Has anyone successfully practiced 16/8 fasting?

[SpecialClassical]

If you’ve done 16/8, how long does it take to stop feeling hungry the last 4 hours?  I do find it helps if I eat healthy fats and a low amount of carbs my last meal before the fast, but I’m still hungry.  I am doing this for weight loss and for diabetes prevention, so I’m willing to stick with it, but it would sure help if I know how long.  I already know it’s gping to be more than a few days. Lol

[LisaMarie622]

I am doing it, but I do 14/10. My doctor said fasting for women is more beneficial if you stay with a 14-15 hour fast. I stop eating by 7:00 p.m. and don't start again until 9:00 a.m. I've never been much of an evening snacker, so it hasn't been too hard. There are times I feel hungry, but like you I try to eat healthy fats, proteins, and low carbs for my last meal. I remind myself that I just finished eating a couple hours ago and I will be going to bed in another couple hours, so there is no point to eating again.  I also do not count calories during the day. It seems when I am overly focused on quantity I tend to eat more.  Most importantly I allow myself to cheat when we have a fun event happening. If it is someone's birthday, I go ahead and have that slice of cake, even if it is after 7:00. Those kinds of things don't happen very often, despite my big family. Knowing that I can makes it easier to stay on target the rest of the time.

[JennyD]

I did it for a while and didn't have too much trouble sticking to the plan, but I also didn't lose any weight.  It was a bummer, really, because I found it quite doable!

 

[SpecialClassical]

Lisa Marie, I haven’t heard of 14/10, so that is really interesting.  I’m afraid I would overeat if I had to manage 3 meals.  Too many opportunities for carbs that aren’t healthy.  I’m going to keep this in mind, though.  Maybe I could do it for maintenance.  

JennyD,  that is a bummer. It’s a lot of sacrifice for no results.   I did it for about 2.5 weeks and gained weight!  Now I’ve become more strict with what I eat and I’m cutting out my low cal “crutch” coffee in the morning.  I’m hoping in my case I was just doing it wrong. 

 

 

[Slache]

I go back and forth between 16:8 and 20:4, depending on my mood. My secret weapons are keto and coffee.

[SpecialClassical]

So it has worked out well for you, Slache? How long did it take to stop being hungry in the last few hours?  And do you drink coffee black?  I don’t like coffee, so I have to add cream, sweetener, and cocoa to drink it. 

[Slache]

8 minutes ago, SpecialClassical said:

So it has worked out well for you, Slache? How long did it take to stop being hungry in the last few hours?  And do you drink coffee black?  I don’t like coffee, so I have to add cream, sweetener, and cocoa to drink it. 

Yes. I love it. I feel good. Instantly, in ketosis. I am perfectly content. Coffee with a smidge of whipping cream.

I have many health problems and the perfect diet helps me much. I promise this isn't as bad as it sounds. You get used to eating and drinking things that don't taste good for the sake of feeling really good. I was kind of depressed when I realized I was generally eating food I was unimpressed with, but I'm willing to give that up to feel this good.

[SpecialClassical]

Thanks, I have noticed that I feel better.  That’s encouraging that you find it worth it. 

[Slache]

https://www.carbmanager.com/

[Slache]

If you're interested in crossing keto with IF.

[HS Mom in NC]

I do this, but it's my natural inclination. I lost weight doing this in combination with portion control, eating very nutrient dense foods, no snacking, and sharply reducing sweets. I don't eat between 7pm and 11am. I go to bed at 11pm or midnight most nights.  I do drink hot tea with no sugar or cream after 7 and before 11. I have 2 cups of chamomile at night and 2 cups of green lemongrass (caffeinated)  in the morning.

[SpecialClassical]

Sounds like tea might be the thing to get me through the morning.  We eat a late dinner, so I go until at least noon.  

[Pawz4me]

In recent years I've naturally gravitated to a 14/10 eating pattern. I had no idea I was trendy until recently. No advice, though. For me it's easy and natural. FWIW, I eat a high carb, mostly vegetarian diet. Again that's a natural thing--what my body thrives on. I'm at a healthy weight, and fasting for 14 hours hasn't made any difference at all in that (counting calories is the only thing that has ever worked for me for weight loss--cutting carbs is disastrous and makes me feel very unwell). In my advancing years I simply noticed that eating after about 6:00 made me feel awful the next morning--like I had binged on junk food, even though I hadn't--so I stopped. For me it's hard socially sometimes, but not physically or mentally.

