Dear Kayla,
Is it ok to go straight to 16/8 fasting? I’m 34 years old, I weigh 221 pounds, and according to what I have been told, I am obese. I want to lose this weight so I can be healthier.
Signed,
Emily
Dear Emily,
Back in 2015, I was starting almost exactly where you were. I was 30 years old, 222 pounds (obese) and I was trying to implement intermittent fasting. You can absolutely lose this weight, and intermittent fasting can be a great tool to help you.
There are some pros and cons of going straight to a 16:8. Let’s just jump right into it, shall we?
Pro: Weight loss may begin more quickly.
Many people find that when they’re going 16 hours without food, they begin to lose weight. Jumping directly to a 16:8, provided you are consistent with it, might lead to seeing downward movement in the scale sooner. This leads us to the two big cons of this strategy.
Con #1: Perceived difficulty.
Jumping to a 16:8 can be such a big change from what you’re currently doing, that it will make a 16:8 feel much harder than it would feel if you just baby-stepped your way there. When a thing feels difficult, it’s harder to be consistent with it over 6 weeks of time, which is how long you’ll need to be consistent with a plan before you’ll likely see measurable results.
Most people find when they jump, they have at least 2 weeks of it feeling really difficult. 2 weeks is a long time to stick to something that feels difficult, especially if you don’t lose any weight during that time. This leads us to the next downside.
Con #2: No weight loss, despite consistency.
You may not lose any weight, even when you’re consistent with a 16:8. At the end of the day, weight loss only happens when you consume less than your body needs. If you eat too much in that 8-hour window, you won’t lose, and you might even gain. Working what feels like a difficult plan while experiencing those kinds of results will almost certainly lead to quitting.
My strategy was to slowly work my way to a 16:8, as I felt comfortable. By doing it this way, fasting always felt easy, and enjoyable. Even better, I was getting little victories along the way as I pushed my window out. I was setting personal bests, and it helped me feel motivated to keep going.
When I stopped trying to hasten my weight loss results, and focused on making changes that I could see myself sticking with permanently, I started to see the results I was looking for. It was slower than I hoped, about 1 pound a week as I worked my way down to 158 by the end of 2016, but it felt easy and enjoyable. And for the first time in my life, I have been able to keep it off, with what felt like very little effort.
You can try jumping, and see how it feels. It might feel really easy to you. And if it does, great! But if you try jumping and it feels too hard, give yourself permission to go back and baby step your way to a 16:8. Even while you’re baby-stepping, you can start working on other skills that will help you lose weight, like quitting distracted eating, slowing down how fast you eat, and dealing with emotions or stress without turning to food.
Wishing you all the best on your weight loss journey,
Kayla