Hi all! I am 47M, 5’11”, 213lbs. I would like to get back down to 180lb, and I think that IF can work for me. I am going to enter a 16:8 program and I am looking for any tips or advice to help me out when choosing what to eat.
I have read through a bunch of posts, the FAQ’s and some of the WIKI, and I have a couple of questions.
Avoiding refined carbs seems to be important, but I am not fully clear on things like rice, bread and pasta. Is wholegrain bread ok to make sandwiches etc for lunch? And for rice, my normal diet has always included white, basmati, and jasmine rice. What types of rices should I be eating? Same goes for pasta, I have always eaten white pasta, is there a better alternative or should I be cutting it out altogether?
My plans are to have an eating window from lunch (noon) to 8pm (actually I will probably be done eating around 6:30 most days, I will eat dinner with my family which is usually around 6pm, and then that will be it for food). I have always been one to munch into the evening, right up till bedtime, so this change will probably have a very positive effect. And I already know that this will be the biggest challenge for my will power.
In the beginning, I will be using more of a common sense approach with meals rather than calorie counting. Keeping portions reasonable, heavier on the veggies, and staying away from the processed foods.
Any advice from your experiences would be greatly appreciated!
>Avoiding refined carbs seems to be important, but I am not fully clear on things like rice, bread and pasta. Is wholegrain bread ok to make sandwiches etc for lunch? And for rice, my normal diet has always included white, basmati, and jasmine rice. What types of rices should I be eating? Same goes for pasta, I have always eaten white pasta, is there a better alternative or should I be cutting it out altogether?
It’s certainly not a requirement, but it can make the process a bit easier as it will help with hunger in many folks. The body loves to crave refined carbs because they are simple to use energy for it.
My personal route is to replace simple carbs with complex ones whenever possible. Brown rice, whole grains bread, etc instead of white rice, flour, sugar, etc. Basically eat all the same things but in their less processed forms. Make sure to watch out for marketing traps though, like multi-grain is not the same as whole grain. Also complex carbs tend to be slightly more calorie dense, so factor that in a bit.
>My plans are to have an eating window from lunch (noon) to 8pm (actually I will probably be done eating around 6:30 most days, I will eat dinner with my family which is usually around 6pm, and then that will be it for food). I have always been one to munch into the evening, right up till bedtime, so this change will probably have a very positive effect. And I already know that this will be the biggest challenge for my will power.
Good plan! IF was a huge help with curbing my snacking. The more you break from those habits the easier it will get over time too.
>In the beginning, I will be using more of a common sense approach with meals rather than calorie counting. Keeping portions reasonable, heavier on the veggies, and staying away from the processed foods.
If you’re honest with yourself and making good choices this can totally work. Granted I had a lot to lose, but I’ve lost a bunch of weight with IF without counting any calories. I always say there’s a spectrum between unrestricted eating and meticulously weighing everything, you don’t need to only be at the two extremes. It’s possible to be just be mindful and lose weight. Though that certainly won’t work for everyone.
Good luck!
You could just do the fasting for a while before you change your diet. That’s a recommendation I follow, so your body gets a more gradual transition. We aren’t the youngest anymore 😉. I haven’t significantly changed my diet and I’m not counting calories either, but I eat a wholesome diet already and have focused on more salads now, even if it’s a side. But after the first day, my carb cravings have pretty much stopped. I do eat refined carbs alongside complex carbs here and there. Good luck!