The FastDay Forum

Thank you Sallyo. ... I'm just not sure if I will lose less weight by restricting my calories and would do better if I was very strict with the eating window, but ate more calories during it. I guess I will just have to experiment. I was just wondering what others found.

Yes, definitely. Thank you, Sallyo!

There are studies that show that more weight is lost when eating is restricted to a narrow time window than is lost if the exact same number of calories are eaten throughout the day.

The reason why this is true is that the body recognizes that it must use fat to bridge the gap between meals - exactly what we want to happen in order to lose weight.

Between-meal snacks are detrimental because they immediately stop fat from being used as an energy source.

With a single, fast day, dinner time meal you effectively extend your fat burning zone to 23:1.

Thank you. I do understand the fasting part of it. I just think that at my age, weight loss history, etc. I might also need to restrict my calories during that eating window, to really lose weight. I think I will stick with that right now, and then as I lose weight (or if I don't) I will experiment more with not counting calories as much.
Thanks everyone for your input!

I have been doing 16.8 but also being mindful of eating high protein, low carb, and not ODing the calories. At moment loosing weight at same rate as when I did 5.2 a couple years age. This is better for me as mood swings not so severe.

I'm having big problems walking my two miles due to arthritic knee pain. I'm going to switch to 16:8 so that I can take Ibuprofen in the morning. I can't take it without food and I can't fast if I start eating early. I'm by no means at my goal weight, but if my weight loss is slowed down that's ok for now. The most important thing for me is getting rid of the sedentary classification and I can't do that when in pain.
A few years ago (2011) I ate paleo/primal for several months and my joint pain went away. Five years have passed, and I have harmed my body in so many ways in the interim, but I am hopeful that eating paleo will do it for me again.
My blood pressure is high and I believe that daily movement is really the only solution for that (I do take meds also).
I do count calories, every one, I weigh my food to the gram and keep track on http://paleotrack.com/. But I make no effort to restrict my calories. I'm a bean-counter (even though I can't eat them), and I have been accused of being too precise (though under the circumstances of the accusation, it hardly seemed fair). It just seems easier to weigh and record what I eat, that way I avoid any sort of judgement. It's the same reason I weigh myself every morning - no judgement, just data.
I'm trying to cook more successfully, and have found that mise en place helps my cooking and makes weighing food quite easy.

FWIW...

Have you considered switching to an elliptical and/or stationary bike to eliminate the impact forces until things strengthen back up?

Taking deliberately shorter steps at a quicker step rate can help relieve the strain as can wrapping the knee before going for a walk.

I've known several people who have had success with zero-drop shoes that are either flat or have very little drop from the heel to the toe area. One of them runs half marathons wearing 5-finger shoes now.

... I've known several people who have had success with zero-drop shoes that are either flat or have very little drop from the heel to the toe area. One of them runs half marathons wearing 5-finger shoes now.

Thanks @ADFnFuel for responding. I only wear zero-drop shoes; http://www.lemsshoes.com/. I had tried so many shoes, even went to an orthopedic shoe store, no help. But zero-drop, minimal shoes are the best. I have to make adjustments in my gait due to inflexibility and pain, but with flexible shoes I can make the least adjustment necessary. I wear the Primals whenever I can and Nine2Fives when I have to.
I hate taking pills, but I had a pretty comfortable walk today. Yesterday I was ready to quit.
I don't know much about 16:8. I hope it has fasting benefits, not just calorie reduction. I need to read up. I'm also still hoping to get inflammation reduction following Whole30.

I grew up in a town called Chingola in Zambia, hence the name. Although recently I`ve thought that the chin go part is certainly applicable to me! Finished my eating window, and feeling nice and full. Thanks.
I see you live in Nevada. I spent 2 years in my youth in Davis, California, and managed to get my only speeding ticket in Nevada!

I know what you know about the "chin go" for sure! My daughter strongly considered UCDavis for law school, but opted for University of Arizona in Tucson as they offered her a 3 yr. full-tuition scholarship-smart, I think! Yeah, I think there are definitely some speed traps here in Nevada! Two of them that I know of are Tonopah in central Nevada and Searchlight in southeastern Nevada. I hope 16:8 or 5:2 or 4:3 or ADF works for you. I think, in general, this is a very flexible way of eating. For the last month, we have been in our RV in the desert in southern Arizona. Our food schedule has been variable, to say the least. Plus, my digital scale, which I took along and put in one of the closet areas, kind of went crazy. I don't know if it is from lack of solar time, or the bumpy roads. I'll have to stick it in the sun and see if it heals itself. But, I came home for a couple of days, and stepped on my big old school non-digital scale, and wonder of wonders, I seem to be right on track!

