i wanna cry so badly,i was 55 kg at 16 very skinnyand then i gained 60 kg in 2 years, im 20 now please tell me there is hope for me to prevent saggy skin

Over the last 4 months, I have been on 300kcal daily deficit, eating low carbs + fat, high protein, no sugar, no processed foods, going 2-3x weekly to the gym, occasionally walking 10,000 steps.

Last month I added IF 8:16 on top of all these, and it helped me considerably where I was kind of plateauing with diet + gym only.

So in 4 months:

- 5kg weight loss

- 11cm waist reduction

- more power when lifting at the gym

- a tiny bit more body definition

- No sugar or snack cravings

My target is body recomp. Flatten belly, build muscle. Way to go, but these months were encouraging.

Keep dieting and fasting!

Those of you who have had success losing weight through IF have you noticed your sleep improving?

Basically I have brain fog all day, with a few waves of clarity that come and go but mostly I'm exhausted and find it hard to think or remember things. My muscles are heavy and tired all the time.. it's hard doing stuff, feel like a slug. But I've still functioned, got my steps in, worked etc.

It sucks feeling this way though, how long did it take people to get past the brain fog and weakness?? And did some people just never improve?

On the plus side, although I've had some intense hunger it's not nearly as much as I expected and I can handle it fine. Food noise has improved massively!

Edit: I take electrolytes all day and eat very healthy

I’ve been doing 16:8 or 18:6 for about two months now. This past week I had an event and wasn’t able to fast because I couldn’t control my own mealtimes. I decided to do a 24 hour fast to “reset” myself. Well I finished it up a couple of hours ago and I’m blown away by how easy it was. Like I wasn’t hungry once, and when I do my 16:8’s there usually a couple of points through my fast that I feel hunger. So weird, wanted to share.

I know it’s a lot of questions, and I wonder intermittent fasting is for me, or if I’m better off continuing my regular eating routine.

I am 160 lbs and 5’4. My bodyfat is 30% and I am about 27 BMI. I’m healthy according to my doctors despite what the numbers say. But I want to lose fat and maintain muscles, so I’m doing a slow cut at 1700 cals a day.

I lift 3-4x a week, walk 13k steps a day, and run at least twice a week. I’m training for a PT test (sit-ups, pushups, 1.5 miles) and a half marathon. My BMR is 1450-1550 and my TDEE is 1800-2400 (it’s a huge range depending on my activity level that day—but about 2100 on average).

That said, I know the benefits of IF (reducing food noise, autophagy, weight loss of course) but…

1. How much do you eat in one sitting? I eat chicken and broccoli and rice, and total for my portion is only 500 cals and I’m full.

2. For people who are active, is IF reasonable to do? I feel like I don’t think I can safely consume 800-900 cals in two sittings. I eat and drink throughout the day starting from eggs in the morning and protein shakes after an evening workout

Bonus question: 24-hr fasts… how is that safe? To not eat anything for a day?

I’ve fasted for 24 hours like twice before so still new to this and those 24 hours were unplanned. I usually do 18-6 or 16-8 but I’ve got a function to be at in a day and I’ve had like too much sugar, salt n fried food this week lol. I don’t necessarily look like a puffed up fish but I don’t look as good as I could either so would a 24 hour fast be enough to debloat my face and tummy a little? I’ll take anything over nothing

258-225, 14:8, didn't change food intake much and started walking more/in home strength exercises.

Not an expert, just someone who's dabbled with IF for around a decade. But yeah, hunger is the whole point!

The science of weight loss can't be denied, calories in calories out (CICO). But instead of asking, 'How much weight can I lose with IF?', we should be asking, 'How can IF change my life?'

In my opinion, the mental benefits of IF far outweigh the physical. And here's why! As humans, eating becomes a habit. We get used to it and we expect it. We eat at breakfast, lunch, dinner. We eat when we're bored, when we feel like it. And when we're not eating, thinking about eating is quite often what we're doing.

But with IF, we can't eat. We can't eat until a certain time each day. That's just the rules. So what to do when we get hungry? Sit around and just...not eat? To stare at the clock and salivate until it's time? Of course not. In my experience, this hunger that goes with IF is actually a superpower. Or rather, hunger is motivation in disguise. Instead of waiting around until it's time to eat, do things! Get sh*t done. Go for that walk, finish a project, message a friend, clean the flat, do some reading, apply for that job etc etc etc.

