The FastDay Forum

Good morning world,

In response to popular demand, O.K. someone asked about this subject (#sixteeneight) so, I have compiled a selection of comments, observations and strange musings which may, or may not, be useful/interesting/boring/life changing so please feel free to have a read, ask me any other questions etc. I am no expert but I have been spectacularly successful on 5:2 and then 16/8 and and am still a work in progress.

Dominic has very kindly tutored me on how to make this easy for you all even though I believe that a little bit of effort whets the appetite but maybe not appropriate in this instance.

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If you still have a functioning brain after all this then here is my original tale of success, and I wish everyone the best of luck, it really is easy, just stick with it and you will all get there, trust me, I'm (now) a thin person!


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Ballerina x

Just thinking, there seem to be quite a few of us either already doing or wanting to try this. Shall we all come here and post about our experiences as a kind of joint diary? Be good to share

I'm doing 16:8 eating from 12 midday to 8pm eating window which is lunch, snack and dinner. I'm doing this every day with no problems or hardship.
I have now combined this with 5:2 so I do a fast Tuesday and Thursday. Eat small lunch and have dinner which is 500c. I'm losing weight at a steady rate. I have lost 4 kg since April 17. It is very easy to do and I'm very happy. I have only got 3 kg more to lose and then I will go to maintenance - probably 16:8 with 6:1. lovin this

Thank you for letting me know that Leanne, really handy to know how you are managing your days, I am really looking forward to starting this next week. I've just been doing 5:2 but having enjoyed 18:6 this week due to time limitations I want to try mixing the two. So easy and so enjoyable too. Lovin it too

Count me in Wendy, I am very keen to see if 16/8+5/2 is a better for me. My stats are started 11 weeks ago and have lost 9 kg. my goal is at least another 5kgs to go. Seems harder the longer I am in with the pesky stall & rebound.
I have been toying with starting Ballerina's 16/8 formula. I love this WOE so am up for this challenge

I didn't know I was doing this WOE until I saw it had a name! All of a sudden, the 16/8 and 5/2 made complete sense.
My one problem is getting enough fibre, so I plan my evening meals around pulses and veg, with lean meat, chicken or fish thrown in on odd days.
I've been steadily losing 1lb or so a week, but with 18lbs still to go, plus holibobs coming up, I'm hoping that this might help things along a little.
As one who ALWAYS had breakfast, I'm amazed how I can now do without. There will be times when I will need to eat in the morning, but I can be in control.
I still have to have my bedtime snack, but it's a Cathedral City selection (50 cal) and a ryvita thin (30 cals) so I'm happy with that. It's probably habit and in time, I'll learn to do without it, like I did with breakfast.

Thank you to whoever coined the 16/8 moniker!

I was exactly like you PennyForthem. I would never in a million years miss breakfast, mainly because I thought it was the most important meal of the day. And I used to hear people say that you lose more weight if you eat breakfast because you then don't get hungry later. Ha! Not true for me. Now I have found that I'm not missing breakfast at all. It really is quite easy to get to 11 or 12 till you eat and i really enjoy my lunch and dinner. Good luck with your weight loss

Hi Penny,
Thank you for responding. It was Ballerina I think, well, here anyway. Because I'm still newish I am still experimenting and worry about either not eating enough or eating too much on non fast days. I too base my evening meals on salad or vegetables with chicken or fish. I'm not too sure about pulses, they have never featured hugely in our meals so I'm not really that confident with them. I do like butter/cannelini/flageolet beans but am not sure if they are high in calories? Should I have them instead of the fish or chicken or a well as? I must investigate further.


I always had breakfast too because I thought it was a healthy way of eating, porridge with 1% milk and a little honey, sometimes with dried fruit and nuts and even a yoghurt. Wrong!!
I have never tried a ryvita believe it or not, they just don't look very nice but I have contemplated buying some recently. What are Cathedral City selections? Small cheese portions? I rarely buy cheese because I love it so much. I did try Kallo mature cheese and chive rice cakes the other day with a small amount of cheese but I am so afraid of snacking too much as that is what has been my undoing along with portion sizes of healthy meals. Doh!


I really value your input and hope to hear more about the type of things you eat.
Thanks again

Absolutely Leanne. What have we all been doing for all these years? I am perfectly happy with just green tea all the way through till 1 or 2pm although I do miss the yummyness of my porridge. Don't know when I can manage to squeeze it in now though.

Hi Wendy
Have your porridge for lunch a couple of days a week just reduce the portion size I think. I have a yoghurt and seeds and fruit favourite and that is what I plan. Lentil dishes Indian style are lovely.

Yes Wendy Darling, I miss porridge too. Perhaps porridge at lunch might be a nice change.
Since I have been eating this way I have also become very conscious of what is in the food i have been eating. Like yoghurt. I watched a program on Aussie TV recently which pointed out the amount of sugar in low fat yoghurt- 7 teaspoons full in some popular brands! So be careful what you eat with your porridge

Hello again 16/eighters!
Yes, Wendy, the Cathedral city is a ready portioned mini block of Cheddar and you can get them in the vintage, mature and ordinary varieties.
As to pulses, a 150g of Heinz baked beans is 108 cals and I make a mean 'cheat's chilli with that and quorn mince and veg. No rice.
As to other pulses, try a ready to eat puy lentil pouch (use 125g) and add tomatoes, red onions, lo cal feta, basil leaves and a dribble of balsamic. hmm, I fancy that for this evening now!!

I do this fabulous bake of already cooked green lentils with leek and a creamy french goats cheese sprinkled on top it is tasty chewy and low cal and tastes delicious

I do this fabulous bake of already cooked green lentils with leek and a creamy french goats cheese sprinkled on top it is tasty chewy and low cal and tastes delicious

Gillymary, that sounds amazing and right up my street; do you have a recipe?

I've been following peoples journeys on 16:8 and have realised that since starting 5:2 I seem to have slipped into partially doing 16:8 by mistake! The only thing I do wrong is I do sometimes snack late in the evening but I think I'll have as go at curbing that and only eating during my 'feast hours' as I have come to think of them Thankyou for putting all your experiences down in one place, they're really inspiring to read. X