Hello!
This is my first time posting here, as I’m new to the community.
Im a 5’ 3” Female. SW: 170lb CW: 170lb GW: 140lbs
I started early last week with intermittent fasting. Been doing the 16/8 and progressively trying to get closer to 18/6 and maybe even 20/4 at some point. I’ve also been doing a little Keto; cutting out as much carbs as possible and watching my sugar intake the best I can.
I’m posting because eventhough I just recently started, I thought by now I’d see some minimal progress. I know it’s going to take time to get to my GW, but I guess I expected to see some weight loss by now since in 3 days it’ll be 2 weeks. Does it usually take this long for the body to adjust?
I have a relatively active lifestyle; average 8,000-10,000 steps a day for my job. I’m a forewoman at a scenery shop and I spend the day bringing materials in, moving scenery, loading trucks, etc. I’m also drinking loads of water to help during the day. My GW is based on what I was at pre-covid; so I figured it’s reasonable to reach.
I guess I’m just wondering if I’m doing something wrong. Is there anything I need to implement to start seeing some progress?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
It sounds like you have a solid foundation and are headed in the right direction! The scale is tricky, it doesn’t always reflect what’s actually happening with our health. Also keep in mind that, as ladies, our hormones fluctuate all month - you might find that you plateau for a week or two and then lose weight suddenly, etc. Keep at it! :)
Maybe if more time goes by without progress, it’ll be time to review your fasting schedule/calories/sugars then.
Many loose a bit of water in the beginning. Not everyone will loose fat right away. You will likely see some results soon. Give yourself a month 🙂.
At 16:8, there are still 8 hours to eat, and if we aren’t careful, we squeeze into those hours a similar amount as before. After a while of IF, you may not feel as hungry, so it’s easier to truly stick to 2 meals. I snack sometimes, but I really have to be careful with sweets. They so easily make me come back for more. I started to add sweets to one or two meals. Packed next to nutrient dense meals, I’m not as tempted to do it later halfway between my meals.
Even without calorie counting, try to be sufficiently deficient, around minus 500 on average. Use a TDEE calculator to figure out your numbers. If you are eating too close to your maintenance calories, your body’s homeostasis may make up for it and keep you at your weight.
I’m 55f, 135 which is my highest weight ever (and I’ve birthed humans weighing less than I do right now), GW WHO Cares!?? I do care, 125 would be ideal. I am about 2 months into IF 16:8-22:2 whatever it works out to date to day. MARGIN of total expenditure and need for 1200 calories a day will mean SLOW LOSS. I’ve lost and gained the same three pounds eating 1200 CICO mainly, with 1800 like three of the days in the past two months. BUT I’ve gotten off of sugar and inflammation is nearly gone which is a wonderful benefit, I can eat mindfully, I like feeling fasted - it is a hungry not hungry feeling. For weight loss I might require more exercise than I get right now… I might try to 22:2 more often, it’s actually quite easy for me most of the time. WATER drink a lot more water.