I recommend reading The Obesity Code by Dr. Fung so that you will have a scientific foundation for the IF behavior you are adopting. I think getting your significant other on board is very helpful. My wife has been completely supportive of my IF which has made it much easier to stick with a consistent schedule. Good luck!
I do 16:8 (if I can do 18 or 20, then I do). Motivation is a funny thing, sometimes I used other people’s progress around my same height and weight, sometimes it would be the “ideal body” for me. Sometimes those get me in a dark place. So it was to be comfortable in my own skin again and not getting winded going up the stairs in my house. Now, it’s to get more fit and drop body fat.
When I started IF I previously ate all day all the time, even when not hungry. The first few days to be 16:8 were really hard (staring at food, thinking about food, being hangry) but it got easier after three days. Now I don’t get hungry until that 16h mark.
In my eating window I also focused on cutting down/out snacks and when I did have meals, made them healthier. Drink plenty of water, I have to pee at least every hour, but it helps me stay hydrated and not as hungry.
If getting to 16h is hard for you, try starting with 12:12, then after a couple days increase the time to 14, then to 16.
I started adding in workouts after a few months because when I do too much all at once, my compliance is good for a short amount of time then I stop and it spirala out of control. It’s a slower process but much more manageable for me.
Also it helps that my husband is pretty much on board to my fasting times (his hours of work are significantly earlier than mine, but overall we match up)
I (60m) got a pre-diabetes warning from my doc in early April. I’d like to put it off as long as possible. My doc suggested IF.
So I started IF that week (also did Noom which I think has helped too).
I’ve been doing 16:8 5 days per week. Starting Sunday at 8 pm and ending at noon Friday.
I figured anything more was going to be unsustainable. I still aim for low-calorie density stuff and have cut a lot of carbs on weekends too.
I’d lost 30 pounds by late July and was no longer pre-diabetic by my blood test in August.