What am I doing wrong? 16:8 fast for over a month with no results

New here and need some advice! I I did a 14:10 fast a few years back which helped me drop about 15 lbs, and then I stopped losing weight so I figured I hit that dreaded plateau. At this point I would just fast for 12 hours to 14 hours every day just out of habit and I maintained that weight. 2 years later I seemed to have gained the weight I lost, so started on a much more aggressive fast…16:8. Only black coffee and hot lemon water in the morning until I eat my late lunch. I’d say I even eat healthier this time around (not extremely healthy but healthier than before) I have a big sweet tooth but haven’t increased nor decreased my sugar intake, and hard for me to cut sugar out completely. I work out 1-2x a week (just treadmill) and have been doing that for years. It’s been over a month, and not a single pound has been lost. In fact, some days I’m actually gaining a pound or two according to my scale. This is frustrating. I’m scared to think what would have happened if I didn’t start this fast when I did, would I have gined 5-10 pounds more? I don’t know what’s happening and why it’s not working for me. My first time fasting with 14 hour windows, I started dropping the weight as early as the first week. Could it be the actual time I eat? I start and end my fast much later in the day/evening but thats due to my work schedule and I always end up sleeping extremely late so my window ends later than the usual dinner hour. Any help is appreciated, I feel so discouraged

Answer

Stop putting lemon in your water, unless it’s a couple thin slices in a gallon container, it’s breaking your fast.

Secondly, decide if it’s more painful to give up the sweet tooth or more painful to not lose the weight.

Answer

I love ice cream and fruit, but I make a point to know how many calories of those I’m eating. Fruit satisfies my candy cravings and ice cream the chocolate cravings. On days I want these things, I sacrifice in other places (which may not be the healthiest, but I take a multivitamin) so that I can enable myself the ability to have some of the bad things. For instance, to have 600-1000 calories in ice cream, on 16:8 I will typically replace a meal with it or eat less during that meal on OMAD.

I’d suggest giving that a shot to test and see if that allows you to see some progress. I’ve gone 265->210 beginning late September to as of this morning doing 16:8 to start and OMAD lately.

Answer

Do you feel a difference in the fit of your clothes? Perhaps your are loosing inches. Before I started IF I did 5 days of protein only and fasted from 12-8, which put my body into ketosis by day three. I bought the strips at Walmart which help test to see if your body is in ketosis. Then I switched to 20.4, I eat from 5-9 pretty much a meal and a snack, don’t count calories and lost 7 lbs in 2 weeks. Saturday I don’t fast and eat what I want. I have been able to put my body back into ketosis after a 20 hour fast even after my Saturday do what you want with day. I’m a 48 year old female in menopause.

Answer

Don’t fixate on the scale too much, I know it can be hard not to. Your body weight will fluctuate from day to day and a lot of it will depend on how much water your body is holding on to. Stick with it, maybe increase your cardio sessions and do them while you’re fasted, and only weigh yourself once a week. Reducing your sodium intake will also make your body hold on to less water weight