[Carol in Cal.]

Drinking more water helps with that last few hours.  I find 16/8 pretty challenging, but 14/10 is fairly doable.  I find that once I start eating for the day, I have a hard time if I stop, so postponing starting is easier for me than starting early and stopping early.  YMMV.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Interestingly, I am now one month into IF.  I do 20:4 or 23:1 during the week and 18:6 on the weekends.  Here are some of my observations:

- I feel best when I make lunch my main meal of the day.  During the week, I either have a very large lunch (approx 12pm-12:30) or a large lunch plus some additional protein about 3 hours later (approx 12pm-3pm).  So, either OMAD (one meal a day) or two meals but in a short time frame.  

I love, love, love, love.  I really didn't have much in the way of hunger pangs if I skipped dinner, but I do if I skip lunch and instead make dinner my big meal.  

I know everyone thinks IF is crazy, but I feel SO GOOD skipping dinner.  I sleep great, and amazingly, I do not wake up hungry.  Sleeping seems to reset the clock on hunger, so I'm ready to go to lunch the next day with no issues.  On the weekends I do tend to eat dinners because of social events or just to be together as a family... and it leaves me feeling very sluggish and over-full.

Making dinner instead of breakfast the skipped meal has some advantages.  You can read about it with the google terms "early time restricted feeding".  There's a lot of circadian rhythm data supporting an earlier eating window.  This may help you with your hunger pangs.  It could be your body's natural rhythm prefers food earlier in the day.   If feels nice to go to bed and not be actively digesting.  

I know, six months ago, I was all gung-ho keto.  But what I found was that it was not going to be sustainable for *me*.  I'm bad at saying no in social situations, and moreover, I don't want to need to in order for my (hopefully sustainable and easy) diet to be successful.  With keto, a cheat meal or day means no ketosis for 48 hours or so.  With IF, I find it much easier to just plan desired "feasts" into the IF schedule.  They are no longer cheats, they are just the feasts to counter the fasts.  So if I know I'm having pizza out with girlfriends on Friday night, I skip Friday lunch and make dinner my OMAD instead.  The next day, I just go right back to the routine of lunch being my meal.  I felt like I was doing keto to get to some goal, but would not be able to use it past that point.  IF feels way easier.  

Results?  I'm pretty happy.  In the last 20 days, I've lost almost 4 lbs.  This is pretty neat, considering I am only 5ft1in tall and am already in the normal BMI range (I started looking for weight loss ideas when I got to a half pound from overweight on the BMI chart).  If you are heavier, you should lose faster.  My loss trend is to lose during the week (OMAD), then flatline on Sunday and slightly high on Monday (due to the looser IF schedule Sat-Sun).  

I have not really seen convincing information that women should limit their fasting window.  I would be happy to see some if someone has some journal articles.  

 

 

[Wheres Toto]

What is allowed during the fasting window?  Just tea or coffee with nothing added?   I need tea in the morning to get going.  When the weather gets warmer, I can get by with cold brewed, unsweetened iced tea without a problem.  But when it's cold and I need hot tea, it upsets my stomach if I have it without food but I'm testing out having it with bone broth to see if that helps the stomach issue, but would that void the fasting?   I assume honey definitely would. 

I think I could do 14/10.  A 9am to 7pm window seems very doable, it really just means postponing eating breakfast until I'm at the science center (my first class is at 10, I could eat a light breakfast before).  With the nicer weather coming, I could probably switch to iced tea soon.   

Dh is trying what he calls intermittant eating but is the same thing.  He's not eating breakfast so he's not making me breakfast like he used to.  

I need to do something more.  I put on some weight over the winter, and I wasn't in a good spot before that.

