I’ve been following a 16:8 IF schedule pretty religiously for about a month and a half. On the few days that I’ve broken a fast early for things like an illness, I try to keep it a lower cal (1500 or less) day.
I have definitely seen a decrease in things like craving based eating, I have more energy at work and feel more focused in the morning, I’ve been able to eat smaller portions and feel satisfied. So I am seeing good things here.
That being said…zero weight loss at all. I have 15 lbs of pregnancy weight I’d love to shed and it’s less than slow going…it’s just not going. I was hoping for 1-2 lbs at least by this point but whomp whomp.
Looking for advice about how to ramp this up? I’ve at least got the schedule and lowering my caloric intake down…what else should I consider to try and break this plateau? Exercise? Changing macros? Adjusting fasting time?
Hey! I don’t have any specific suggestions, as I’m fairly new and figuring all this out myself.
But I just gotta say—Great Job, You!!
Sticking to a good schedule for 6 weeks is an accomplishment in itself!!!
I’ve actually never lost weight doing anything less than 20:4 or even OMAD. I maintain well on 16:8. It’s a good maintenance plan for me. In the past. I did OMAD for a couple of months and my body adapted to OMAD and I’ve had to switch to 36 or even 46 hour fasts to get the scale moving again. I try to mix it up. I’ll have a 46 hour fast, then I’ll have a 16:8 day and then an OMAD. I just keep changing it up, depending on my schedule and that seems to have gotten the scales moving. I generally eat low carb for my meals, but not exactly keto. Sometimes you gotta keep your body guessing and prevent it from adjusting. We were born to adapt. That’s what humans do. Not everyone seems to need to switch things up often, but that’s what I and many others seem to need.
I was in a very similar situation as you for quite a while. What finally got things moving along for me weight loss wise was to drastically cut sugar and starchy carbs and increase fat for satiety by cooking mostly keto recipes. Also play around with your fasting intervals - sometimes do extra long ones when you feel up for it. It seems to help. (This was based on advice I got from this group when I could not budge a pound.) Good luck!
I’m also working to shed 15 lbs of pregnancy weight! Are you still nursing? If so it’ll be that much harder to slim down, I think.
I saw no results for the first two months. I resolved to do whatever necessary to move that scale down, and I shrank my eating window down to 4 to 6 hours. I also dramatically reduced simple carbs – pasta, bread, sugar, potatoes, rice. And I started taking advantage of work from home by factoring in 10 to 20 minutes of HIIT 4 to 6 times a week. And frankly, the time saved by not eating during most of the day is more than the time spent working out! So it’s a net time source!!
Good luck. Don’t give up. Instead of counting calories try a narrower eating window and eating foods that are lower carb and less calorie dense. I often break my fast with a big bowl of plain yogurt to which I’ve added frozen or fresh berries, basil seeds, and some nuts or seeds. The basil seeds are magic. They expand in liquid and make time feel really full. It’s a total diet hack.
Fasting doesn’t cause weight loss without a calorie deficit. Fasting just makes it easier to keep to the deficit. Get a scale, weigh your food to get accurate calorie counts and lower your calories. If you’re overweight and sedentary, you certainly need to be counting your calories accurately to experience weight loss. Also ensure you’re removing sugar and those unhealthy carbs like white bread/white rice/etc from your diet.
I’m supportive of starting at 16:8, but If you only have an extra 15-20lbs, 16:8 might not jump start things. I began IF just wanting to lose vanity weight; I was already at a “normal” weight. Beginning with 16:8 for a few weeks I felt better, slept better, broke my taste for junk food (but I didn’t eat much anyway). I’m not of the CICO persuasion but just tightened up my eating window to 18:6, then 20:4. I’m now back to 16:8 some but still prefer 18:6 or 20:4. Presently/Tomorrow is a 38 hour fast.