Hello all I’m 45 M 5’11” 245 lbs looking to drop 35-40 lbs. I’ve started doing 16:8 IF. I gave up booze as I was a 4-6 beer per night drinker and smoking weed because munchies. I am doing well at resisting both currently. My question is this- I break my fast at 11:30a and start it at 19:30p. Does it matter how many calories I eat in that period? I am asking because I had a good healthy lunch no snacks but I went way overboard at dinner tonight, I don’t drink my calories only water and coffee throughout the day but my dinner was as follows— 4 egg omelette with salsa and a table spoon of cream cheese with three slices of fried summer sausage inside, 4 slices bacon, 2 breaded fried tomato slices 3/4 cup baked beans and half an avocado. I normally wouldn’t eat this much but I am pretty much starving all day everyday, but nowI feel way to full and guilty. I didn’t count the calories yet but I’m sure they are high.
Edit: I should probably add a couple things. I am fairly active I am a fire fighter and have been for 23 yrs. I have two dogs that go for two 15–20 minute walks twice a day. In my teens and 20’s and 30’s I was a solid 215-220 muscle ( mostly ) not ripped just big. I am currently working out with weights 6 days a week and cardio 4 days a week.
Calories count, so you’ll need to be eating fewer calories than you burn. Use a tdee calculator like https://tdeecalculator.net and aim to eat under your resting/maintenance number.
Cutting out the alcohol will help a lot, but don’t replace those calories with calories from food.
Calories in. Calories out.
Fasting may improve it some…but a deficit is the core. The goal with Fasting is concentrating the window as it is harder to overrun cals I’m a narrow window. There are autophagy perks and such…but that is lesser on IF