[Slache]

17 minutes ago, Where's Toto? said:

What is allowed during the fasting window?  Just tea or coffee with nothing added?   I need tea in the morning to get going.  When the weather gets warmer, I can get by with cold brewed, unsweetened iced tea without a problem.  But when it's cold and I need hot tea, it upsets my stomach if I have it without food but I'm testing out having it with bone broth to see if that helps the stomach issue, but would that void the fasting?   I assume honey definitely would. 

I think I could do 14/10.  A 9am to 7pm window seems very doable, it really just means postponing eating breakfast until I'm at the science center (my first class is at 10, I could eat a light breakfast before).  With the nicer weather coming, I could probably switch to iced tea soon.   

Dh is trying what he calls intermittant eating but is the same thing.  He's not eating breakfast so he's not making me breakfast like he used to.  

I need to do something more.  I put on some weight over the winter, and I wasn't in a good spot before that.

It depends on who you ask and people are kinda culty so be prepared to be yelled at for doing it wrong. I follow the rules laid out in The Obesity Code and his other book that I can't recall the name of this very second. I will PM you my notes.

[Slache]

 

[Slache]

 

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

47 minutes ago, Where's Toto? said:

What is allowed during the fasting window?  Just tea or coffee with nothing added?   I need tea in the morning to get going.  When the weather gets warmer, I can get by with cold brewed, unsweetened iced tea without a problem.  But when it's cold and I need hot tea, it upsets my stomach if I have it without food but I'm testing out having it with bone broth to see if that helps the stomach issue, but would that void the fasting?   I assume honey definitely would. 

I think I could do 14/10.  A 9am to 7pm window seems very doable, it really just means postponing eating breakfast until I'm at the science center (my first class is at 10, I could eat a light breakfast before).  With the nicer weather coming, I could probably switch to iced tea soon.   

Dh is trying what he calls intermittant eating but is the same thing.  He's not eating breakfast so he's not making me breakfast like he used to.  

I need to do something more.  I put on some weight over the winter, and I wasn't in a good spot before that.

 

My understanding is this:  Anything other than water breaks a fast because it will require processing by your digestive system, liver, etc.  

Having said that, here is how different things break down when it comes to what breaks a fast:

- If you are fasting for weight loss, consider anything that raises insulin to break a fast.  This means you could have coffee or tea with a bit of cream in it.  Milk is more likely to break your fast metabolically because it contains milk sugars.  Some also say a mug of bone broth is acceptable, as it contains very few calories but helps keep your salt up and provides a bit of amino acids.  With a weight loss goal, you are attempting to keep insulin very, very low for extended periods of time, in order to re-sensitize your body to insulin and allow more time for your body to call on stored energy.  

- When fasting for autophagy, protein breaks your fast.  So again, a source of fat in coffee or tea is "ok", but bone broth probably not.  Also, munching some undressed salad greens is probably ok.  But autophagy has become a huge buzz word, without very many human trials to pull from, so this is mostly based on best guesses by doctors.  

If you absolutely cannot make it, you can google "fast-mimicking diet" to come up with a meal that might tide you over without raising your insulin significantly.  BUT, it will almost certainly be a high calorie meal, so you'd have to be careful and fit it in.  

 

Another reason I chose OMAD is that at 5ft1, I just don't get a huge calorie "allowance".  I also have ZERO interest in counting calories.  I am a big eater, and can easily fit in my 1200 or so calories in one meal or one meal + snack.  Rather than trying to count calories out, I just eat until satisfied.  The days I exercise are typically the days I add a snack.  

[SpecialClassical]

2 hours ago, Monica_in_Switzerland said:

Interestingly, I am now one month into IF.  I do 20:4 or 23:1 during the week and 18:6 on the weekends.  Here are some of my observations:

- I feel best when I make lunch my main meal of the day.  During the week, I either have a very large lunch (approx 12pm-12:30) or a large lunch plus some additional protein about 3 hours later (approx 12pm-3pm).  So, either OMAD (one meal a day) or two meals but in a short time frame.  

I love, love, love, love.  I really didn't have much in the way of hunger pangs if I skipped dinner, but I do if I skip lunch and instead make dinner my big meal.  

I know everyone thinks IF is crazy, but I feel SO GOOD skipping dinner.  I sleep great, and amazingly, I do not wake up hungry.  Sleeping seems to reset the clock on hunger, so I'm ready to go to lunch the next day with no issues.  On the weekends I do tend to eat dinners because of social events or just to be together as a family... and it leaves me feeling very sluggish and over-full.

