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@crazydoglady: yes! it’s so amazing to be able to have things around like cookies on the counter and bread/rolls at meals and things I used to either avoid or binge ... now I can honestly feel reasonable about. I’m definitely not going to lose any weight this month because I’m not being too careful with the window etc but I still feel good about things!
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Hello all - I've been following this thread for a about a month. I haven't posted because I wasn't sure if I would like it or could do it. I'm four weeks in and I'm feeling like I'm in a groove now. I initially struggled with making the kids breakfasts and lunches but now it doesn't bother me at all. I'm doing 16/8, usually 11am-7pm.
While I'm not hungry in the morning I do find that I'm more irritable that normal. Combining that with getting the kids out of the house and to school is not a great situation. Anyone else struggle with that? If so, how long did it take to even out or what did you change to improve it?
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@Corduroy: Glad you are joining in the discussion. So, I'm not dealing with irritability specifically related to fasting in the morning, but I have found some delicious cold brew that really helps and gives me something to look forward to.
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@Corduroy: ok I have an earlier window usually 7-3 or 8-4 and it really works for me because I like waking up and having something even coffee with cream and my evenings are a lot busier so it’s super easy to skip dinner. Could you move your window up at all to help?
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@Corduroy: I do what @gotkimchi: does because it works super well for me and our family schedule right now. I’m sooooooo cranky if I fast all morning! So it’s not just you
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How is everyone doing?
Yesterday, I decided to be a little less strict and had half and half in my coffee about 2 hours before I typically break my fast. I was seriously on a sugar rampage for the rest of the day. I really am starting to see the importance of a clean fast.
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@crazydoglady: I am still loving it - I have been strict about my window and nothing else this holiday season and have put on absolutely no weight. I feel so great and am so so happy!
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@KNS: That's so awesome! It's great to know that you can be flexible with food choices during certain times of the year and not have it impact your weight.
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@crazydoglady: I definitely struggle with hunger more when I don’t stick to my window!
I’m feeling pretty good about things. I have had a lot of cookies lately and done enough 16:8 to stay around the same place, even without doing that every day (some 14s and a few 12s).
It was funny, yesterday I had a friend over for lunch and offered a cookie (since my kids made about a billion of them this month). She was like, oh I shouldn’t, maybe a small one without much frosting. I was thinking lady, just eat the cookie you want! When I thought about it later it really showed me how much this has changed my mindset. The idea that I can have what I want as long as I give my body that nice break to recover is still amazing. I’ve spent my whole life half or completely depriving myself and feeling unsatisfied.
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@bhbee: That's so great! I am happy to hear that this has been such a freeing experience for you. I am hoping it continues in the same way for me, too. I have been having a lot more sweets lately. It's funny, I have weeks where food is such an afterthought and then weeks like this where I am eating lots of sweets. I will say that it is still less then I would typically eat around this time of year.
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I just wanted to share that I am down 10 lbs after just a little more than a month and half. I LOVE IF!!!
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@crazydoglady: wow!! Awesome!!
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Does anyone here do any meal planning? I used to have a handle on our lunches dinners but now I’m eating much less then before. Just wondering if people have dealt with this. So I used to pack a lunch/dinner for work and now I’ll just pack a lunch and just eat like 1/2 of it. Maybe I just have to cook half the amount of everything
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@gotkimchi: it’s definitely messed up my cooking plans. I do a lot less meal planning but it’s not all bad. I try to cook simpler things for one, that maybe can be repurposed into a second meal (like can I throw some new spices on that plain chicken and put it in a bowl meal?). The kids only want simple stuff anyway. I do try to make less leftovers because they won’t get eaten. Or, make things that freeze well and then there’s a future meal if you save half. Stuff like that.
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@crazydoglady: That's amazing!! Great job. I love it, too. Even when I'm not losing weight I feel so much better overall. I, too, have been indulging these past couple of weeks (within my window), but that's a good point you made about it still being much less than what I was indulging in this time last year.
@gotkimchi: I meal plan our dinners M-F and it's fairly easy - I just make less overall because I'm not generally packing lunch leftovers for myself anymore. If I had my choice I think I would prefer an earlier window and not eat a big dinner, but with 2 hungry kids and a husband it's just not feasible.
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I love this post from Gin Stephens (author of s Delay Don’t Deny:
“Here are Gin’s holiday tips.
