16:8 IF

This topic contains 4 replies, has 2 voices, and was last updated by  hope319 4 years, 10 months ago.

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  • Hello,

    I’m Kim and I just began the 16:8 IF diet three weeks ago. I have managed to lose 30 lbs over the last year by counting calories (no elimination of any particular food group as I wanted it to be sustainable for me-love sweets) and exercising via treadmill going 3.5 mph at 2% incline three days each week-again, something I could do in my home that would get me started and be sustainable for me. I’ve tried jogging in the past and it’s not for me. I like something I can do in my home so we had invested in a good treadmill that is in our basement and I either watch TV or listen to music.

    Anyway, I decided to ramp things up. I had tried the 5:2 diet in the past but it didn’t seem to work for me at the time because I found that I felt too deprived on those days and ended up more than exceeding my calorie count the other days!I am at 1450 cal per day as this is the least amount of cal I could stand at this point in time. I realize my TDEE is more than this as I am 5’6″ and at 220lbs… I have a ways to go, I know.

    During these past three weeks, I have kept within my eating window (11:30a-7:30p) and only take in 1450 cal Sun-Thurs. On Fri and Sat I would eat outside of the eating window (by eating breakfast when I awaken those days as well as maybe a yogurt at 8:30p), but still attempt to stick to my overall caloric goal for the day. I have yet to notice any difference on the scale or the way my clothing fits.

    I will stick with this regardless as I know IF reaps many benefits even if not reflected on the scale. Plus it has really helped me to reign in nighttime snacking (even within my cal count). Any suggestions or insights would be appreciated.

    Thank you!

    Hi,

    From your description you appear to be following a restricted calorie diet rather than 5:2. I suggest you try following 5:2 properly and that means 2 days per week of eating either 500 calories as per the original plan or 800 as per the updated plan and ensure that you don’t overeat on non fast days. That can be achieved by calculating your TDEE by using your goal weight and sedentary as activity level and sticking to that figure. It will also help in the long term as you won’t have to adjust it as the weight comes off.

    You say you like sweets. One of the problems of a high sugar diet is that it is addictive and after a couple of hours one experiences withdrawal symptoms which manifest as cravings which in turn is often mistaken for hunger. The only way to avoid this is to cut down on sugary foods and processed carbs and replace them with healthier options. Without doing that you are setting yourself up to fail.

    I know this sounds harsh but we become overweight in the first place by eating too much of the wrong foods and the only way we can lose the weight and stand any chance of keeping it off is by improving our diets.

    I hope this helps.

    As my title states, I am following the 16:8 IF diet, so you are correct in stating that I am following a ‘restricted calorie diet, versus 5:2 (did I not make this clear in my post?).

    I said I enjoy sweets and chances are, most of us do. That is not to say that my 1450 diet consists of pasta and oreos. However, most of us are more easily able to stick with and adapt to this new habit if it is something that is ‘liveable.’ For me, this means that while most of my calories come from fruits, veggies, and lean proteins and yes, this includes dairy, I allow myself to indulge in occasional sweet treats.

    I’m aware of how I became overweight. Most of us are: we have taken in more calories than we have burned and therefore, those calories turned to fat. There are times medical conditions also cause gains, but this isn’t the case for me thankfully.

    You mentioned ‘you know this sounds harsh’…you actually sounded more like someone who didn’t read my post thoroughly, nor seem to understand that I am doing the 16:8 IF diet versus 5:2. If you are aware, there are many ways of doing IF. 5:2 is just one. 16:8 is yet another and there are several others besides.

    People on this forum need someone to support them. If you can’t offer support but choose to ‘sound harsh’ then I would ask that you refrain from replying to most people’s posts. It’s obvious that people are here because they care about choosing a more healthy lifestyle. Let’s encourage each other in that journey.

    Thank you.

    Hi again,

    This is the 5:2 website and you mentioned doing 5:2 so I thought that is what you were aiming for.

    I’m sorry that you are unhappy with the straightforward advice I’ve offered which is the same that has been offered to many others who have appreciated it.

    I won’t post on this thread again.

    Good luck in your quest to lose weight and I hope you find something that is effective for you.

    Actually this is an IF website. If you will view the forum all types of IF programs are mentioned in the topics.

    You are choosing to label your advice as ‘straightforward’ now versus the ‘harsh’ adjective you used to describe it earlier?

    While there may have been ‘some’ that ‘appreciate’ your style of ‘support’(?), most would conclude as I did: that you overlooked the title of my message and didn’t read carefully. You picked out buzzwords and replied to those without offering encouragement but a ‘harsh tone’—your description of your reply, not mine. That was my point.

    It is your choice not respond to other IF followers. However, I agree that you shouldn’t if you can’t be more encouraging.

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