Making dinner instead of breakfast the skipped meal has some advantages.  You can read about it with the google terms "early time restricted feeding".  There's a lot of circadian rhythm data supporting an earlier eating window.  This may help you with your hunger pangs.  It could be your body's natural rhythm prefers food earlier in the day.   If feels nice to go to bed and not be actively digesting.  

I know, six months ago, I was all gung-ho keto.  But what I found was that it was not going to be sustainable for *me*.  I'm bad at saying no in social situations, and moreover, I don't want to need to in order for my (hopefully sustainable and easy) diet to be successful.  With keto, a cheat meal or day means no ketosis for 48 hours or so.  With IF, I find it much easier to just plan desired "feasts" into the IF schedule.  They are no longer cheats, they are just the feasts to counter the fasts.  So if I know I'm having pizza out with girlfriends on Friday night, I skip Friday lunch and make dinner my OMAD instead.  The next day, I just go right back to the routine of lunch being my meal.  I felt like I was doing keto to get to some goal, but would not be able to use it past that point.  IF feels way easier.  

Results?  I'm pretty happy.  In the last 20 days, I've lost almost 4 lbs.  This is pretty neat, considering I am only 5ft1in tall and am already in the normal BMI range (I started looking for weight loss ideas when I got to a half pound from overweight on the BMI chart).  If you are heavier, you should lose faster.  My loss trend is to lose during the week (OMAD), then flatline on Sunday and slightly high on Monday (due to the looser IF schedule Sat-Sun).  

I have not really seen convincing information that women should limit their fasting window.  I would be happy to see some if someone has some journal articles.  

Thanks for sharing your experience.   I also sleep better while fasting, much better.  My migraines have been fewer as well.  Like you said, in social situations I have a hard time saying no or get frustrated that all the skinny people have their plates full and I’m eating 1/4 of what they have.  I’m hoping IF will give me some freedom, although I’m not sure I could eat that much anyway. Ha! 

 

2 hours ago, Monica_in_Switzerland said:

 

 

[SpecialClassical]

1 hour ago, Slache said:

It depends on who you ask and people are kinda culty so be prepared to be yelled at for doing it wrong. I follow the rules laid out in The Obesity Code and his other book that I can't recall the name of this very second. I will PM you my notes.

Yes, I just got his Diabetes book, and am following suggestions there.  I have noticed this book is more extreme than his videos, so I feel like that’s where some of the cultish adherence comes into it. 

[SpecialClassical]

1 hour ago, Monica_in_Switzerland said:

 

My understanding is this:  Anything other than water breaks a fast because it will require processing by your digestive system, liver, etc.  

Having said that, here is how different things break down when it comes to what breaks a fast:

- If you are fasting for weight loss, consider anything that raises insulin to break a fast.  This means you could have coffee or tea with a bit of cream in it.  Milk is more likely to break your fast metabolically because it contains milk sugars.  Some also say a mug of bone broth is acceptable, as it contains very few calories but helps keep your salt up and provides a bit of amino acids.  With a weight loss goal, you are attempting to keep insulin very, very low for extended periods of time, in order to re-sensitize your body to insulin and allow more time for your body to call on stored energy.  

- When fasting for autophagy, protein breaks your fast.  So again, a source of fat in coffee or tea is "ok", but bone broth probably not.  Also, munching some undressed salad greens is probably ok.  But autophagy has become a huge buzz word, without very many human trials to pull from, so this is mostly based on best guesses by doctors.  

If you absolutely cannot make it, you can google "fast-mimicking diet" to come up with a meal that might tide you over without raising your insulin significantly.  BUT, it will almost certainly be a high calorie meal, so you'd have to be careful and fit it in.  

 

Another reason I chose OMAD is that at 5ft1, I just don't get a huge calorie "allowance".  I also have ZERO interest in counting calories.  I am a big eater, and can easily fit in my 1200 or so calories in one meal or one meal + snack.  Rather than trying to count calories out, I just eat until satisfied.  The days I exercise are typically the days I add a snack.  

