Accountability post: I am fed up with myself and how I feel in my skin.

I (32F, 1.80m, cw:84kg, gw:72) want to feel good in my skin again and for that want to adapt to a healthier way of eating. I’ve been practicing IF for over a year, with mainly 16:8 and sometimes a longer fast like 20:4. But I never counted calories. Overall last year went okay, the weight came of very slowly but that was fine. And then November and December hit me in the face and almost everything that I lost, got back. (Started 2022 at 84 kilo, got to 80 kilo, and I am back at 84 kilo again.) So for the next 2 months I have a goal: stick to the plan! If I make I plan I should stick to it. I only eat garbage because I like the idea of it. But as soon as I eat it: it doesn’t taste that good, I feel my heart racing, I get a sugar rush etc. So stick to the plan and I will update in 2 months! Ps. Sorry English is not my first language.

Answer

It’s the calorie counting that really started to help me.

While the idea of intermittent fasting helps lose weight and “fasting” in general helps, if you are at a surplus caloric intake, it’s going to be counterproductive. The idea of the IF-clan saying “you can eat whatever you want in your window!” Is technically true, but if you really want to drop weight, make sure you’re burning more than you’re intaking. I used a calculator online to determine where I needed to be. I don’t count each and every calorie, that would be exhausting and I’d never stick to it. I am, however, mindful of a rough ballpark of my caloric intake and chose my meals accordingly.

The other thing is, MOVE - park in the back of the lot/car park. Take the dog for a walk, they’ll enjoy it. I am not saying take the stairs up 14 floors, but get into the mindset of “how can I almost inadvertently burn calories?” - it helps a ton!