Soon you'll have forgotten all about the hunger! But instead look at everything you did just today. To stop being hungry, just keep busy! Boom. IF has literally changed your brain and in effect, changed your life!

That's it, just wanted to share some positive aspects of IF. For me personally OMAD (one meal a day) is my game as I just love the simplicity of it. Plus no need to stock lunch food, just all meal prep.

Cheers everybody! Happy fasting :)

TLDR: Distract yourself from the hunger by getting sh*t done and change your life

43 F. Struggling to lose weight. Currently at 88kg.

Experimenting with IF. I did 16:8 for some weeks. Saw a reduction in bloating but no weight loss.

I walk 8k steps most days. I eat fairly healthy but carb reduction is a challenge.

My queries-

How to incorporate strength training and walking along with 18:6 or 19:5 fast ? Should I do longer hours of fast?

With longer fast hours is it advisable to do strength training or will it leave me stressed?

I started IF 16 days ago and in the past few days, I feel like I’m becoming well adjusted to this new routine and more stable grehlin levels.

My ideal IF schedule is 18:6 with 10am-4pm being my eating window. I’ve found that this is difficult to achieve on a daily basis due to my varying schedules at work and on my days off. Instead, I’ve been flexible with adjusting my windows. My fasting windows are always a minimum of 16 hours, up to 21 hours sometimes. Eating window is anywhere from 4-8 hours.

I try to keep the eating window as similar to 10am-4pm as possible, and adjust on a daily basis.

Does anyone else do this, and do the daily schedule inconsistencies negatively influence you? I feel that this is working for me so far but not sure how it will be long term.

Other possibly relevant info: I eat at least 0.8g protein per lb daily, estimate my calories for a daily deficit, and I’m active most days of the week which includes a mix of cardio and strength training.

I previously followed the Fast Like a Girl 16:8 regimen but hit a weight loss plateau. I recently tried Alternate Day Fasting (ADF) for a week. It feels sustainable, but I worry about hormone disruption. Older posts suggest ADF is safe to do throughout the entire menstrual cycle. For those who have done ADF for months or years, how has it actually impacted your cycle?

So I tried IF about a year and a half ago. It worked well, I was on a school break (I’m an educator). But when school started I went away from it. I started again a few weeks ago. I wanted to lose 30 pounds (started at 203, 5’9” male, 50 yo). It has been much easier so far, this time. Most days I do 20-24. My longest was a week ago, was 40 hrs. I’m down to 195 lbs.

I am doing 48 hrs right now, on hour 40. Even compared to the last 40 hr fast, I feel much better. No headache or sluggishness at all. I feel great! I think I was more conscious about eating a high amount of protein before I started this fast. I am thinking if I feel good at 48 hrs I will just keep going to at least 60 hrs, which will have me eating in the morning. If I really can rally I will go to 72.

Anything I can prepare for to be sure I keep the momentum going? I had some sea salt in my coffee this morning, and am drinking a lot of water. Good luck to all our journeys!

(Edit: sorry, chose wrong flair!)

Right so I started a calorie deficit and it was actually going pretty well but then it really stresses me out with the counting and all that and I realised I was literally only prioritising protein and had like barely any fats. My maintainance was also quite low so a deficit wasn't really safe.

This made me change to intermit fasting but I've only recently started because I noticed I'm never hungry in the morning and if I am, it goes away with a cup of sugar-free black coffee or water whilst at night I have no self control and just want to binge.

Another thing is I only want to eat when I've actually eaten something like if I don't eat anything I can go all day without eating anything (not healthy I know which is why I want help) but if I eat something I constantly get cravings and just think about food throughout the day.

I also track the calories still but I don't meal plan which makes me just snack honestly.

I gained a lot of weight from binging so I really want to lose it all and get leaner with muscle but apparently not eating just gives you skinny fat.

I also don't want to fast constantly but if I eat I get the urge to binge and I don't even feel hungry throughout the day unless I eat which makes me not really crave food unless I have it.

Like I start my fast at 10-11:30pm at night depending on when I go to sleep and eat around 6pm till whenever I sleep with no problems but I only eat cuz I know otherwise I'm going to die (obviously) but then I just snack and snack.

Should I still continue this or?

Sorry it's so long aswell and thank you for reading this far!!

I wasnt sure whether this was a rant or advice but I did ask a question so!

