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@croggy
Hey, thanks for asking ... it's kind of settled into a groove now.
For the first few weeks I was watching the clock until the moment I could break my fast at midday, but I'm no longer hungry in the mornings now and often feel comfortable not eating till 1 or 2. Maybe that signals some kind of fat-burning hybrid-fuel capability, maybe it's also to do with the vast amount of water I'm downing... Either way, i don't feel I'm missing a vital energy source (breakfast) any more.
I've managed to let go of the strictness I felt I needed to get me started eating 16/8. As a slow learner, my body took around a month to get used to only eating between 12 and 8pm. Now I find i don't really want to eat outside of those hours. So I don't feel any fear of 'falling off the wagon'. If my stomach is growling at 11, I'll just give it a snack. I'm eating 16/8 95% of the time so the odd mid-morning peanut butter on toast isn't going to derail the long-term pattern.
Six weeks in, I've also figured out to fuel myself properly with carbs the day before if I'm planning a big ride or run the following morning. Mainly so I don't have the fear of running on empty. Long slow steady pace still seems to be easier than before, and strong sprints and climbs still feel slightly out of reach. Maybe it's just in my head, a fear that will pass with more positive fasted performances, but it definitely feels as if I'm struggling more to find that explosive speed.
How much this matters to my overall fitness and health is now more debatable though. I'm averaging a morning run or ride 3 days a week and I feel a lot lighter on the pedals (and on my feet), and a lot less bloated and gross in daily existence. That perhaps counts for more on average ... I've lost a bit of belly weight too, so there's less to lug around. I haven't been keeping proper statistical tabs cos life's too short, but this is my subjective opinion fwiw
The feeling you mentioned about your body having used up everything you gave it before feeding it more definitely rings true. It feels more measured somehow. In a simple way, it also feels good just to be in control of my eating without having to feel unhelpfully 'prohibited' from any food groups. Feels like a 'diet' I can stick to because nothing is truly off the menu :-)