We are in the most festive days of the year for most of us, and I’m sure you have events planned with family and friends over the next few days. So, the dilemma: how flexible should you be over the next few days? Do you have to sit around drinking black coffee while while everyone else celebrates Christmas? My answer: flex as much as you want. Your intermittent fasting lifestyle isn’t a prison sentence. These are the special days with your family. Enjoy the Christmas brunch, if it’s your family’s tradition. And it’s okay to have a 16 hour eating window if that’s how it works out! While Saturdays are not a special occasion (because they happen once a week), Christmas IS.
Does this mean that you should throw all caution to the wind and eat nonstop from sunup to sundown? Probably not. You’ll feel awful, and it’ll make it harder to enjoy the day. Instead, eat mindfully. Listen to your satiety cues and stop when you’ve had enough. No need to clean your plate or eat every bite. It is a powerful feeling to eat a few bites of pie, as an example, and stop because you have had enough. Also, don’t eat if you don’t feel like eating. It’s okay to not be hungry! The power is in YOUR hands.
How will this look for me? On Christmas Eve, I will eat lunch and dinner with family. On Christmas Day, we start with a Christmas brunch. I will eat however I want all day long, stopping when I’m full. And then, the day after Christmas, I’ll jump right back into my normal routine.
That’s also important to keep in mind. You don’t need to punish yourself with some sort of extended fast because you enjoyed Christmas. Fast because it feels good, and follow your normal routine.
So, enjoy your holiday fully, guilt free. And remember: it’s not what you do from Christmas to New Year’s that matters. It’s what you do from New Year’s to Christmas.
Merry Christmas, everyone!“
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Hi! Been thinking about trying IF but I absolutely need coffee or I get a pretty severe head ache. I also cannot drink it black. I’m needy. Haha. I do a splash of almond milk creamer. Is it true if it’s under 30 cals it doesn’t break the fast?
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@Mrs. Champagne: a lot of people say that but apparently people get better results with a “clean fast” I would say go for it for a month and ease in. I also have my window early like 7-3 so I can still have coffee with cream when I get up
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@charm55: I love this! Thank you for sharing!!
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@Mrs. Champagne: I agree with @gotkimchi: that the most effective way to do IF is to clean fast. but starting with a splash of cream in your coffee is a good way to start. But keep in mind that you might want to drop it later. I am half and half obsessed and thought I could never drink black coffee. Now, I have black coffee until my window opens and then have my half and half. it was a transition, I dropped 5 lbs immediately after stalling in my weight loss plus I get less hungry while fasting.
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@crazydoglady: ok thanks. I wonder if I can wean my self down to liking black haha. I find it so gross 🥴
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@gotkimchi: thanks a month transition is a good idea
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@Mrs. Champagne: So, I started making mine iced with ground coffee that I love. Makes a huge difference!
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@crazydoglady: hey so I’ve still had no weight loss, I’ve joined the two fb groups you mentioned and it seems that people either recommend a longer fasting window, counting calories or cutting carbs. I know you were counting calories at one point and I’m wondering if you have any suggestions as to what would be the most helpful/easiest next move
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@gotkimchi: Are you thinking of desertdreams or hypatia? I know desertdreams is part of some groups, but hypatia counts calories.
I'm sorry you aren't seeing results.
Have you had your thyroid checked? In the past, how difficult has weight loss been for you?
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@DesertDreams88: @crazydoglady: yes i was trying to tag desertdream! I’ve had my thyroid checked in the past and it was normal. I’ve had success in the past cutting carbs and counting calories but haven’t tried much since having kids. Really would like something “easy” since tracking food and calculating recipes seems so time consuming now. However when I considered cutting my window shorter i was feeling like this is restrictive and I wasn’t sure if it feels better to have no carbs but eat longer or have carbs but only one meal per day etc! Idk I’m struggling!
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@gotkimchi: Here's my suggestion: try counting calories for a week. Not cutting calories, but just get a ballpark of what you are taking in. I think that data would help a lot.
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@gotkimchi: I'm sorry to hear you aren't seeing the numerical results you want.
I personally counted calories in combination with IF, because I felt like I had no internal barometer about portion size or hunger/fullness. I counted for about 4 months but it was easy for me because I eat the same 10 things generally. I didn't like the work of counting but it paid off.
I also did a 18-20 hour fast 2-3 times a week, which became easy and didn't feel restrictive at all. It's amazing how little food the body truly needs.