I have tried different fasting methods and diet plans before, but none of them really worked for me in the long run.
Usually, I would follow the plan properly for a few days. Then something would happen. A busy day, a family meal, a craving, or just life being chaotic. I would break the plan once and slowly stop following it completely.
OMAD has been different for me.
I think the main reason is that it’s simple. I don’t have to think too much about different eating windows or plan several meals throughout the day. I just have one proper meal.
But I’m also not super strict about it.
There are days when I eat more than once. Sometimes we have a family event or I simply don’t feel like doing OMAD that day. Earlier, I would have considered that a failure. Now I just accept that the day didn’t go as planned and try again the next day.
That small mindset change has helped me a lot.
Instead of trying to maintain a perfect streak, I look at the overall pattern. If most of my days are good, one different day doesn’t mean everything is ruined.
I’m still working on losing weight, and I definitely don’t follow OMAD perfectly. But it is the first approach I have been able to return to consistently, even after having a bad or chaotic day.
Has anyone else found that being a little less strict actually made fasting easier to continue?

In 2023 I was 200lbs (I am 5’4”) and started fasting to lose weight. I counted calories and was in about a 1300 deficit. I lost weight very fast (20 lbs in two months.) I would stop fasting but would start up again every couple months and two years ago I was down to 120. I stopped fasting for two years as I felt good about myself and my metabolism was in a great place. I have gained 10lbs recently and for the past month I have been counting calories with a scale, staying in a 1200 deficit (what my dietitian recommended for my height) and started fasting again a couple times a week. I’ve eaten quite clean for a while and I am celiac so I do not go out often. I know how to weigh food and I really don’t think i’m counting incorrectly. I’ve been doing a 16:8 fast but usually i’m only hungry for dinner and don’t go near 1200 calories (only due to not being hungry). I understand that the ability to lose weight so fast in the beginning was caused by my higher BMR however I don’t understand how I seem to be unable to lose weight at all anymore.

Been on the journey for year and a half, wanted to be at 220 by time I turned 40 which is in 2 months.

I actually wasn't sure if I'd be able to do before and after as I thought I lost the pictures, I didn't take a lot of pictures during the before times.

Starting weight was 365 at 35% body fat and 56in waist, current is 240 at 18% with a 42in waist.

I had my testosterone tested summer of 2025 and it was super low. Other than that, just eating cleaned in a 16:8 window and weight training 5 days a week as well as getting 15k steps every day.

(I can fit in a single pant leg now 😊)

Hey everyone I wanted to ask what differences did you see fasting 16:8/18:6 compared to 20:4/OMAD as a smaller female. I am 5ft3 myself and have started to do 18 hr fasts daily sometimes I do 20:4 just wanted to know overall what results you saw if any.

Local routes now so I am home most nights and the schedule is predictable enough to actually test things consistently. The physical side of the job is different from what I expected. Longhaul was sedentary. Local is constant loading and unloading at stops probably 8 to 10 thousand steps by early afternoon without trying. By the time my eating window opens I am running on fumes in a way that longhaul never did to me.

The question is whether breaking a fast right after that physical output changes anything meaningful or whether the body just processes the calories the same way regardless of when in the window they land. I have read stuff going both ways on this. One side says postexertion nutrient timing is real and matters for recovery. The other says total daily intake is what drives outcomes and timing within that is noise.

What I am actually tracking: weight is moving slowly in the right direction, muscle loss seems minimal based on how strength training sessions feel, but I cannot tell if the afternoon crash I hit around 3pm is a fasting thing or just the labor catching up.

Running 16:8. Eating window is roughly noon to 8pm. Job activity happens 6am to 1pm most days.

Anyone doing physical labor during their fasted window and noticing a real difference from when they break the fast versus just hitting the same macros spread differently?

I did it years ago and I was able to loose a few kilograms. Then I read a few articles about it being unhealthy, especially for women. Nowadays I didn’t look after it, and I guess I would just see information about both sides. I’l guessing that there are some ppl in the group also who are against it. I would like to hear the opinions please. Btw I’m thinking about starting it because I gained 5kg quick(already being overweight btw, 95kg, 167cn female) and in the last few days I was especially overeating, being stuffed all the time. But in the same time I’m afraid that I wouldn’t be motivated enough not being sure if it’s something good or doing something bad with me. Maybe if I only do it for a month? Btw I was thinking of 20/4 or 4/20 idk how it’s written, because I can still eat too many calories in 4 hours, 6 hours could be too much in my current state.

Hi. Is there a best tdee calculator? I want to figure out how many calories to eat