What did you do to get started?

I’ve been doing the 16:8 for about 3 months, possibly longer, but I haven’t really seen any results. I’m in a wheelchair so weighing myself is out. I think I can put on a “large” shirt, which would be snug or too tight to get on, and keep trying it until it fits or I rip it. For comfort’s sake, I wear double and triple X sizes so I wouldn’t be able to tell if they got baggy. My normal size is probably an XL. Also, I have calorie burning exercises I do intermittently, as well as, some weight training (nothing more than 8lb hand weights). 1. What did you do on the very first day when you decided to give IF a try? 2. What is a typical day’s menu? I am finding I can’t get started because I don’t eat my first meal until 12:00pm. Normally, I don’t eat breakfast but if I wanted to eat one or eat at 10:00am until 8:00pm, I could. I know I can eat a breakfast on 16:8, too, it might just become 14:10. My problem is, I jump around too much from 16:8 to 14:10 to 12:12. I know that’s ok but it’s too close, or is, what I’ve always done that wasn’t working. I would like to have a day’s sample menu, please, and anything else you think could help me get started. Thanks in advance!

Answer

I’m 5’11” f, 36 yo mom.

I like to break fast at about 9am with a coffee (1tb sugar, 1tb Chobani creamer, half cup of Fairlife whole milk, and a shot of espresso, comes out to less that 200 calories). I’ll often have a hot bowl of Quaker oatmeal (150 cal). For lunch today I’m having a chicken salad sandwich, the chicken salad is from leftover chicken breast. That’ll be about 350 calories. I might have some salted popcorn with it instead of chips. Water to drink. Snack will probably be a can of coke because I’m a caffeine addict lol (140 cal), and maybe some chicken salad again, just eaten straight out of the container because it’s so tasty.

Dinner tonight is grilled steelhead trout (250 cal), probably steamed broccoli, and some high protein pasta with alfredo sauce (250 or 300 cal ish). There will surely be a little random snacking in between because I usually eat what my toddler leaves on his plate.

I’ll be done eating at about 7 pm. I don’t have a very tight eating window because I struggle if my blood sugar levels dip. So I eat smaller meals more frequently.

My daily calorie maintenance is 2kcal, but right now I’m dropping a few pounds so I try to stay under 1700cal.

I find that having a generous eating window but restricting my calories to a slight deficit is what works best for me.