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Beginner Advice

Hey everyone, I did IF 16:8 for a week in December to try it out and it wasn't bad, so after the holidays I'm officially starting the journey. I'm on day 6 and wanted to hear y'all's advice! I'm M/27/5'10" CW:215 GW:185. Right now I've set my calorie goal at 1600 per day and I'm doing 16:8 with my eating window from 11am-7pm. I'm also aiming to work out 4-5 times a week for 30-60 mins doing weights and cardio. My caloric weak spot is booze, I like to drink, especially on weekends going out with friends. I've cut out beer since the 1st of the year and am trying to limit drinking, and going for liquor with no-cal mixers when I do drink. Besides just getting healthier, one of my main motivations is to lose weight before my wedding in Mid-May. What are the odds of hitting my goal weight before then? Based on my calculations I'm gonna come up short just from the calorie balance I can manage in that time. Any other pointers or advice appreciated! Thanks!

Answer

Sounds like a pretty fair approach.

I like my drinks as well…generally pressed.

If I know I’m going out, I drop my cals a bit for the day of or even before.

I am also keen on doing a 36 hour fast after a healthy drinking night. So if I drink say Saturday night…I either fast until Monday or I fast Monday. Not always…but sometimes.

Alternatively…I hit the gym more for a couple days. It doesn’t take much to burn the 800 cals of a dozen vodka if you even walk…an extra hour a day will cover that. A jog or walking with weights reduces that. Recalling…25 to 30 min of cardio for a couple of days can cover that

Also…against the grain here…but eating after drinking…avoid. your gut goes after what it wants in there the least…meaning booze is attacked and food goes more into storage.

Answer

I assume you are more interested in losing body fat than just weight? I would suggest to use measurements / clothing size to track progress. They are more telling than just body weight for many reasons.

Alcohol is not a good idea as it breaks your fast literally. That’s on top of the extra calories, i.e. very counterproductive to weight loss.

Good luck.

Answer

If you’re interested in giving up drinking completely but think it will be hard, I’d suggest reading “Alcohol Explained,” or “The Easy Way to Quit Drinking.” If you already feel like you’re stuck in a bad relationship with alcohol, “This Naked Mind,” is good. Alcohol does a lot more than slow weight loss.