I haven’t lost any weight so far doing 6 months of 18:6, 20:4 and OMAD because I do have a tendency to self sabotage and I’m nervous that I’ll also sabotage my attempts at more extended fasting now that I’m trying to take things up a notch and try 3x42 for the next few months.
I just can’t ever see the weight coming off. I can’t imagine myself at any other size. It all seems too good to be true the more information I learn about the affects of fasting.
Especially since my parents are always telling me that I’m never gonna be thin anyway because our family have just always been overweight and there’s nothing we can do about it.
How can I start believing that it’s possible to live in a smaller body and to trust the process? Because I’ve always known deep down that the self sabotage is due to a lack of trust that this will actually work.
Thanks 😊
F, 31, 5’2”, SW: 168lbs, CW: 168lbs, GW: 128lbs
You can do it. It’s just not going to be easy. What’s harder than losing weight, is not regaining that weight back. Maybe try an extended fast!
And in my experience, fasting definitely has led me to lose weight. I’ve lost about 30 pounds in 1 and a half months because of fasting
You could be insulin resistant. I’d have blood work done to confirm/deny.
Depending on your results you may have more medical options.
Do you count calories ? Even IF can easily lead to consuming to many daily calories to have a deficit resulting in weight loss.
Another point to make is if you’ve been at the same weight consistently you’re right on the line of entering a calorie deficit and losing weight.
Good luck.
Let me tell you, I can 100% eat al my TDEE calories AND more in a 4-5hr window LOL
It’s time to go longer, you’ve been doing these kind of fasts for 6 months, so you’ve already proven yourself that they don’t work. Time to up it! Time to go 36hrs, 48hrs, even 72hrs! Also don’t let your body get used to it, go a little longer, go a little shorter (not skip the 18:6, 20:4 and OMAD for now)
It’s also a possibility that you’re insulin resistant, I haven’t diagnosed myself but from what I looked up, it was highly probable, so part of the fasting is to get that taken care of too, I’m doing 3day/91hr fasts with a 4hr eating window in between, I’m not dropping the weight like mad, but it’s dropping.
I highly recommend you try 36hr fasts first, start dropping the carbs and sugar, this includes sweeteners such as erythritol and stevia, they can also cause an insulin reaction. Then go for 48hrs, and so on. (or stick with 36, 48 or 72, and don’t need to go longer, those should help you out to drop weight)
Have you tried other strategies? Extended fast? Maybe try a 24/48+ water fast? Do you exercise while fasting. This is really difficult for many people. But I think it takes you to the next level of you can power through it.
We believe in you!
Good luck.
OMAD, OMEOD (ADF OMAD) and fasts <14 days don’t work for me. Only 14+ day fasts work. Currently 14 days into a fast, SW 118kg CW 107.8kg. Fasting long durations allows you to break free of genetics. I believe that 14+ day fasts allow you to reset your bodies setpoint.
Weight loss can involve a lot of mind games. Maybe you can tell yourself that it’s a math problem. Write it out on paper or a spreadsheet. Look up your TDEE. Subtract 500 calories per day. Plan your meals to fit that new calorie baseline, and photograph and write down everything you eat. Math says that each pound is 3,500 calories. Over 1 week of eating 500 calories less than your body needs you should lose 1 pound.
Weight loss isn’t totally linear, so you have to have some patience and faith if you don’t lose exactly a pound and if your weight stagnates for a little while. Use an app to track your food, use Happy Scale to track your weight, use a string or a tape measure to measure your waist. Stick with it for at least a month. If you are seeing results keep going. If you’re not, tighten up your calories by 100, eliminate snacks and dessert, and consider shrinking your eating window.
Tune out your family. My family trends to heavier. It’s really hard to push someone to succeed in something you haven’t been able to manage for yourself, and parents want to protect their kids from disappointment and failure, especially in an area where they’ve failed themselves. Your future success could reignite their own feelings of hope. You can be the light for them later, but skip the discussions and arguing until you’ve figured out your own path.
You’ll lose the weight once you tell yourself you can.
I used to accept that I would never be normal sized and always failed every diet. they worked temporarily but never lasted. Even with fasting it has been a bumpy ride. It’s also been the best ride of my life and honestly it only worked once I allowed myself to admit I can be normal sized, I’m not super skinny or even at my goal weight still but my mind is finally at peace with my process and it’s been easier than ever.
I can’t tell you what will make you change your mind, but it sounds like your family is not supportive and that could hinder you if you’re the type to want to please them. It’s your body, your choices, not theirs.
Something is going on for sure because you should have lost weight by this point if you’re eating healthy during your eating window, and staying under maintenance. I suggest getting some blood work done to find out if you’re insulin resistant. Also, are you drinking your calories during your eating window? I hope you find out what it is so you can start seeing some movement in the scale. Please also measure your body using a tape measure! Sometimes the scale won’t move but you’ll still be losing inches. Best of luck!
Lift weights, take walks , and fast. Do these and nothing else for 21 days without looking at the scale but you must do this consistent. When you see a change in the scale if you did stay consistent something in you will break and you will gain momentum my friend.
You have to watch your refeeds on any fasting routine to lose weight. The way to get past your mental block is to read up on what your body is doing on a physiological level when fasting. If you haven’t been losing weight doing OMAD, you’re eating way too much.
Fasting works plain and simple because it kicks you into ketosis. You have to stay in ketosis and not way over eat on your refeeds to sustain loss - then go back into another fast. It is not for the weak minded ;)
Check out the book obesity code by Dr fung - also his YouTube has great videos to help you understand