This is super helpful! 

[SpecialClassical]

11 minutes ago, peacelovehomeschooling said:

I do 16/8 and have for over a year now.   It works so well for me.     My 16 of fasting falls from about 4pm  to  8am.   Usually even if I am hungry when I wake up,  just the amount of water I always drink is enough to fill me up until breakfast time.  I do have coffee before breakfast, but I drink it black with just a splash of almond milk creamer in it.  Since there is so little creamer in it,  it is allowed  (in my opinion).  Many days I am busy with my daughter's school or am working out and I don't eat breakfast until closer to 9.

I’m impressed you can skip the nighttime meal.  I think it would upset my family if I did that.  They don’t really notice at breakfast.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

1 hour ago, SpecialClassical said:

I’m impressed you can skip the nighttime meal.  I think it would upset my family if I did that.  They don’t really notice at breakfast.

 

I'll respond to this since I also skip dinner.  They were weirded out for a bit, but I just explained I feel better when I eat earlier in the day.  After a week of sitting at the table and drinking some iced green tea while everyone ate, nobody even noticed anymore.  🙂  I do not talk about weight loss with my kids because I am not technically overweight and I don't want to get into complicated explanations about wanting to look a certain way (I look better at 115 than 130, but both are technically "healthy weights" for my height) because I don't want to wake up "body consciousness" in children who are utterly free for the moment of those thoughts.  Hopefully, that makes sense.  

 

[HS Mom in NC]

I've recently started full fasts sometimes for religious reasons.  I sit at the table with something to drink while everyone else eats their meals. The first they asked about it and I said matter of factly, "I'm not eating." Then I went on with what I was doing and everyone was fine with it.

[Lady Marmalade]

My fasting window is generally 7:00 pm to noon the next day.  Most days I go to bed by 9:00 pm, and I have a hard time sleeping on a full stomach, and that's what really started me on a cycle of IF.  I try very hard to be finished eating my last meal of the day before 7:00 so that I can fall asleep easily, since I only get a few hours at a time.  I deliver newspapers, so I wake at 2:00 am, go do my route, return home between 4 and 5 am, and then go back to bed for a few more hours of sleep.  When I wake, I drink black coffee.  The coffee I would drink regardless of whether or not it would be "approved". (Several cups, some days more, some days less.)  I suppose it might help act as an appetite suppressant because I seldom feel the need to eat anything before noon.  On the days where I just feel ravenous and the coffee isn't helping squash that feeling, I find myself something smart to eat- a slice of toast with peanut butter or a banana. 

I don't beat myself up at all if I have a day where I need a few extra calories outside of the window- I listen to my body, and if it's saying Feed Me, Seymour, I'm going to feed it.  If I want a snack between my two meals of the day I absolutely have one.  I find that overall I don't have those highs and lows with regards to overall energy and I guess I never really noticed it before, but I would say that I definitely have had far less instances where I've had debilitating migraines or headaches since I've been following this way of eating.  I can't remember the last time I had a migraine.  I've been doing my paper route for going on two years now, so I've been eating this way for almost that long.  I'm down 45 pounds at this point, and if I stopped here I could be absolutely thrilled.  I do hope to be able to quit my job at some point in the near future, and it will be interesting to see if I can manage to shift my window if and when I am able to return to a normal sleep schedule. 

 

[SpecialClassical]

50 minutes ago, Lady Marmalade said:

My fasting window is generally 7:00 pm to noon the next day.  Most days I go to bed by 9:00 pm, and I have a hard time sleeping on a full stomach, and that's what really started me on a cycle of IF.  I try very hard to be finished eating my last meal of the day before 7:00 so that I can fall asleep easily, since I only get a few hours at a time.  I deliver newspapers, so I wake at 2:00 am, go do my route, return home between 4 and 5 am, and then go back to bed for a few more hours of sleep.  When I wake, I drink black coffee.  The coffee I would drink regardless of whether or not it would be "approved". (Several cups, some days more, some days less.)  I suppose it might help act as an appetite suppressant because I seldom feel the need to eat anything before noon.  On the days where I just feel ravenous and the coffee isn't helping squash that feeling, I find myself something smart to eat- a slice of toast with peanut butter or a banana. 