Nowadays I don't count calories bc I am at what I see as a "maintenance" weight. I still weigh daily, do 16h of fasting most weekdays (unless there's free food at work) and 12-14h on the weekends.
ETA: Literally all I eat is carbs and dairy but 🤷♀️
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@DesertDreams88: thanks. When you were counting calories how many did you consume?
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@gotkimchi: I'm only 5ft2in, so to lose a pound a week, MyFitnessPal said 1350 cal, I think.... so I did 2 meals at around 600 each, plus a small snack around 100-150.
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Just a few IF "wins"
-This is probably (by far) the least "crazy" I have gone with treats, sweets, desserts during Christmas time. Yesterday, I had more pie than I wanted (still had it anyway) and realized it's been a long time since I did that. Like since I stuffed myself because it was "there."
-I actually lost weight in the past week!
-My brother gifted us chocolate from around the world and said "Sorry, I didn't know you were on a diet." And he was perplexed when I told him that we could still eat them haha
- I had a day where I really thought about eating outside of my window and it's the first time I really considered it. I decided that it could wait and took a bath instead.
-Yesterday, I let myself eat out of my window because it was Christmas and it felt really weird. -
@crazydoglady: so glad for you that you an enjoying IF. I'm coming up on my 1 year anniversary in February! For me it's definitely become a lifestyle, not just a temporary diet.
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@DesertDreams88: Me, too! 1 year is so impressive! I was seriously so skeptical of IF at first because it seemed like a "starvation diet" but I look at it like this: just like sleeping is relegated to certain times of the day, so is eating. And the fact that I am down 10 lbs in less than 2 months helps, too!
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@crazydoglady: that’s amazing!! You lost weight this week!??!! It’s my first Christmas on IF and I can really tell the difference. I really did enjoy all the sweets all day long yesterday, but felt eager to get back somewhat in my routine today. I am sure the scale would be up if I stepped on it - but I don’t really care ? Because I know it’s temporary and life will be back to normal soon.
@DesertDreams88: my 1 year anniversary is February too. I can’t believe I’ve stuck with it this long as everything else ive tried has been a 2 month-max attempt. Like you said - it’s a lifestyle now and one that I don’t even really think about much anymore.
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@charm55: Like four ounces, but still!
In terms of maintenance, I'm hoping to get to the point where I skip breakfast and don't eat after dinner/dessert, but don't necessarily clock watch. Does that make sense? Or do you find it is necessary to watch the clock? -
I am also hoping for a just temporary gain and rebound from this week. We’ve been seeing various family and it hasn’t felt worth it to try to do strict IF and explain it (because I usually fast during dinner). But that combined with eating more than usual I’m sure I’ll pay for it. I’ve been hungry too, both from eating off IF and being exhausted from horrible allergies this week. I’m ready to get back on track the day we leave!!
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I am starting IF either tomorrow or Monday. I had three babies in four years and I am up 24lbs from before my first pregnancy. My plan is to do 16/8 and eat between 9:30 and 5:30 (I sleep 8 to 4) as well as restrict my calories to 1400.
I haven't for a postpartum period yet (no longer breastfeeding) and my two other pregnancies I dropped about five pounds very easily after my second AF. So looking forward to that
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@crazydoglady: yes - that’s about where I am now ... I don’t eat breakfast or after dinner. I starting eating in the afternoons when I get hungry but don’t want the clock. I’m still losing this way but much more slowly. I might try and kick it in high gear in Jan and start watching the clock again to lose another 5-10lbs before we go down south in March.
@Ms. RV: good luck !! That sounds like a great plan. I love the freedom IF gives me and it really did help get the baby weight off (can I call it baby weight if my youngest was 3 when I started?!
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I’ve been lurking on this thread a little and I’ve been IF for 25 days. I started with 12-13 hours and worked up to 14 hours easily. It feels like it’s working - clothes are fitting looser and I’ve lost 2 pounds. It’s extremely easy on work days since I don’t have to worry about my own breakfast.
I’m trying to work up to 16:18 but one problem I’m having is what so think are hypoglycemic headaches. I’ve been supplementing with sodium and magnesium so I don’t think it’s an electrolyte issue. I even tried making keto coffee to try to get over the hump but the headache creeps up by 15 hours. Has this happened to anyone else?
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@macintosh: What is your window? Are you making sure to have plenty of calories and protein?
Have you had your thyroid checked? In the past, how difficult has weight loss been for you?
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