20:4, struggling since I started eating normally. Angry with myself.

Sorry this is so long. I did 20:4 for 11 days, eating very little during my eating window. I only slipped a little on 2 days, and was otherwise doing well. I could see some changes, so I decided to start eating again. My window is from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. because of meds and supplements I have to take with food. Refed myself for a few days with homemade vegetable soup. Fully intended to stick with the plan, but once I started eating, it was like my cravings just went crazy. I had bought some healthy foods to start back eating Mediterranean style, so at least I didn't pig out on junk food. I ate all day for the weekend, and then yesterday I tried to get back on track, but failed, so I tried to go for at least 12 hours, but ended up eating late last night. I'm so angry with myself. I was doing well today, but I'm so hungry all the time now. I try to stay busy, but I end up going into the kitchen several times a day just looking into the refrigerator and having to force myself not to eat. I was doing well today until about 30 minutes ago, when I ate a kiwi fruit, breaking my fast yet again. I'm not pigging out during my eating window, in fact, I've been eating two pieces of toast, one cheese and one buttered, with green tea for breakfast, then eating what would be a reasonable lunch with about 700 calories. My doctor told me to stay under 1600 calories a day, and I'm way under that. I do need to exercise more. I never realized how much I actually ate during a day until now. I always told myself I was eating "healthy," and technically that was true, but I just ate all freaking day long and into the night and didn't exercise. I'm doing this for health reasons which require weight loss to get better. I was at 172 when I started and want to get to 130. My GERD is getting better and I'm not as bloated. I don't want to blow this. Guess I just want some encouragement.

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But do you eat your 1600 cals in the 4 hours? Or do you undereat and that is causing you to break your fast early.

Sounds a lot like my 1000 cal omad experience where I ended up bingeing because it was just too little food for me. I upped my intake in my eating window and everything is fine now.

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Have you thought about maybe doing 18-6 or even 16-8? Those few extra hours might make it easier to be consistent. I’ve done 20-4 before for a few months and found that I couldn’t be consistent with it. Changed to 18-6 and I’m finding it a lot more manageable for my lifestyle. IF has definitely helped even with 18-6 I’ve lost 25 lbs over the last 2 months (along with CICO, lots of water and exercise). Good luck!

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Being angry at yourself is understandable, at the same time its important to not get caught up in the day-to-day and realize how much progress is implicit in your new way of thinking. You say you broke your fast with a kiwi? I bet a year ago youd’ve said a twinkie or something. The fact you’re already thinking to “eat a kiwi” as opposed to some junk means you’re by default on the right track. Thats wonderful, keep that up.

We all understand this is just a calories game, and different routines work better for different people. I’d encourage you to keep trying different routines if the one you’re doing isn’t working. Experiment with various eating windows and styles of eating. Mixing it up also helps keep diets interesting. short fasts, long fasts, paleo, medetteranian, keto, weight watchers points, whatever. Personally it took a month of trying different stuff week by week to find one that really worked. And mixing it up kept weight loss kinda fun.

Keep fightin the good fight

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It sounds like the binging was more from under eating than OMAD.

My plan is, when I fast, I fast clean. Water and 1 espresso daily. That’s it.

During my OMAD eating window, I always break my fast with something healthy. I eat a small snack to break fast if I want it, one main meal that is healthy, and then I can have dessert if I want it. I have slowly been making dessert healthier (gelatin made with 1/4 c fruit juice, some fruit). And I avoid high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners.

This has helped me slowly curb binging/feeling out of control. For the first time in forever, I can buy a package of something sweet and not automatically eat the whole thing the first day. Weight loss has been slower than I wanted but that in and of itself is a huge win for me.