It is so natural for me not to eat before noon or one and thus it’s so easy to go at least 16 -17 hours ( from 8 pm to noon). Sometimes on the weekends I only do 15 hrs if we go out late but from a social standpoint I know I couldn’t sustain a cut off at 6 pm. Do those of you who do a 6 pm cutoff find it interferes with your social life?
By combining IF with calorie counting I’ve lost 56 pounds in 7 months at age 58. There is no temptation to ever change. I am not hungry til noon at the earliest.
maya54, I feel the same way. I lost 60 lbs. over 3 years 2 years ago, and I am still eating mostly within a window of noonish to 9ish although sometimes it starts and ends a little later.
For those who are following this “diet”/time restricted eating, are you also dieting in terms of the food you eat? Cutting out carbs? Sugar? Or are you eating as you were but just timing it differently. (My apologies if this has been discussed earlier in the thread.)
Weight loss is about caloric restriction, time windows are great for novelty but unless the calories are reduced (over the week, lets say) it won’t result in weight loss. What real IF does is create structure and rules and gives you permission to just not eat, which is pretty freeing.
Agree with @Sybylla. I eat 1200-1500 calories a day. For me IF has made me less hungry in that I don’t get very hungry during the day UNTIL I eat. When I was eating breakfast I was ravenous all darn day. Now I wait til noon or 1 and have way fewer hours to manage my hunger. Also because I eat most of my calories after 6 pm ( I eat around 300 calories before then) I get a nice big dinner. So this sustains me til bed time.
I started 16:8 IF in December and have found the structure to be really beneficial and easy to follow. My typical window is 6:30 - 10:30 but I easily adjust it if dinner is later for whatever reason. Often if I am busy in the morning the fast window may end up being 17 or 18 hours. I am generally not hungry at all in the mornings anymore. I do not count calories but my general eating pattern is a small meal to break the fast + small lunch maybe 2 hours later, OR, bigger meal to break the fast and a snack late afternoon. Dinner around 6/6:30, which is usually pretty light - a protein with salad and/or veggies. The best part of this structure for me has been the commitment to the evening fast - meaning I don’t ever nibble at all after dinner. This is a great new lifetime habit for me! It has also really helped me be in tune with my need to eat versus my want to eat. It has been really affirming to align my eating patterns with my body’s need for fuel rather than my desire to eat things. As my body has adapted to IF, I have found I can eat a pretty light dinner and still be ok with the 16 hour fast, and my nighttime cravings have been greatly reduced.
I started a slow weight loss journey in June 2017. My original goal was 24 pounds over 2 years (I’ve done quicker weight loss before and learned my lesson about rebounding from that.) To date I have lost 22 pounds and have extended the goal to 30 pounds at a rate of 1 to 1.5 ponds per month. IF is helping keep me on track over the long haul, combined with intentional exercise and healthy food choices. No calorie counting, and while I rarely eat sweets (other than dark chocolate), or refined white flour, I don’t totally restrict them. I have cut way back on wine, going from maybe 4-8 drinks per week to 0-2.
In the article that @conmama linked it talks about your body being either in a fed state or a fasting state. I now know I was spending way too much time in the fed state prior to starting IF, even when I was dieting and losing weight. Last spring I had blood work done for the first time in a few years, and my AC1 # had crept closer to pre-diabetic (fasting glucose was normal.) I’m hoping IF helps bring that # back in line this year.
I can’t imagine functioning on only 300 calories until a big dinner at 6pm. By that time I’ve been up for 12 hours, walked the dog twice, worked an 8 hour day and likely done a cardio workout (running, spinning, brisk walking) for 45 minutes. My body and mind has a right to expect more than that!
@abasket. Yep we are all different. My body does well on a fast. I wake up around 6 too and have zero interest in eating. I can work, excercise etc…and don’t feel weak or tired or sluggish or even particularly hungry til about 5-6 pm. When I eat more during the day I want a nap!
Generally on my iF schedule I eat more than half of my calories before dinner. All my adult life I have marveled at people who say “I forgot to eat lunch today” - I just didn’t get that, I am always looking forward to lunch and am hungry enough that I could never forget regardless of how busy/distracted I am. With IF I have realized that midday is when my body most craves caloric intake, and my hyper-focus on lunch throughout life is part of my normal bio rhythms. Like others have noted, I am hungry for lunch even when or maybe more so when I start the day off with breakfast. So the 16:8 IF schedule has turned out to be a very natural fit for me, with the added bonus of eliminating the evening snacking habit. As I noted in my previous post, it has been both eye-opening and freeing to align my eating schedule with my body’s need for fuel.
“… It has also really helped me be in tune with my need to eat versus my want to eat…”
This (wanting to eat, versus actually being hungry) was a huge revelation to me as well. I don’t do IF on purpose, but I’ve long since thrown out the idea that I need 3 meals plus snacks per day & I’m much more content.
