Hello guys, hope u r well. I am over weight and been like that and unhealthy for years now. I have no problem fasting it doesn’t feel hard for me.
I want to start IF tomorrow and start losing weight.
Can I start 18:6 ? Will that affect the process ? Or how shall I start ? Thanks guys.
when do we usually work out and lift weights ? During fasting or during eating window ?
Thanks guys :)
I have battled my weight for years and started on 16:8 as I was worried about skipping breakfast but quickly realied I only ate it out of habbit and switched to 18:6. I then accidentally did a couple of 20:4s and now do at least one of them a week too.
Start with what ever feels comfortable for your lifestyle. I don’t exercise other than walking so hopefully someone else can help you there. Welcome to IF.
I started again yesterday after a long break. The intention was 18:6 but i was really struggling. So I had a word with myself and broke my fast at 16 and did 16:8. I don’t regret it or feel disappointed. It was day 1 after all. So my advice for the early days would be push yourself to fast as long as you can without driving yourself insane trying to meet that certain time. I had two very healthy meals and a healthy snack in my 8 hours and am now on day 2, 12 hours into what I hope to be 18 hours but will settle for 16 again if that’s where the journey takes me 😊 It’s a marathon not a sprint.
Find the fasting duration that works for you. Integrating your fasting into your daily routine is key imho. Think longterm. Start with 18h and reevaluate after two weeks. Maybe switch to another duration and see if it’s easier for you.
Hey! You have to listen to your body and find the best fasting method that works for you. Nevertheless, if you are a beginner and have never done intermittent fasting, we recommend starting with 12:12 or 14:10. It will allow your body to adjust, and you will learn the basics of your new lifestyle. Remember that it’s a long process, not a fast solution, but it really pays off. Best of luck to you! 🙌😊
I’m no expert and can only share based on my experience.
I started 14:10 for a couple of days before moving to 16:8 then 18:6. The first few days I felt low energy but after 2 weeks I had adjusted. Start wherever you feel comfortable. Maybe aim for 18 hours but feel free to stop early (after 14 or 16) while you are adjusting.
I would recommend computing daily TDEE and then reduce that by 500 calories. In a week, 3500 calories = 1 pound loss.
I used myfitnesspal app to count calories of what I ate daily. I did this for 6 months and got used to approximating how many calories my usual food is that I dont use the app now.
I cut out on colored drinks and just drank water even with meals. I found that I love the taste of water and dont need to drink anything else.
I noticed the meal I have last before I start fasting made the most difference in reducing cravings. I cleaned up my food (aka no more cake for dinner). I still enjoy dessert daily with my first meal.
I chose walking as my exercise and I do it fasted in the morning. And then another walk in the afternoon after my last meal.
Good luck on your journey and remember to be kind to yourself on days when it gets hard!
Work up to it so you don’t burn yourself out. This is more of a marathon than a sprint so there’s no reason to rush it — get into the habit of having eating windows at all as a concept, then extend it. I started with 16:8, but I’ll do more like 14:10 while on my period. After a month or two, I didn’t need to use an app to track it anymore because it just felt natural. I extend my fasting mostly by accident because I don’t notice lol. I think starting with 14:10 even just for a day or two, then trying 16:8 for a few weeks is what I would suggest to most people starting out, but I’m also lazy asf and do a real lax IF lol. Been a year and 20lbs down with really no other modification besides IF. Slow and steady!!!
I’ve been at this a couple years. I’m a woman, 52 when I started. Turning 55 this year. I’m usually in the upper range of healthy BMI, and I’m aiming for solidly low middle. And tone.And autophagy, more later.
My diet is lapsed vegetarian cleaning it all up. I was strict from 1980 to 2013, pescatarian until 2020. I’m returning to lacto veg and heading to a plant based, nutritarian based life. Because I feel better on plants.
I vary the time, my days “off” are 13 hrs fasted, I tend to 16:8 as a goal, and my zero app suggests I typically go 18:6 many days a month. Exercise in my world happens when it happens. So I don’t plan on fasted or fed, but just get it in.
I am playing with cardio fasted at the moment, and it is easy enough.
Now, I’m trying 20:4/OMAD that lingers and I plan on a 48-72 this spring, after a couple days of greens mainly. And maybe doing it quarterly.
Here’s what I have realized so far:
as long as you have a good period of time when you aren’t taking in calories, and that period is consistent, it helps well being.
Heavy meals aren’t the best fast breaker for me. Or good going into the next fast. You know the old advice of breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper?Think pauper and prince as 90 percent of your meals.
No one cares about your eating window in the real world, and those who know, also know someone who fasts and binges, and they (maybe rightly) see it as disordered.
There are no fasting police. Except on Reddit.
Do what works for you for as long as it works and then tweak the details.
You mentioned fasting is easy. Might I suggest timing how long until you think of food, feel slightly hungry, and get a true desire to eat? This might get a good window set for you.No one died from 17:7. And it might work. Nothing says you have to be 16:8, 18:6, or 20:4, when 15:9, 19:5 or 17:7 are easier to maintain longer term.
And window times can slide. Love breakfast? Have dinner early.