Well, I'm getting a little frustrated. I've been working really hard at this, sticking to my window and watching my calories during it and my weight keeps hovering around the same couple of pounds. I'm using Libra and weighing every day and my trend weight really isn't changing. I know sometimes these things take a little while to kick in, so I'm just going to keep at it and hope my body responds soon!

[carorees]

Well, I'm getting a little frustrated. I've been working really hard at this, sticking to my window and watching my calories during it and my weight keeps hovering around the same couple of pounds. I'm using Libra and weighing every day and my trend weight really isn't changing. I know sometimes these things take a little while to kick in, so I'm just going to keep at it and hope my body responds soon!

Try throwing in a shorter window/longer fast once or twice a week. I find if I do a 19 or 20 hour fast after a period of creeping gains, it reverses the direction for quite a while. I think 8 hours is just a bit too long for me. I aim to do mostly 17 or 18 hour fasts.

Well, I'm getting a little frustrated. I've been working really hard at this, sticking to my window and watching my calories during it and my weight keeps hovering around the same couple of pounds. I'm using Libra and weighing every day and my trend weight really isn't changing. I know sometimes these things take a little while to kick in, so I'm just going to keep at it and hope my body responds soon!

Try throwing in a shorter window/longer fast once or twice a week. I find if I do a 19 or 20 hour fast after a period of creeping gains, it reverses the direction for quite a while. I think 8 hours is just a bit too long for me. I aim to do mostly 17 or 18 hour fasts.

Thanks so much for the advice. I will try to do that. Unfortunately, based on my schedule it's hard for me to shorten the window much. I have to eat lunch around 12, because by 12:30 I have classes again and by the time I get home and have dinner it's pretty close to 8. I will try though. I do cut my calories a lot one day of the week, but still start eating them at 12. It's still early I guess, so I'll see if I start losing, if not I'll start making adjustments. (maybe 2 super low cal days.)

Well, another week and no significant weight loss. It is trending downward, but very, very slowly. I know that when I did 5:2 the first time, it took a little while to see any results. So I'm hoping it's the same with the eating window. I am sticking strictly to my eating window M-F (staying under 1200 calories and one day very low, around 700), and based on Carorees advice trying to shorten it by an hour when I can. I am currently not staying in the window on the weekends, because from what I read you don't have to do it every day for it to work. I'm going to try to stick with this plan for now. If in a few weeks, the scale is still stuck, I will add in weekends or at least one of the days. I'm working on getting 8500 steps in every day and trying to drink more water. Hopefully, something will give soon!

I`m finding 16.8 much more doable, and at the moment it seems to be working. However there is apparently something wrong with my liver function tests so they`re going to send me for a scan. Just wondered how this diet might affect LFT`s> Seeing GP next week so she should know.
Chingola is the name of the town I grew up in , in Zambia.

Still no significant loss. But, I'm going to keep at it. I'm going to try to do 7 hour windows and I'm going to add in weekends. I'm also going to start really training for a 5K this week. I honestly have no idea if that will help or hurt. You'd think it would help of course! I'm really hoping that if I keep chugging along my body will eventually catch up and I'll lose 3lbs in one week or something. At least I'm not gaining weight!!

Well, I'm still hovering around the same weight. I'm down .4 from last week, but my trend is only down .1. I added the weekend in to my eating windows and have been exercising more and drinking more water. I have been at 1200 calories or less all week . I splurged a bit on the weekend, but I don't think I exceeded 2000 calories. Plus that's when I get the most exercise.
I really hope if I just keep doing what I'm doing my body will catch up eventually. I think the only other thing I could do is try to cut down a bit more on my carbs. I just don't know what else do to.

Frustrating isn't it *hugs*. What's your TDEE honey? I'm wondering if you're under eating at 1200 cals for 5 days in 7, encouraging your body to store up everything it gets against starvation?