the anxiety attached to losing weight, and I suggest about every 3 week to a month to take a week off. It will take a lot of time, think months and years and patients for many to lose the fat they have and the reality is most people fail miserably, so I'm wishing you luck and you probably have a leg up on most people just being here on MFP. :)
  • jeri30
    jeri30 Posts: 88 Member
    I think you might want to start listening to Gin Stephens' podcasts about IF. She's science-based and informative. Here's a link to one site with them: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/pxy5a-2c19e4/Fast.-Feast.-Repeat.--Intermittent-Fasting-For-Life-Podcast

    She's also written several books that I think might be helpful to you to check out. The 28-Day Fast Start Day-By-Day. Her website: https://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html Don't forget to check out the reviews on Amazon or wherever.