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Just looking for some feedback

I’m not completely new to IF as I Pretty consistently did 16/8 or 18/6 for about a year in 2020/2021. I have just restarted this month and I’m looking for a little feedback. I am firmly in the midst of peri menopause at 47 with tons of hormonal issues happening and I’ve recently (within the last 6-8 months) put in a good 15 lbs. I’m relatively active , lifting weights, yoga and walking/ hiking 5-6 days a week and I routinely clock 10,000-20,000 steps a day unless I’m sick so it’s not a matter of being sedentary. I’m having surgery on my foot in a month and I really want to drop 10 lbs before surgery to lessen the pressure during the healing process . I’m doing a mix of 16/8 -18/6 and 20/4 just trying to keep my body guessing and so far I’ve dropped nothing . I’m getting a bit frustrated and I’m wondering if any other older women have had much success with IF and if anyone has any tips to help Thanks!

Answer

I’m 49 for one more week with very similar issues 😅 and worked to lose weight before foot surgery last April. I successfully dropped 15lbs when I switched to OMAD. I didn’t count calories but kept my portion sizes moderate and kept up a similar walking schedule to yours. I’ve found perimenopause and age have required me to be more strict than I had to be a few years ago.

Best of luck on IF and your foot surgery! 🤞🏻

Answer

Do you count calories? Are you in a deficit?

It has only been a week. What kind of change were you expecting in that time frame? Actual loss can easily be masked by variations in water weight. Lose 1 pound of fat in that week and it can easily be hidden by a shift in other weight. Trying to look at a scale daily/weekly can lead to frustration when it really doesn’t tell you much. The flip side of that is people who see a big change immediately but that levels off. So they expect that to continue but then it doesn’t, and they become frustrated the other way. In my experience real loss takes long periods to really see. SO really this is about long-term consistency over long periods of time. And that isn’t days or weeks but months and years.

Answer

I‘ve been IF for years and just read a study that suggests burst fasting. Either 18:6 or a 20:4 for 5 days out of the week with a couple weeks off. Or 2 days out of the week you fast for a whole 24H but never consecutive days. My husband and I are trying it out. So far so good. The fasts aren’t taxing like I thought they’d be. Probably due to being used to fasting 18-20 a day.