I happen to like coffee pretty strong, and my preferred bean is sold by Buddha’s Cup; I pick medium/dark. (No financial affiliation with the company, except that I send them my money).
There’s a whole morning ritual. Every day I get up 15 minutes before my wife, go downstairs, grind the beans, prepare the coffee maker (Technivorm MoccaMaster, which has replaced a half dozen other machines that just didn’t make coffee as tasty), stir the grounds as the first drops of water hit to improve the bloom, and then wait for the coffee to finish and we enjoy a cup of coffee together.
I have not read through this thread. I have been just a week on 16/8. This works for me as I am a night owl and my first thought of food is typically never earlier than 11 and often 1:00. My current pattern is to stop eating at 8:00 pm and eat again at 12:00 noon until 8PM. I am not finding this difficult although I go to bed between 2-3 am (my natural time) and worry a little that I am going to be hungry but in 7 days I have never been.
Today was D’s B-day and we ate late and I got a bit messed up but I will correct tomorrow. I have lost 4 lbs. in a week–even if that is some water weight I know I am becoming more disciplined. I always have a general idea about my calories but not counting every bite, really other that figuring out my eating window I let it all go and eat as I want only trying to eat less carbs a little.
I have been doing the 16/8 for 9 months now. It has been the best food management/weight lifestyle I’ve ever done. I still eat pretty much what I had been, and I do get off my schedule about once a week. But I find I’m not going up and down those 10 lbs anymore. My weight stays fairly constant, deviates just a few lbs when I’m bad. Then it’s easy to get right back on it.
H started it and really likes it too? I’ve read it’s great for managing glucose levels!
I started with 5/2 in March (until May), then switched to 16/8. I am down 30 pounds (and three sizes). If I lose four more pounds I will no longer be considered “overweight” and my BMI will be “normal.” If I stay where I am today, I will be thrilled. I had my annual physical today and my doctor was so excited for me. I do walk 4 miles/day (aiming for 15 minute miles).
One thing that I have read is that women need to NOT go past 15-16 hours of fast as we have hormone craziest that men do not have. I accidentally did wrong math (how embarrassing) and went 17 two days fasting. felt bad/ 16 is easy peasy.
I’ve talked about this in other threads but I have been doing 16/8 for about a year and a half. I’ve lost 70 pounds and went from “ obese” to well within the “ normal” range in less than a year. I do also calorie count. I do have occasional “ cheat” days and don’t do IF or calorie count on vacation. But I follow the cheat day with a 500 calorie fast and do a 2/5 fast the week after vacation. This has really helped keep me on track.
Inspired by all of you–day 15 on the 16/8. Down 8 lbs. painless. Not counting calories at this point as that is my typical thing to do and I need to do something different right now. I will when it slows down. I am actually down 10 but never count the first two as probably water weight. I think this is working because I am a night owl. I rarely sleep before 2 and never even think about food until 12-1. So I stop eating at 8 or a little after. Thanks for inspiring me!
If glucose is not what you are concerned with, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with using sweeteners. I use it.
IF is not as hard as other lifestyle changes for me (that never lasted). But I’m not going to give up a vice or two completely for it unless I absolutely have to for health reasons.
I actually started that thread. I ended up giving up my flavored creamer, as that what I found out was causing me to bloat big time! Black coffee is just too bitter for me and I couldn’t find anything that made it taste ok besides sweeteners. I stuck with that.
I thought I read that some people allow themselves a drizzle of half in half in their coffee in the morning and don’t consider that breaking the fast - the half and half can cut the bitterness of black coffee.