Hi all,
I’m a 36/M, 6’0” and currently, sadly, 335lbs. Last year in August I decided to track what I eat and watch the calories, cut the bad stuff and I was able to lose 40lbs up to Feb 2021. (started at 332lbs that time).
Unfortunately I went through some bad depression in the summer until November and lost all motivation. I gained it all back. But I am intent on getting back on track, and the right way.
I am starting a 16/8 fast and have some questions about things I couldn’t find in the FAQ or online.
I will be eating between 12pm to 8pm and have already started, and I already see a difference after a few days which is great! I feel hunger pains less, and sometimes don’t even realize it’s time for me to eat.
That’s part of my questions. Should I stick to set times? For example, should I always eat at 12, 2, 4, 6 etc? Or does the routine not matter as much for effectiveness.
I also spread out my calories in meals and snacks. Is that good or bad? For me, before, I would do breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, supper, night time snack. This was all keeping under my calorie count for safe health loss. Do I want to maintain that in my eating period? Or combine some to have less meal times.
Last thing, I am also quitting caffeine, smoking and doing at least a 30 minute walk every day. Would any of this affect what I am doing? (walks and caffeine are going good, but man quitting smoking is hard)
Thanks for any advice!
I started my 16:8 with a 12-8 window and have since switched to 10-6 since I usually eat dinner around 6 with my family. Only thing I can recommend as someone who smoked for 11 years is maybe don’t quit them all at once. As in I wouldn’t try to quit smoking and quit caffeine at the same time. I usually start my day with a cup of black coffee and it actually helps curb my appetite. Idk if this helps you at all but those are my experiences.
How’s your digestion? If you are experiencing any digestion issues (IBS, etc) I’d suggest not snacking. Fasting is very restorative but if you’re continuously eating throughout your feeding window, you will not see as many benefits. If you’re doing 16/8, try having two large meals a day and you should see a difference in your waistline a lot sooner as it will help to reduce bloating and other digestion issues you might experience.