I don't beat myself up at all if I have a day where I need a few extra calories outside of the window- I listen to my body, and if it's saying Feed Me, Seymour, I'm going to feed it.  If I want a snack between my two meals of the day I absolutely have one.  I find that overall I don't have those highs and lows with regards to overall energy and I guess I never really noticed it before, but I would say that I definitely have had far less instances where I've had debilitating migraines or headaches since I've been following this way of eating.  I can't remember the last time I had a migraine.  I've been doing my paper route for going on two years now, so I've been eating this way for almost that long.  I'm down 45 pounds at this point, and if I stopped here I could be absolutely thrilled.  I do hope to be able to quit my job at some point in the near future, and it will be interesting to see if I can manage to shift my window if and when I am able to return to a normal sleep schedule. 

 

This is very encouraging.  I had a couple days when I felt really sick from hunger,  so I went ahead and ate. (Seymour 😂)  But I realized it was because I had too many carbs the night before, lesson learned.  I hope you are able to quit your job soon and sleep through the night. 😊

 

 

[SpecialClassical]

9 minutes ago, Heartwood said:

I've been doing intermittent fasting since December and the hunger the last four hours varies from day to day. I do drink hot tea during my fasting window and find it helpful. It's debatable whether or not that actually breaks a fast. I don't believe it does. You can read opposing views online. Fledge Fitness on YouTube is one who says it's okay. He has a lot of informative videos on intermittent fasting.

People have also been successful doing intermittent fasting without keto too. It has worked for me, mostly by reducing the time I have for mindless eating, and I'm not a keto follower. Just wanted you to know you have options. 

Best wishes on your journey!

Thank you.  Keto is not an option, so I appreciate this.  I did whole 30 and that was too low in carbs for me; I never got to the “regained energy” stage. 

Tomorrow im going to skip the coffee, and try to get by with tea.

[Slache]

Keto makes me not hungry. I fasted pre-keto, but it was harder.

I didn't get the tiger blood my first Whole30 either, not until I learned consistent low carb. I couldn't have a sweet potato every 3 days and expect my body to adjust. Two days into actual keto I am fully adjusted and doing great. I think most people I know who do IF do not do keto. I think that's more common among the obese for weight loss and athletic types to more easily meet nutritional needs.

Tea makes me hungry.

[extendedforecast]

On 3/16/2019 at 8:44 PM, SpecialClassical said:

If you’ve done 16/8, how long does it take to stop feeling hungry the last 4 hours?  I do find it helps if I eat healthy fats and a low amount of carbs my last meal before the fast, but I’m still hungry.  I am doing this for weight loss and for diabetes prevention, so I’m willing to stick with it, but it would sure help if I know how long.  I already know it’s gping to be more than a few days. Lol

I tried a few times but couldn’t continue due to feeling awful. My doctor said that women should not fast 100% of the time for 8 hours or less. He recommended either lengthening the window for eating or fasting a few days a week. I naturally eat between 12:00 and 10:00. 

Edited March 18, 2019 by extendedforecast

[milovany]

I lost 18 lbs last year with IF.  I also increased my water intake a little bit and tried not to overeat during my feasting window.  I did a 18:6 where I ate between noon and 6:00 PM.  That way I could have the breakfast food if someone made something yummy for breakfast, and I could have a dinner with family or out or whatever.  Sometimes I told myself I could have whatever I wanted as long as I waited until noon.  Three donuts?   Fine, but wait until noon.  That really did help me (although I do want to combine IF with low carb; I'll probably never do full on keto). The hardest part for me is not snacking from one meal to the next. 

For whatever reason, I did stop even though I still have about 20-30 lbs to go. I don't know why now but I'm having a hard time getting back to it.  I've gained about 5 of the 18 back.  Lent is helping a little bit.  I also just got injured while playing pickleball and that just might be the impetus I need to get back to it.  I want to be strong going into my senior years, and I need to lay that foundation now. 

Anyway, I know the best thing I could do if I want to continue weight loss is to get back to 18:6 with some OMADs thrown in as well.  Working on finding the motivation that gets me going.  🙂