@Embracethemess …we are the same as far as hunger and eating habits. I loved both your posts and kept shaking my head “yes”. I also typically eat 200 or less calories at the first meal, but the 2nd meal is just 2 to 3 hours later, and my most caloric of the day. I’d say 500 to 600. I’ll typucally have a small snack before dinner, then another 400ish calorie dinner.
During the weekends I’m a bit more lax, but not off the rails.
I’m beginning IF today and am so glad there is a lively CC discussion! It occurred to me that when I was at my ideal weight (about 10 pounds less than I am now) it was when I didn’t eat breakfast and didn’t even like breakfast. It seems very intuitive to hold off a few hours and see if I benefit (goodness knows that in my late 40’s the gym and weights aren’t doing anything!). I have about half an hour now before I can begin eating - but might try to hold off a little longer because I have a road trip with my daughter planned for after work and we love eating out!
@threebeans , I’ve been doing it for about 6 weeks + and am noticing a difference. However, I have to qualify that because I’m doing other stuff, too. I’ve given up cheese unless it’s pizza and I’ve given up the coffee creamer (very hard, took a couple weeks).
But all in all, I do feel like I’m losing weight. The reason being is that I’m just more full throughout that 8 hour periods and don’t snack. I start at 10:00 with a protein shake, I got the recipe from a blogger. It’s delisious and packed with all sorts of healthy things. It’s filling. Then I eat lunch about 12:30, then dinner at 5:30 to 6. I do typically have a snack between sometimes…but I reach for almonds.
I can tell a difference in my midriff. I really think it works. The first few weeks were kind of tough and even now I get hungry at 9 and have to make myself hold off.
I’m looking forward to having my A1C taken in a few months.
The difference between want and need has been a longtime problem for me. I eat for many reasons, and being hungry is just one of many when it should usually be the only reason.
I’ve been eating IF for a few months. I hadn’t been on the scale for a while, thinking I’d gained some weight back- I think because I’m full during the eating hours. Finally got on and had lost around ten pounds. Yay.
Now, I’ve been sick a few weeks and then had dental work recently. When you’re sick and your mouth hurts, it really shifts something in your brain about eating. I am having to force myself to eat enough calories and have no interest in food. I wish I could bottle this feeling for when I’m better.
@BunsenBurner honestly it was easiest to cut breakfast because I was never hungry around that time. More of a forced meal. Like ok I’m up now so I really should eat something. Nearly the same feeling around lunchtime. Replaced breakfast and lunch with two 16 oz bottles of water a couple months ago. I might snack on fruit, veggies, half bowl of Special K or a smoothie some days but thats about it. Losing 1-2 lbs per week.
Didn’t plan on IF but it works for me. I feel less sluggish, blood pressure is down, more comfortable with my body. Walking 10 miles a week is likely contributing as well.
I’m just starting to try this. On my second day. I am using an 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 pm window. I’m confused about the necessity for doing low carb. Just how low carb do I need to be? Once one attains a goal weight, do you stay low-carb? I have never been one to snack much after dinner, but I was an eat as soon as I got up type of person. I was surprised how easy it was to stop. I think it’s because coffee is okay. I have now exercised two days in a row during the fasting period in the morning (circuit training with light weights), but I have not yet tried to run during fasting. A little nervous about that. I like the idea of IF because it’s simple to follow, but I’m just not sure about the carb stuff? Thoughts? I don’t have a lot of weight I’d like to lose - maybe 4 or 5 lbs.
My morbidly obese cousin got the kick in the pants she needed to do something when her doctor told her that she is precipitously close to needing to take insulin. She’s been on Metformin for awhile. She discovered Dr. Fung and is giving this a go. She is also eating low-carb AND low-fat. She’s lost 11 lbs since April 1. She’s coming to visit at the end of the month, and I thought it might be helpful/supportive if I were doing this as well. I’m really proud of her. She’s also starting doing some walking - slowly but surely. She had previously lost 150 lbs doing Medifast but gained all of it back and then some. This concept seems to have really motivated her - she’s very enthusiastic. I hope she sticks with it. She is already sleeping so much better.
EDIT: I saw someone mention keeping grams of sugar down to 25. Is there a number for carbs as well?
@hoggirl, I don’t count carbs at all (although I try not to eat too many!). I restrict my intake to 9 hours, usually noon to 9pm. I allow myself coffee with milk in the morning. I think I remember reading somewhere that 150 (?) calories were acceptable. My approach is very loosey-goosey but it definitely works for me. I lost 60 pounds in 3 years and I’m stable now 2 years later. I probably could lose another 20 but I am not making any particular effort right now.
Good luck and congratulations to your cousin! Good for you for being such a good support person for her.