I am so frigging down right now, I just jumped on the scale and I have never been over 250lbs, tried two scales and one said 272lbs and the other said 280lbs, this is making me sick, I’ve never been this big ever! I feel like stopping eating all together, I might even switch to 18:6 and keto maybe. How did I get here, I have been struggling with my mental health for the last four years and living a very sedentary lifestyle so I guess this is the result. FML. Nothing I can do but keep moving forward I guess. I’m never going to eat fast food again, or maybe even carbs.
im not an expert on anything but i know firsthand the best way to fall off a program is to set too many limitations. 16:8 is what I’m doing too. i can guarantee everyone here has felt the way you are right now. i know i have. small steps my friend. we are all doing it together.
Honestly, just with 16:8 and taking a long walk every day, you should start seeing results. Remember, this is about the long term. Too many restrictions at once will work, but it’s also highly likely you will give up and go back to bad habits and gain it all back and maybe more. My starting weight in October was the same, and I just weighed myself, and I am 238. I have been following a strict 16:8 and 10k steps a day with weight training twice a week. I will be honest I haven’t been too consistent about eating healthy foods either. Honestly, just to start, just do the 16:8 and walk and attempt to eat a bit healthier. Once you start dropping weight you will see your motivation to eat healthier and exercise more will come naturally instead of feeling forced. The best part about IF is that you can customize it. The idea is to maintain it long-term so that you can keep off the weight for good.
Edited to add: I did keto years ago and lost 60lbs, but as soon as I stopped, I gained it all back and more. With IF I eat sandwiches, pasta, and even dessert a few times a week. I don’t feel like I am missing out on anything, and I don’t feel guilty anymore for having a piece of bread or a piece of cake at a birthday party.
Hey, so it happens to a lot of us. You’re not alone. The best advice I can give you is, baby steps. Start small, get wins and progress and you can always adjust. Doing too much too soon often ends in failure, and has for me many times! I got on the scale last year and it said “ERR”, had to buy a new scale because I was too overweight! I’ve lost 100lbs since then (27 if it twice lol).
Also, if your able look up a therapist. It has helped me immensely, and I continue to see one.
I HIGHLY recommend the book « The Obesity Code » by Dr Jason Fung. I stepped on the scale a few months ago and saw that I had gained 40lbs in 2 years (to 267lbs) and had the same reaction. The book helped me to understand the science behind why people gain and lose weight and empowered me to make changes that work for me, utilizing this knowledge. All the best - you got this.
I agree with what everyone else has stated. Ease into things. You could start with 16:8 for a week or 2, and make sure you get at least 2L of water a day (more if you can!). By week 3 maybe you do 3 walks a week for 30 min in addition to fasting and water. Then on week 5 add on another type of workout. And so on and so on.
Trying to do too much in the first week or month will ensure failure, plus you are likely looking at trying to change your lifestyle to a healthy one…which takes time.
Also try not to be too hard on yourself! 2022 is an insane and tough time to be alive. It’s so stressful, a lot of people have gained weight. Also I cannot stress this enough…measure and take pictures! Weekly or at least monthly! You might get to a point where you’ve lost a little weight and then you plateau, that’s totally normal. Your body might still experience loss of inches while it’s re-comping but you may not be able to see those #s on the scale. The scale isn’t everything. Good luck with your journey!
I started by eliminating the worst food I was eating, which was bags of chips and bakery goods. I started drinking water and eliminated my diet soda habit. (At least 6 cans per day). I started eating 18/6 with no snacks. Gradually, I moved to keto, which I’m reavaluating, whether that was a good move. I’ve done keto before and gained it back. Now I’m about 21/3 or less, depending on what I eat. I struggle with protein and have added protein shakes. I’ve lost about 36 lbs since August. I am very sedentary. I need to start walking, but I hate to go out because of the cold and snow. I live in ND. My point is we are all headed in the same direction. We all have obstacles and are constantly tweaking to get something that works. If you want this, you can do it. As part of the process, we need to figure out a way to maintain our progress. Lose/gain cycles are probably worse than being fat. There are folks here who have been maintaining for years. I read their posts carefully. Good luck to you.
Don’t beat yourself up. Make positive changes that are sustainable. 16:8 IF is a great start and cutting out fast food. Tracking your calories during your eating window and aiming for a certain goal would also be a good idea. Loseit! is a great app for that and will calculate a calorie target for you.
16:8 keto will do wonders, I would suggest easing into Leto, don’t just cut carbs out all at once, will be to much of a shock, reduce them over 2 week span then do Keto. Also the free app MyFitnessPal is a great way to track calories and macros, you can put what you goal weight is as well as your currently exercise and it will give you a road map!
Hey, I was exactly where you are now 11.5 months ago.
I hit 270 at 49 years old, and was having trouble getting off the couch. Then I found this sub.
I have not posted here in a while as I was going to wait until my birthday in early jan but you sound like you need a lift.
As of this morning I am 190. It has not been easy but I have not missed a fast in 350 days. You can do this.
Start slow 16/8. Try to focus on protein and fresh veggies. Drink lots of water. Don’t beat yourself up over this it’s a marathon not a sprint.
When I started I did 16/8. I still do some days! When you get comfortable with it try OMAD for a day.
We all eat things that we know we shouldn’t but when you do, write it off, not the day or the week just that one thing.
It works, it is a process that takes time to become a lifestyle.
If you need a chat feel free to dm me, I know it can be overwhelming.
Be at peace my friend this is just the beginning
So many great posts already here, you are not alone in this phase. Many of us (including me) have been there. When I started doing intermittent fasting the doctor helping me said yes 15-16 hours is good - but if you can’t do 15 hours try 13 or 14 gradually go up. Exactly what I did. I am cutting out unhealthy foods one by one (not all at once) - bread was tough but I did it - for me its impossible to try to do everything all at once and stay with it. I am losing weight slower than a lot of people do, but thats ok. I am making good healthy lifestyle changes that I will stick with. Walking daily has helped me a lot as well.
Not sure if you were taking medication but Dr fung book says that depression medication is a known weight gainer. I’m trying to lose weight took I’m pretty sure I’m 110kg and I want to get down to 75kg. Giving up carbs is so hard but I know I need to.Good luck on your journey, you’ve got this !
Be careful not to go “extreme.” Just eat clean food and intermittent fasting with a 24-48 hr fast once a month. Add some fermented foods & tons of leafy greens to your diet.
Loosing weight & getting healthy doesn’t have to be difficult or challenging. This is not a race to the finish line. Take it easy & enjoy the ride.