LMAO realized I was subconsciously doing IF and now I’m sad

So my doctor said I need to lose weight (didn’t specify how much but if we’re going by what a “healthy” weight is according to BMI, it’d be close to 30-40 lbs). So I was like no worries I heard this thing called IF maybe it’s time I check it out and 16:8.. *turns on calculator and clock* waaaat I’ve been doing this already lmao. So I skip breakfast since I don’t like eating breakfast and I’m busy anyways and don’t eat until at least 11. Then I get back home and eat dinner at around 5:30 then don’t snack on anything after 7 ish. And keep in mind this is before I even knew about IF! Well that sucks apparently I have already been doing this so you can only imagine my disappointment. Anyone have experiences like this? Is it better to try an even stricter time interval or is there another way? :(

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That’s great. There’s other metabolic benefits you would have from not having an all day eating window. So it’s not all bad.

Seeing you’re quite used to a 16:8 already, you could tighten it up and try 20:4 or maybe one meal a day. And then of course check the amount and quality of food that you’re eating. It’s not a bad idea to count calories for just a week to get an idea of what you’re consuming.

It’s actually good that you’ve already been doing 16:8. It means it’ll be a lot easier to get right than others who have hunger pangs after 12 hours and struggle to start IF.

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>didn’t specify how much but if we’re going by what a “healthy” weight is according to BMI, it’d be close to 30-40 lbs.<

Your doctor could have been more precise. BMI is a really broad index.As another fellow redditor said it would be good to track in/out calories for a while so you have more info to go forward with your plan.

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I have a similar experience except it is a more positive one.

When I decided that I needed to lose some weight, I put my foot down and told myself “NO MORE EATING AFTER SUPPER”…..which I did. I rarely eat breakfast during the week and usually eat very late morning on the weekends. So when I started my journey I started IF without even knowing it.

Now, I have also started to make different choices with my meals…ie more salads/veggies instead of pasta/breads, avoiding sugar and have switched to black coffee. I’m down 13lbs in 6 weeks.

Upping my exercise is next (cardio and strength training).

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I pretty much accidently started this a few weeks ago, when I realized I came here to get a better idea since I had seen some decent results. Going from 270+ to 260~ in under 2 weeks. Also my blood sugar being much more level.

Don’t feel sad, you already got something working down. There are several factors and tools in weight loss, and they work better together.

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Track your food. I only eat about 1300 calories between 11-7, and it’s pretty nutrient dense: chicken, tuna, eggs, spinach, hummus, whole grains… Also look into tracking your macros. My Fitness Pal is a free tool that makes this really easy to do.